Jordanes was an ancient historian who lived shortly after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, and he wrote a number of works about Roman history. Jordanes was asked by a friend to write this book as a summary of a multi-volume history of the Goths (now lost) by the statesman Cassiodorus. He was selected for his known interest in history (he was working on Rome's), his ability to write succinctly, and because of his own Gothic background. As the only surviving work on Gothic origins, the Getica has been the object of much critical review.