History of the Ossetians Part III: From Alans to Ossets

Let's see. The Alans were either absorbing or pushing Sarmatian tribes into Europe while dominating the European and Central Asian steppes during the late Roman Empire. They seem to have been tough, skilled warriors, less reliant on the armor of the Sarmatians and perhaps more reliant on archery in combat rather than the heavy lance. They did not know the use of the stirrup.

The Alans themselves were disrupted in the late fourth century when a Turkic people, the Huns from even further East, hit them. Many of the Alans became part of the Hunnish confederation. Others moved westward into the Roman Empire where they were often recruited into the Roman military. They were particularly good as a type of mounted rural police keeping an eye on rebellious peasants. Some were sent into southern France, some to Brittany, leaving a trail of towns across the French map with names like Alainville or some such. Alan became a popular name among the Breton aristocracy. The Emperor Gratian was particularly fond of his Alanic guards corps, even going so far as to imitate their customs and dress. This is understandable since their customs seem to involve a lot of hunting and drinking (they had a great influence on the early Slavs too). At the great battle of Chalons in AD 450 when the Romans defeated Attila's Huns, Germans, Alans, Sarmatians etc. the Alans fighting for the Romans actually formed the center of the line and held that point all day (despite a great deal of misinformation we get from Jordanes, a Goth).

The Alans are a much under appreciated people. They provided the cavalry for almost every germanic horde that entered the old Empire. They made up an important part of the so-called Visigothic nation. Even before the Visigoths settled into Spain, Alans had seized a major portion of the Iberian peninsula as part of the Vandal confederation (see Un. of Idaho). Some even ended up in North Africa. There's one of them waving at you in the picture above. We think he's an Alan because the horse bears a typically Alanic brand on its hindquarters.

Alans remained a powerful force out on the steppes once the Hunnic confederation was destroyed. They continued to serve the East Roman Empire all through the middle ages. Eventually they met a people as tough and even better organized than they were: the Mongols of Genghis Khan (see the movie "Mongol"). Still noted as warriors (Alan women were also noted for their beauty) the Mongol khans recruited an entire regiment to serve as guardsmen back in Mongolia. To this day there is a Mongol tribe that claims to be descended from these soldiers. Another regiment was sent deep into China as the Mongols conquered that country.

Nevertheless the Alanic nation was in decline. Little by little they were forced to seek refuge up along the northern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains. Eventually Alan settlers pushed over the crest and down into the areas inhabited by the Christian Georgians and other peoples. As their economy and social structure changed in the new environment they became virtually a new culture: the Ossetians, divided into North and South by the mountain crest. They still speak an Iranian language ultimately descended from the first horse tamers from 4500 BC or so via the first charioteers of around 2100 BC. They still remember who they are and who they were.

Jack even tells me that there is a plan to unite the two Ossetias into a new province/republic: Alania. And that is all I can remember about it. Hope you enjoyed this little excursion into the life of an obscure people who might get a chapter in modern history books yet.

Every now and then history not only does not change, it gets medieval on you.