Reference edition:

Iordanis, Romana et Getica, recensuit Theodorus Mommsen, Berolini apud Weidmannos 1882, in Monumenta Germaniae Historica inde ab anno Christi quingentesimo usque ad annum millesimum et quingentesimum, edidit Societas Aperiendis Fontibus Rerum Germanicarum Medii Aevi, Auctorum antiquissimorum tomi V pars prior, Berolini apud Weidmannos 1882

The Getica, which opens with a description of the Goths’ origin in Scandia, demonstrates the complex relationship between this people and the Roman world until their final surrender before Justinian’s armies.  The focus of this work is therefore more restrained and specific when compared to the Romana.  The author himself emerges at the opening of the history in order to offer information about the text (Get. 2-3): indeed, he records that when Castalius asked him to compose a summary of Cassiodorus’ Gothic History, he was only able to peruse that work for the brief span of three days (ad triduanam lectionem).  For this reason he subsequently had to consult other Greek and Latin material: ex nonnullis historiis Graecis ac Latinis addidi convenientia, initium finemque et plura in medio mea dictione permiscens.  Jordanes’ statement invites reflection on the scope of his self-professed dependence on Cassiodorus’ pro-Gothic history.  As has been noted, while the latter observed that the Goths’ presence in Italy was still strong, Jordanes—tuning his account to a pro-Byzantine and pro-Justinian key—traced their disappearance from the Italian peninsula (Goffart, Zecchini, Croke).  [G. Vanotti; tr. C. L. Caterine].