Iordanis
Iordānis
(less correctly Jornandes). An Alanian by birth. He wrote about the year A.D. 551 two historical works: (1) a compendium of universal history (De Summa Temporum Gentis Romanorum) down to A.D. 551; and
(2) an abstract of Cassiodorus' history of the Goths (De Rebus Geticis or De Origine Actibusque Getarum), which, though done in a cursory and unskilful manner, is nevertheless of great value, owing to the loss of the original work. The principal edition of both works is that of Mommsen (Berlin, 1882). There is a translation of the Getica and of part of the De Summa Temporum, into German, by Martens (Leipzig, 1884). See also Jordan, Iordanes' Leben und Schriften (Ansbach, 1843).