Ulfilas

Ulfilas was a Gothic bishop and missionary who lived in the 4th century AD. Born around 311 AD, he was of Cappadocian Gothic descent. He is most famous for his translation of the Bible into the Gothic language. This monumental work is the earliest known translation of the Christian Scriptures into a Germanic language and is a crucial text for understanding the history of both Christianity and the Gothic people.

Ulfilas was ordained a bishop by Eusebius of Nicomedia, a prominent Arian bishop, around 341 AD. He then returned to his Gothic homeland and began his missionary work. His efforts were not always welcomed, and he faced periods of persecution. Around 348 AD, he led a group of Goths who had converted to Christianity away from their homeland, possibly due to religious or political persecution, and settled south of the Danube River in the Roman Empire, in the province of Moesia.

During his time in Moesia, Ulfilas continued his translation work. He also developed a Gothic alphabet, a unique script for writing the Gothic language, likely based on the Greek alphabet with some additional runes. His translation of the Bible, known as the Codex Argenteus (though only fragments survive), included most of the Old Testament and all of the New Testament. This translation was instrumental in the Christianization of the Gothic people and had a lasting impact on their culture and identity. Ulfilas died around 383 AD.