In the third century, in the conditions of the military anarchy, there appeared a new danger on the Roman imperial frontieres. In AD 238, there is registered the first massive attack of the Gothic populations over the Roman Empire. Several authors had spoken about this new "plague" occured over the Empire. Indeed, during more than two centuries, the Gothic populations threatened the security of the Roman frontier, especially in the Danube area. On the other hand, these Germanic populations were by far the most influenced barbarians in contact with the Roman Empire. Their area of settlement was mainly Bessarabia, Muntenia, Moldavia and the Eastern and Central parts of Transylvania [1]. But, in the Visigothic area of settlement, there also existed Taifali, Sarmati, former Roman provincial inhabitants, Carpi and even Iranian populations [2] ; also, as a consequence of the barbarian raids of the third century, there were in this area even groups of Roman prisoners from Asia Minor (see for example the case of Ulfilas' forefathers, captured by plundering Goths in "the village of Sadagolthina in the city district of Parnassus, Cappadocia, and were carried off to Transdanubia" [3].
    The Visigothic social structure was one of an "heroic" or "barbarian" organisation, and the contact with the Romans helped to strengthen the power of the aristocracy. The barbarian aristocracy was directly interested in raising it's social status, by achieving prestige goods by all means: plundering raids, commerce, or negotiations. It's position in the Visigothic society was threatened

by the great social mobility, through which every able warrior could raise it's status and became a new member of the aristocracy. On the other hand, the aristocratic status was not very well defined, due to the period of migrations. There were several tribal chiefs, who saw themselves as the leaders of the community, but their position could be threatened at any moment by some able newly-raised leaders. During the fourth century, we are witnesses of a sedentarization of the Visigoths, in the areas quoted above. One of the main problems in the Romanian archaeology is that it could not be found any material traces of this aristocracy (i. e. hillforts, palaces, etc.) except some treasures (i. e. the well-known treasure from Pietroasa, Botosani, Tauteni-Bihor, Someseni-Cluj, Simleul Silvaniei [4], and some finds in the fourth century cemeteries. On this base, it could only be suggested some ideas about the Visigothic social structures.
    Also, the literary sources could provide us with some information; unfortunately, these sources are extremely few, and they are not very reliable, partly because they are biased by their authors' Roman origin. We have only accidental information from the Roman side, which concerns events in direct relation with the Roman history, and the Gothic authors (such as Iordanes) are extremely late for the period in discussion. On the other side, there are the Germanic legends preserved thorugh Scandinavian tradition, and these legends could tell us something about the Germanic social structures [5].
    Beginning from these points, we shall try to reconstruct the Visigothic society of the fourth century. On the top of the social hierarchy there were the members of the aristocracy. They are in some way archaeologically registered in the cemeteries; for example, there are rich burials which could reflect a social stratification- M 501, M 507 from Barlad-Valea Seaca [6], M 37, M 65, M 67 from Spantov [7], M 143, M 179, M 195 from Targsor [8], etc. Also, there are registered some "clans" which acquired during the migrations high social prestige, as a consequence of their leading role: for example, H. Wolfram recorded the clans of the Amali, the Balthi and the Rosomoni [9].
    A characteristic of the Gothic aristocracy was it's multiethnic character. There was not simply a Visigothic aristocracy, formed on ethnic bases, but rather a "barbarian aristocracy", which comprised more or less some non-German elements. There is for example recorded the invasion of Rausimodus, in 323 [10] ; in Zosimos' account, Rausimodus was a Sarmathian,

    Besides the introduction of Christianism as a state policy, there were some other cultural fields where the Roman influence was significant. For example, it was suggested that the wearing of the so-called "Gothic" brooch was inspired by the late Roman ceremonial [23]. On the other hand, some German kings and chiefs increased their social status by acquiring Roman military commands, and in this sense there are recorded for the late fourth century the case of Alaric, both magister militum per Illyricum and rex of the Goths, or the case of Vadomarius, both dux Phoenices and king of the Alamanni in 361/366 [24], or the best-known case of Gainas, who acted as magister militum and as a Gothic chief during the events of 399/400 at Constantinople [25]. As Roman commanders, they were integrated in the Roman social system, which prestige among the barbarians was huge in the fourth century. According to this fact, the barbarian chiefs could receive high military honours and even payments for their peoples. Also, the Roman gifts helped to increase the barbarian chiefs' status among their equals.
    In the field of the material culture, there has been discovered plenty of Roman imports, especially Roman pottery: at Copuzu [26], Ulmeni-Buzau [27], Izvoare-Piatra Neamt [28], Sirna-Prahova [29], Barlad-Valea Seaca [30] and so on.
    What is interesting to observe is the fact that it can also be found Santana de Mures pottery in the frontier Roman provinces (for example at Dinogetia, Ulmetum, Runcu, Tropaeum Traiani [31], so there existed along the Danube frontier a space of mixed populations, both Romans and barbarians. The Roman tendency was to close as much as possible the frontier, fact proved to be impossible. The Romans also tried to control the contacts with the barbarians; it is suggestive in this sense the imperial decreee promulgated by Valentinian, Valens and Gratian, in which the emperors forbade the transport in the barbarian territories of wine, oil and alcoholic drinks, dated c. a. 370-375 [32], and the war between Valens and Athanaric in 367-369, when the Romans closed the frontier to the barbarian commerce, and thus they were forced to ask for peace [33].

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