What if the Goths settled in the Near East?
Part I
The Goths had been raiding the Balkans and Asia Minor for 30 years before they settled in Cyprus (in 270 AD). They settled outside of the city of Kourion, a city which they pillaged and razed. The population of Western Cyprus, fearing the new invaders, fled east and founded a city they called Exoristikepolis, the exiled city. The Goths, instead of destroying Exoristikepolis, the Goths decided to pillage and resettle the city of Amathus, near Kourion.
The Roman Emperor Aurelian, was outraged by their attempt to take away Roman lands and sent a fleet from the Bosphorus to Cyprus to contend the threat. The Emperor did not know that the other raiding party in Greece, who was thought to of fled, after a Roman success in Macedonia, but had returned to Greece and were sailing to join their brothers in Cyprus. It was a race against time. But not so very coincidentally, both fleets met near the island of Rhodes, obviously ending a Roman victory, but only a slight victory. The Goths still beat them to Cyprus and built up the defences in Kourion before the Romans arrived in late September, 271.
The battle was almost endless and lasted a matter of weeks before the Romans finally abandoned their short naval siege. They were able to land and subjugate Exoristikepolis and land surrounding it. But ultimately they had failed, they had not prevented the Goths from settling Cyprus.
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