Alans

Quick Facts: Who was Alans?

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Alans

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Ancient Iranic nomadic pastoral people who migrated through the North Caucasus to Europe.

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Origins & Early Life

The Alans (Latin: Alani) were an ancient and medieval Iranic nomadic pastoral people who migrated to what is today the North Caucasus; some continued on to Europe and later North Africa. They are generally regarded as part of the Sarmatians, and possibly related to the Massagetae. Modern historians have connected the Alans with the Central Asian Yancai of Chinese sources and with the Aorsi of Roman sources. Having migrated westwards and becoming dominant among the Sarmatians on the Pontic–Caspian steppe, the Alans are mentioned by Roman sources in the 1st century CE. At that time they had settled in the region north of the Black Sea and frequently raided the Parthian Empire and the South Caucasus provinces of the Roman Empire.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Between 215 and 250 CE the Goths broke their hold on the Pontic Steppe, thereby assimilating a significant population of associated Alans. After the Hunnic defeat of the Goths on the Pontic Steppe around 375 CE, many of the Alans along with various Germanic tribes migrated westwards. They crossed the Rhine in 406 CE along with the Vandals and Suebi, settling in Orléans and Valence. Around 409 CE they joined the Vandals and Suebi in crossing the Pyrenees into the Iberian Peninsula, settling in Lusitania and Hispania Carthaginensis. The Iberian Alans, soundly defeated by the Visigoths in 418 CE, subsequently surrendered their autonomy to the Hasdingi Vandals.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 428 CE, the Vandals and Alans crossed the Strait of Gibraltar into North Africa, where they founded a kingdom which lasted until its conquest by Byzantine emperor Justinian I in 534 CE. Eventually in the 9th century, those Alans who remained under Hunnic rule established the kingdom of Alania, a regional power in the Northern Caucasus. It survived until the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. Various scholars consider these Alans to be the ancestors of the modern Ossetians. The Alans spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian; in turn, the language evolved into the modern Ossetian language.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Alans

True or False: “The Alans were solely composed of people originating from the Massagetae tribe.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The Alans formed through a merger involving the Massagetae with other old tribal groups.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Alans