Getian insurgents, Goths, and Sarmatians have harassed Dacia during the two centuries of Roman rule in the western Balkans, and major migrations of ‘barbarian’ tribes have begun by the middle of the third century CE.

During the third century, East-Germanic peoples, moving in a southeasterly direction, had migrated into Dacian territories previously under Sarmatian and Roman control, and the confluence of East-Germanic, Sarmatian, Dacian and Roman cultures has resulted in the emergence of a new Gothic identity.

Part of this identity is adherence to a pagan religion, the exact nature of which, however, remains uncertain.

In 238, an army described by the Romans as Gothic had crossed the Danube and plundered the Roman province of Moesia Inferior, taking numerous hostages, which were later returned to the Romans in exchange for monetary compensation.

Within two years—possibly on the basis of a contractual agreement which had ended the same raid—Goths were enlisted into the Roman Army for Gordian III's campaign against the Persians, which had ended in 243-244.

At the conclusion of this campaign, the Gothic soldiers had been released from military duty and all subventions stopped.

This had been met with widespread disapproval, and by 250, a large army consisting of Goths, Vandali, Taifalae, Bastarnae and Carpi had assembled under the Gothic king Cniva.

Together with a number of Roman deserters and some members from such other tribes as the Vandals, the Goths cross the Danube in 250 and overrun the Roman provinces of Moesia and Thrace.

Their war chief Cniva leads his army to sack Philippopolis, called by the Romans Trimontium, the capital of Thrace.