Ammianus Marcellinus (325/330–after 391) was a fourth-century Roman historian. He wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from Antiquity (the last was written by Procopius). His work chronicled in Latin the history of Rome from 96 to 378, although only the sections covering the period 353–378 are extant.^[1][2]

Biography[link]

Ammianus was born between 325 and 330 in the Greek-speaking East,^[3][1] possibly at Antioch on the Orontes.^[4] The surviving books of his history, the Res Gestae, cover the years 353 to 378.^[5] Ammianus served as a soldier in the army of Constantius II in Gaul and Persia.

He was "a former soldier and a Greek" (miles quondam et graecus),^[6] he tells us, and his enrollment among the elite protectores domestici (household guards) shows that he was of noble birth. He entered the army at an early age, when Constantius II was emperor of the East, and was sent to serve under Ursicinus, governor of Nisibis in Mesopotamia, and magister militum.

He returned to Italy with Ursicinus, when he was recalled by Constantius, and accompanied him on the expedition against Claudius Silvanus, who had been forced by the allegedly unjust accusations of his enemies into proclaiming himself emperor in Gaul. With Ursicinus he went twice to the East. On one occasion he was separated from Ursicinus and took refuge in Amida, which was then besieged by the Sassanid king Shapur II; he barely escaped with his life.^[7] When Ursicinus lost his office and the favour of Constantius, Ammianus seems to have shared his downfall; but under Julian, Constantius's successor, he regained his position. He accompanied this emperor, for whom he expresses enthusiastic admiration, in his campaigns against the Alamanni and the Sassanids. After the death of Julian, he took part in the retreat of Jovian as far as Antioch. He was residing in Antioch in 372 when one Theodorus was thought to have been identified by divination as a new Emperor, the successor to Valens. Marcellinus documented that Theodorus was, with many others, implicated by the use of torture, and cruelly punished.

Though pagan, Marcellinus was mostly tolerant of Christians.^[8]

Work[link]

The walls of Amida, built by Constantius II before the Siege of Amida of 359

At Rome, he wrote in Latin a history of the Roman empire from the accession of Nerva (96) to the death of Valens at the Battle of Adrianople (378),^[9] in effect writing a continuation of the history of Tacitus. He presumably completed the work before 391, since at 22.16.12 he praises the Serapeum in Egypt as the glory of the empire, and the temple was destroyed by Christians at the end of that year. Res Gestae (Rerum gestarum Libri XXXI) was originally in thirty-one books, but the first thirteen are lost (modern historian T.D. Barnes argues that the original was actually thirty-six books, which would mean that eighteen books had been lost). The surviving eighteen books cover the period from 353 to 378. As a whole it has been considered extremely valuable, being a clear, comprehensive and in general impartial account of events by a contemporary. Like many ancient historians, Ammianus had a strong political and religious agenda to pursue, however, and he contrasted Constantius II with Julian to the former's constant disadvantage; like all ancient writers he was skilled in rhetoric, and this shows in his work.

Critique[link]

Edward Gibbon judged Ammianus "an accurate and faithful guide, who composed the history of his own times without indulging the prejudices and passions which usually affect the mind of a contemporary."^[10] But he also condemned Ammianus for lack of literary flair: "The coarse and undistinguishing pencil of Ammianus has delineated his bloody figures with tedious and disgusting accuracy."^[11] Austrian historian Ernst Stein praised Ammianus as "the greatest literary genius that the world produced between Tacitus and Dante".^[12]

According to Kimberly Kagan, his accounts of battles emphasize the experience of the soldiers but at the cost of ignoring the bigger picture. As a result it is difficult for the reader to understand why the battles he describes had the outcome they did.^[13]

Scholars have often believed that Ammianus' work was intended for public recitation for two reasons: the overwhelming presence of accentual clausulae, which implies that it was intended to be read aloud; and epistle 1063 of Libanius to a Marcellinus of Rome which refers to public recitations. However, virtually all major works of Greek and Latin prose possessed such clausulae; and some scholars have rejected the identification of Libanius' Marcellinus with Ammianus, since Marcellinus was a very common name and the tone suggests Libanius was addressing a man much younger than himself (Ammianus was his contemporary). It is a striking fact that Ammianus, though a professional soldier, gives excellent pictures of social and economic problems, and in his attitude to the non-Roman peoples of the empire he is far more broad-minded than writers like Livy and Tacitus; his digressions on the various countries he had visited are particularly interesting.

Ammianus' work contains a detailed description of the tsunami in Alexandria which devastated the metropolis and the shores of the eastern Mediterranean on 21 July 365. His report describes accurately the characteristic sequence of earthquake, retreat of the sea and sudden giant wave.^[14]

His work has suffered terribly from the manuscript transmission. Aside from the loss of the first thirteen books, the remaining eighteen are in many places corrupt and lacunose. The sole surviving manuscript from which almost every other is derived is a ninth-century Carolingian text, V, produced in Fulda from an insular exemplar. The only independent textual source for Ammianus lies in M, another ninth-century Frankish codex which was, unfortunately, unbound and placed in other codices during the fifteenth century. Only six leaves of M survive; however, the printed edition of Gelenius (G) is considered to be based on M, making it an important witness to the textual tradition of the Res Gestae.^[15]

Notes[link]

References and further reading[link]

• Scholars of Ammianus use Wolfgang Seyfarth's critical edition, Rerum gestarum libri qui supersunt (in 2 vols). Leipzig: Teubner, 1978.
• Students often use the poor English translation of J.C. Rolfe in the Loeb Classical Library, 1935–1940 with many reprintings.
• Walter Hamilton (trans.) The Later Roman Empire (AD 354–378). Penguin Classics, 1986. An abridged, but superior, translation.
• Barnes, Timothy D. Ammianus Marcellinus and the Representation of Historical Reality (Cornell Studies in Classical Philology). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1998 (hardcover, ISBN 0-8014-3526-9).
• Clark, Charles Upson. The Text Tradition of Ammianus Marcellinus. Ph.D. Diss. Yale: 1904.
• Crump, Gary A. Ammianus Marcellinus as a military historian. Steiner, 1975, ISBN 3-515-01984-7.
• Drijvers, Jan and David Hunt. Late Roman World and its Historian. Routledge, 1999, ISBN 0-415-20271-X.
• Kelly, Gavin. Ammianus Marcellinus: The Allusive Historian. Cambridge University Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-521-84299-0.
• Matthews, J. The Roman Empire of Ammianus. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989.
• Rowell, Henry Thompson. Ammianus Marcellinus, soldier-historian of the late Roman Empire. University of Cincinnati, 1964.
• Sabbah, Guy. La Méthode d'Ammien Marcellin. Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1978.
• Seager, Robin. Ammianus Marcellinus: Seven Studies in His Language and Thought. Univ of Missouri Pr, 1986, ISBN 0-8262-0495-3.
• Thompson, E.A. The Historical Work of Ammianus Marcellinus. London: Cambridge University Press, 1947.

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links[link]

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Ammianus Marcellinus

• Ammianus Marcellinus on-line project
• Ammianus Marcellinus' works in Latin at the Latin Library
• Ammianus Marcellinus' works in English at the Tertullian Project with introduction on the manuscripts
• What happened on July 21, 365 A.D.?

The Goths, Gepids, Vandals, and Burgundians were East Germanic groups who appear in Roman records in Late Antiquity. At times these groups warred against or allied with the Roman Empire, the Huns, and various Germanic tribes.

The size and social composition of their armies remains controversial.

History[link]

In the 3rd Century, some Germanic people of the Baltic Sea (associated with the Wielbark (Willenberg) culture) followed the Vistula, Bug, and Dnestr rivers and settled among the Dacians, Sarmatians, Bastarnae, and other peoples of the Black Sea steppes. These Germanic people brought their name and language to the Gothic people who emerged in the 3rd century (associated with the Chernyakhov Culture).

At the same time, other Germanic people of the Baltic Sea (associated with the Przeworsk culture) followed other trade routes to the middle-Danubian plains (Vandals) or the Main river (Burgundians).

Horse nomads with bow-armed cavalry armies, including the Sarmatians (or Iazyges, Roxolanni, Taifali, and Alans) had long ruled the plains north of the Danube and the steppes north of the Black Sea (since about 1200 BCE). (The Goths and Vandals were mainly farmers with infantry armies). In some areas, the Sarmatians, Taifali, and Alans preserved their dominance until the Huns arrived.

The Gothic people had divided into two or more groups by the end of the 3rd Century. These groups lasted from the late 3rd Century to the late 4th Century. The Thervingi lived between the Danube and the Carpathians west of the Dnestr river; the Greuthungi, and possibly other groups, lived east of the Dnestr river.

Jordanes, a mid 6th Century historian describes a large Greuthung kingdom in the late 4th century, but Ammianus Marcellinus, a late 4th Century historian, does not record this. Many modern historians, including Peter Heather and Michael Kulikowski, doubt that it was ever particularly extensive (and suggest one or more smaller kingdoms).^[1][2]

Realms in the Roman Empire[link]

This Gothic society faced internal strife and Hunnish attacks in the late 4th Century. As a result several groups sought refuge in the Roman Empire; two of the more successful groups, the Visigoths and Ostrogoths, absorbed smaller groups and gained independence within the Roman Empire. Another group, the Crimean Goths survived on the Black Sea. The Vandals and Burgundians shared similar histories.

The Visigothic and Burgundian kingdoms in Gaul fell to Clovis' Frankish invasions in the early 6th Century;^[3] the Vandal kingdom in north Africa, and the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy and Illyria fell to Justinian I's Byzantine invasions by the mid 6th Century.^[4] The Visigothic kingdom in Hispania survived (despite losing most of their old Gallic territory) until the Islamic conquest of Hispania in the early 8th Century.

Gothic society and forces in the 3rd and 4th Centuries[link]

The Gothic tribes did not have long-term standing armies but relied on short-term levies and/or volunteers. Most would return to their farms after some time. Most came on foot and fought as infantry, though some brought horses and fought as cavalry. Like their Roman opponents, most soldiers had thrusting spears, throwing spears, and shields; though swords, and bows, were also used. Unlike their Roman opponents, few could afford metal armor.^[5][6]

External images
	Gothic heavy cavalryman[7]

The 3rd and 4th-Century Gothic tribes could not match the population or extent of the Roman Empire. The 4th-Century Thervingi settled over about 100,000 km² between the Carpathian mountains, Olt river, Danube river, and Pruth river. (The East Roman Empire held about 1,500,000 km² in round numbers). The destruction of one Gothic army would leave its tribe vulnerable to Roman attacks; the destruction of one Roman army could be countered by other Roman armies moving into the war zone (as happened after Adrianople). Therefore 3rd and 4th-Century Gothic armies could not take as many risks as Roman armies could.

The Gothic people generally settled in unwalled farming settlements along the main rivers. These settlements were vulnerable to Roman, Hunnish, or other attacks, even by small raiding parties.^[8] Two Roman-style valla were built, one by Anthanaric^[9] on and a second one by an unknown king in the region of Ukraine, Moldovia and Romania.

Valens and the Roman army invaded Therving lands in 367 and 369. Athanaric and his supporters avoided battle; his army abandoned the Danubian plains and retreated into the Carpathian mountains. The Goths could not defeat the Romans in battle and defend their homes.^[10][11]

Alan and Hunnic raiders attacked various Gothic lands in the 370s; they attacked Therving lands c. 375. Athanaric and his supporters sought battle; the main Gothic army assembled on the Dnestr river, with forward units scouted 30 km ahead. The Hunnic raiders avoided the scouts and attacked the main army at night.^[12]

The Roman Empire fortified most of its cities and frontier garrisons in the 3rd & 4th Centuries. Fortified settlements were relatively safe from Gothic attacks.^[13]

Gothic attackers could choose unfortified targets; these included many cities in the 3rd Century, but were generally restricted to smaller towns and villae by the 4th Century, as more cities were fortified. Alternatively, they could attack fortified targets, relying on surprise, on treachery, or on siege warfare.

In the 3rd Century, several Gothic campaigns went by sea. In the 4th Century, few, if any, Gothic campaigns went by sea.

As soon as large Gothic groups settled on Roman territory, they faced military conflicts with the Roman government (as in the Gothic War (376–382)).

Major wars of the Goths include:

• Gothic raid on Istria (238)^[14]
• Gothic raid on Marcianople (249)^[14]
• Cniva's Gothic raid on Philippopolis (250–251)^[14]
• Seaborne raids on the Balkans (c. 252)^[15]
• Seaborne raids on Asia Minor (c. 256)^[15][16][17]
• Seaborne raid on the Aegean (c. 268)^[15][18]
• Gothic raids on the Balkans (c. 270)^[19]
• Aurelian's Roman raids north of the Danube (c. 271)^[20]
• Gothic raids on Asia Minor (c. 275)^[15]
• Gothic (?) raids in the Balkans (c. 330?)^[21]
• Constantine II's Roman invasion north of the Danube (332) 100.000 goths killed. Ariaricus son of the goths king captured^{[22][23][24][25][26]}
• Constantine Campaign on the left bank of Lower Danube (today Romania), Constantine gain the title DACICUS MAXIMUS^[26][27][28]
• Julian's Roman invasion of Persia (363) (?)^[29]
• Roman Civil War between Procopius and Valens (365)^[30][31][32]
• Valens' raids on the Thervings (367–369)^[33][34]
• Hunnic raids on the Greuthungs (c. 370)^{[31][35][36][37][38][39]}
• Hunnic raids on the Thervings (c. 376)^{[31][40][41][42][38][39]}
• Gothic revolt in the Balkans (c. 376–382)^{[31][43][44][45][46][47][48]}
• Gothic Civil War between Fritigern & Athanaric (?)^[49][50][51]
• Odotheus' crossing of the Danube (?)^[52][53][54]

Notable battles of the Goths include:

• Abrittus (251)
• Naissus (268)
• Marcianople (376/77)
• Ad Salices (377)
• Adrianople (378)

Gothic and Vandal forces in the Late Roman army[link]

The Late Roman army (or Byzantine army for the east) often recruited non-Roman soldiers into regular military units, as well as separate allied contingents (of laeti and foederatii). Most soldiers were probably Romans, many were probably non-Roman.^[55]

Notable battles of this period include that of Frigidus River (394).

Gothic and Vandal forces in the Hunnic army[link]

By the early 5th Century, Hunnic elites established their hegemony in Eastern and Central Europe by subduing or dislodging the local elites. The Hunnic rulers had thus an empire at their disposal with the resources of subject people who were required to supply additional forces for their ongoing raids and conquests. The most memorable of their rulers became Attila, who eventually challenged the Roman Empire for supremacy.

After the death of Attila, one of his subject rulers, Ardaric waged a successful civil war against the heirs of Attila, helping several tribes to break apart and regain their independence.

Notable battles involving Vandal forces within the Hunnic army include the Battle of Chalons (451) and the Battle of Nedao (454).

Visigothic armies[link]

During the Gothic revolt of 376, a mixed Gothic group settled in Moesia. By the 390s Alaric had become the client king of the Visigoths under the Roman empire.

Between 395 and 418, Alaric, Athawulf, and their immediate successors fought several campaigns, seeking offices for themselves and support for their followers. They transferred their base of operations from the eastern Balkans (395) to the western Balkans (397), Italy (408), and Aquitaine (c. 415).

These successive movements may have divided the army from much of its population base.

Notable battles of the Visigoths in the period include:

• Pollentia (402)
• Verona (402)
• Narbonne (436)
• Chalons (451)
• Voglada (507)
• Guadalete (711)

Vandal Armies (406–534)[link]

By the time of the Vandalic War, the Vandals may, unlike other Germanic nations, have converted their army into one centered almost entirely on cavalry. This is likely in response to the mobility of the Moors and other hostile tribes in North Africa.^[56] There is no evidence of the native Romanized Africans contributing militarily to their Vandal masters.^[57]

Notable battles of the Vandals include:

• Sack of Rome (455)
• Ad Decimum (533)
• Tricameron (533)

Ostrogothic armies (489–553)[link]

Ostrogothic armies may have had the same organizational structure (with separate field armies and frontier armies) as contemporary Byzantine armies.

Ostrogothic Italy, like the Late Roman Empire, fortified its cities and military bases.^[58]

The Italian-Ostrogothic army, like the Late Roman and Byzantine army, could transport food and other military supplies from secure areas to war zones. This allowed the Ostrogothic army to assemble more troops in one place (than early Gothic armies) without consuming as much of the local food supply.^[59]

Notable battles of the Ostrogoths include:

• Isonzo (489)
• Verona (489)
• Faventia (542)
• Taginae (552)
• Mons Lactarius (553)

Weapons and armor[link]

There is little direct evidence for Gothic military equipment. There is more evidence for Vandal, Roman, and West Germanic military equipment, which provides the base for inferences about Gothic military equipment.

Germanic and Roman weapons and armor[link]

Generally speaking there was little difference between well-armed Germanic and Roman soldiers. Furthermore many Germanic soldiers served in the Roman forces. The Roman army was better able to equip its soldiers than the Germanic armies.

Late Roman representational evidence, including propaganda monuments, gravestones, tombs, and the Exodus fresco, often shows Late Roman soldiers with one or two spears; one tombstone shows a soldier with five shorter javelins.^[60][61] Archaeological evidence, from Roman burials and Scandinavian bog-deposits, shows similar spearheads, though the shafts are rarely preserved.^[62][63]

Late Roman representational evidence sometimes still shows Roman swords.^[64][65] Archaeological evidence shows that the gladius has disappeared; various short semispathae supplement the older pugiones^[66][67] while medium-long spathae replace the medium-short gladii.^[64][68] These have the same straight double-edged blades as older Roman swords.^[69][70]

Representational evidence and recovered laths, as well as arrowheads and bracers, show Roman use of composite bows.^[71][72]

Representational evidence, recovered bosses, and some complete shields from Dara, show that most Roman infantry and some Roman cavalry carried shields.^[73][74]

Although the representational evidence, including gravestones and tombs, usually shows soldiers without armor, the archaeological evidence includes remains of scale armor, mail armor, and helmets.^[75][76]

Experimental evidence[link]

Modern blacksmiths, reenactors, and experimental archaeologists can duplicate Roman Age weapons and armor with Roman Age technology.

Basic spearheads (including javelinheads) take about 3 hours of forging time, while swords can take about 37 hours without pattern welding, or about 110 hours with pattern welding (divided over several days or weeks of labor).^[77]

Mail armor takes well over 600 hours of forging time.^[78]

Military terminology[link]

Via Wulfila's bible translation we do know 4th Century Gothic military terms he used to describe the 1st Century Roman army. These terms reflect the Gothic military organization that grew from its Germanic roots under Roman and Central Asian (Hunnic) influence.

Known terms include:

• Drauhtinon (to war)^[79]
• Gadrauhts (Soldier, Militiaman)^[80][81]
• Hundafaþs (used to describe a Roman Centurion)^[82][83] Common Germanic organization of troops of a hundred armed men (in the Scandinavian Leidang it could refer to less than a hundred or several hundred organized and armed men), literally meaning 'group of a hundred'
• Harjis (Army)^[84][85]
• Hansa (used to describe a Roman Cohort)^[85] In Germanic terms meaning a band (of warriors); a related term is the later used German: Hanse, Dutch: Hanze, Estonian: hansa, Polish: Hanza, Swedish: Hansan for the Hanseatic League
• Hairus (Sword)^[86]

Notes[link]

See also[link]

• Leidang
• Migration period spear
• Migration period sword
• Anglo-Saxon warfare

Sources[link]

• Hugh Elton, Warfare in Roman Europe, AD 350-425, Oxford: Clarendon, 1996 ISBN 0-19-815241-8
• Peter Heather and John Matthews, The Goths in the Fourth Century, Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1991 ISBN 0-85323-426-4
• Ammianus Marcellinus, Historiae, book 27, unknown publisher, unknown year
• Joseph Wright, A Primer of the Gothic Language, with Grammar, Notes, and Glossary. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1892 ISBN 1-4021-4971-9
• William Bennett, An Introduction to the Gothic Language, New York: Modern Language Association, 1980 ISBN 0-87352-295-8
• Ian Hughes, Belisarius: The Last Roman General, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2009 ISBN 978-1-59416-085-1

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

John Carew Rolfe, Ph.D. (1859, Newburyport, Massachusetts – 1943) was an American classical scholar, the son of William J. Rolfe.

He graduated from Harvard University in 1881 and from Cornell University (Ph.D.) in 1885.

He taught at Cornell (1882–1885), at Harvard (1889–1890), at the University of Michigan, and at the University of Pennsylvania.^[1]

He was professor in 1907 - 1908 at the American School of Classical Studies and at the American Academy in Rome from 1923-1924. He continued to serve at the Academy until 1940.^[1] In 1910 - 1911, he was president of the American Philological Association.

He translated many Latin authors, especially historians, for the Loeb Classical Library: Ammianus Marcellinus, Cornelius Nepos, Aulus Gellius, Quintus Curtius, Sallust, and Suetonius.

References[link]

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John Carew

Personal information
Full name	John Alieu Carew
Date of birth	(1979-09-05) 5 September 1979 (age 32)
Place of birth	Lørenskog, Akershus, Norway
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)[1]
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
1995–1998	Lørenskog
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1998–1999	Vålerenga	33	(14)
1999–2000	Rosenborg	17	(18)
2000–2004	Valencia	84	(20)
2003–2004	→ Roma (loan)	20	(6)
2004–2005	Beşiktaş	24	(13)
2005–2007	Lyon	35	(10)
2007–2011	Aston Villa	113	(37)
2011	→ Stoke City (loan)	10	(1)
2011–2012	West Ham United	19	(2)
National team‡
1995	Norway U15	7	(5)
1996	Norway U16	2	(2)
1996–1997	Norway U17	3	(1)
1997	Norway U18	5	(5)
1997–2000	Norway U21	24	(8)
1998–	Norway	91	(24)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:23, 18 April 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21 August 2011

John Alieu Carew (born 5 September 1979 in Lørenskog, Akershus), is a Norwegian professional footballer, who currently is a free agent last playing for West Ham United and the Norwegian national team.^[2] His father is Gambian and his mother is Norwegian; he was born and raised in Norway.

Club career[link]

Vålerenga[link]

John Alieu Carew began his career with his local club Lørenskog, a minor club within the Akershus region. He was considered to be a highly talented youngster and had gained some media attention before he was picked up by Vålerenga. During his two year period at the club he won the Norwegian Football Cup while his profile rose even more due to his skill and goal scoring ability.

Rosenborg[link]

Eventually Norwegian football's most successful club of the past decade and champions league mainstays Rosenborg, signed a deal with the then still only 20-year old. During his short spell at the club, Rosenborg proved to be a highly formidable team winning many of their UEFA Champions League group matches.

Transfer moves around Europe[link]

After a string of impressive displays in the Champions League, he moved to Spanish club Valencia in a €8.5 million transfer, where Carew managed to win the La Liga title twice. Carew was part of the Valencia side that lost on penalties in the 2001 UEFA Champions League Final, though scoring on his attempt. His goals in that campaign were crucial, including a 75th minute header in a 1–0 home win against Arsenal in the second leg of the quarter-final, which saw Valencia advance to the semi-final. In the 2002–03 Champions League campaign, Carew was once again responsible for the exit of Arsenal. With Valencia needing a win in their final game of the second group phase at home against Arsenal to progress to the quarter finals, Carew scored twice in a 2–1 victory. He then spent the 2003–04 season on loan at Italian side Roma where he scored 7 goals in 26 games. He then moved to Turkey with Beşiktaş in 2004.^[3] After the 2004–05 season, he was snapped up by Lyon for €7.6 million.^[4] While Carew was playing in Europe he was constantly linked with a move to the English Premiership and had several failed attempts. He failed a medical at Fulham in 2002 ^[5] and West Bromwich Albion had a bid rejected by Valencia.^[6]

Aston Villa[link]

2006–07 season[link]

On 22 January 2007, Carew signed for Aston Villa in an exchange deal with Lyon for Milan Baroš.^[7] Carew penned a three-and-a-half year deal at the Birmingham-based club. Carew went on to receive the #10 jersey – left vacant by Baroš' departure.

Carew made his debut in the 3–1 loss to Newcastle United,^[8] but went onto score his first goal for the club in a 1–0 victory against West Ham United just three days later.^[9] Villa manager Martin O'Neill praised Carew's performance after the match.^[10]

2007–08 season[link]

Carew began the season as Villa's primary forward and was under high expectations from the Villa fans. However, despite some good performances, it took Carew nearly two months to score his opener for the season against Everton in a 2–0 victory.^[11] Unfortunately, he also injured himself in the same game and was out of action for six weeks with a hamstring problem.^[12] He scored on his second match back in the Villa side in a 3–0 away win against Middlesbrough in November. He then followed this up with a headed goal against Blackburn Rovers in a 4–0 victory as Aston Villa began to climb the Premiership table. December brought just one goal for Carew—a 30-yard run and shot against Manchester City—but he was instrumental in several of the goals Villa scored.

Carew scored two goals against Reading on 12 January and was unlucky not to be awarded Man of the Match which went to Martin Laursen. He scored his first hat-trick for seven years and his first ever for Aston Villa against Newcastle United on February 9 in a 4–1 win.^[13] Gareth Barry allowed him to do so by kindly relinquishing his usual penalty taking duties so Carew could score his third.^[14] On 12 April 2008, Carew scored for Aston Villa against Derby County at Pride Park in the Premier League, in the 26th minute and Villa went on to win the game 6–0. On 20 April 2008, Carew scored twice against Birmingham City in the Birmingham derby at Villa Park, which Villa went on to win 5–1. He continued his scoring run with a header the following week, in a crunch game at Everton's Goodison Park, which finished 2–2. It would be his 13th and final goal of the season, crowning him as Villa's top scorer for the 2007–08 season.^[15]

2008–09 season[link]

Carew at an open-training session at Villa Park with team-mate Nigel Reo-Coker

Carew scored his first goal of the 2008–09 campaign by scoring the first goal in Aston Villa's 2–2 draw over Odense in the Intertoto Cup. On 14 August 2008, Carew signed a 12-month extension to his contract, thus taking him through to 2011 with his current deal.^[16]

Carew scored the opening goal in Villa's 4–2 win over Manchester City at Villa Park. He then scored his second league goal against Stoke City as they went on to lose the match 3–2 when Mamady Sidibe scored a late winner.^[17] He quickly added his 3rd of the season in the 2–1 defeat of local rivals West Bromwich Albion; and with Gabriel Agbonlahor on the scoresheet again the pair began to form a formidable partnership. They both scored again and assisted each other's goals in a 4–0 victory in the Premier League at Wigan Athletic on 26 October 2008. Carew scored the winning goal in the UEFA Cup for Villa in a Group F match away to Slavia Prague on 6 November 2008, Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell struck the ball towards goal but it hit Carew and went in, therefore the goal was credited to Carew; it turned out to be the winning goal and continued Villa's 100% record in the competitions group stages and the 1–0 victory saw Villa go to the top of the group. Carew made the headlines in late October due to his personal behaviour. He was fined two weeks wages by Martin O'Neill for being in a pub near a Birmingham lap dancing club the night before Villa's UEFA cup group stage match with Ajax.^[18][19]

Soon after the controversy, Carew sustained a back injury that kept him out of the side for several months.^[20] During this time, Villa boss Martin O'Neill signed England international striker Emile Heskey to fill the gap left by Carew's absence. Heskey appeared to have taken Carew's place in the starting line-up for a number of weeks. However, his own injury woes and Carew's good form on return have meant that the Norwegian has regained his place in the side. Carew played his first game after his injury on 31 January 2009 in a goalless draw with Wigan Athletic.^[21] In the last 32 of the UEFA Cup, Carew earned Villa a first leg draw with CSKA Moscow, after going 1–0 down to Vágner Love's goal. On 1 March 2009, Carew came off the bench to score a lob-shot volley in the 2–2 draw against Stoke City in the Premier League, which was later voted the team's goal of the season.^[22] He scored an equalizing goal in the away fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford before also netting the first goal in the home tie against Everton as Villa fought back from 2–0 and 3–1 down to draw 3–3. Further goals against Hull City and Middlesbrough took his league total to an impressive 11 goals from just 25 appearances.

2009–10 season[link]

Due to the persistence of fellow strikers Heskey and Agbonlahor, Carew initially struggled to hold down a regular spot in the starting eleven at the beginning of the 2009–10 campaign. Nevertheless, while being used as a substitute Carew still managed to score several important goals for Aston Villa. On March 7, 2010, manager Martin O'Neill chose to include Carew in the starting eleven in an FA Cup game against Reading. He took the opportunity characteristically and scored a hat-trick as Aston Villa came from two goals behind to defeat Reading 4–2 in the FA Cup quarter final. This made Carew the competitions top scoring striker, raising questions as to why the Norwegian was rarely included in Villa's starting eleven.^[23] Carew began to feature in the Villa team once more as the season progressed; goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sunderland and Chelsea helped the Norwegian go neck and neck with Gabriel Agbonlahor as the club's joint top scorers for 2009–10.

2010–11 season[link]

Carew warming-up for West Ham United

Due to an injury to Gabriel Agbonlahor, Carew started the new campaign upfront with support from Ashley Young. However due to both injury concerns of his own and a loss of form, his place in the team was taken by Emile Heskey limiting him to cameo appearances from the bench. As the season progressed, Carew's first team appearances became less frequent. Later that month, he allegedly missed a Villa game due to heavy snow disrupting his travel.^[24]

Carew spoke out about his limited chances under the new system under manager Gérard Houllier to a Norwegian TV station. Despite ongoing rumors in the press about a dispute between the former Lyon pair, Houllier revealed that Carew had been left out of the Aston Villa squad to work on his fitness.^[25] However when Villa signed Darren Bent for £18 million, Carew's first team opportunities were further reduced.^[26]

On 27 May 2011, Aston Villa announced that Carew was one of a number of players released by the club after their contracts expired.^[2]

Stoke City loan[link]

Carew joined Stoke City on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season on 21 January 2011.^[27][28] Following his move Carew stated that he was looking forward to a new challenge and also revealed that he rejected offers from other clubs.^[29] His arrival has been welcomed by the Stoke players including Andy Wilkinson.^[30]

"I'm looking forward to the challenge and I am happy to be here. Although I had other offers, I saw Stoke as the best team and the strongest team, so this is a great chance for me to join a side fighting in the top half of the table. The important thing now is to make the most of this opportunity"

—Carew on his decision to join Stoke on loan.^[31]

Carew made his debut for City the following day at Fulham where he came on as a substitute.^[32] He scored his first goal for Stoke in a 3–2 win against Sunderland on 5 February 2011.^[33] He followed this up by scoring in the FA Cup against Brighton & Hove Albion.^[34] However a back injury slowed his progress in a Stoke shirt.^[35] After his release from Villa, it is unlikely that Tony Pulis will offer Carew a contract with Stoke.^[36]

West Ham United[link]

On 6 August 2011 Football League Championship side West Ham United announced the signing of Carew as a free agent.^[37] He scored his first goal for West Ham in a 2–2 draw with Crystal Palace on 1 October 2011.^[38] On 23 May 2012, Carew was released with five other players including Julien Faubert, Frank Nouble, Papa Bouba Diop, Abdoulaye Faye and Oliver Lee.

International career[link]

John Carew's kit at the Norway national team.
From the changing room at Ullevaal Stadion

John Carew has played 91 times for Norway, scoring 24 goals (as of October 2011), and was part of their Euro 2000 squad. He made his full international debut on 18 November 1998, and was the first black player to play for Norway. During the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, Carew scored four goals and contributed two assists in ten games. Norway failed to qualify for Euro 2008, ending up third place, one point behind Turkey.

International goals[link]

John Carew: International goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	22 January 1999	Umm al-Fahm, Israel	Estonia	3–3	Draw	Friendly
2	4 February 2000	La Manga, Spain	Sweden	1–1	Draw	Friendly
3	3 June 2000	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Italy	1–0	Win	Friendly
4	28 February 2001	Windsor Park, Belfast	Northern Ireland	4–0	Win	Friendly
5	24 March 2001	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Poland	2–3	Loss	World Cup 2002 Qualifier
6	6 June 2001	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Belarus	1–1	Draw	World Cup 2002 Qualifier
7	5 September 2001	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Wales	3–2	Win	World Cup 2002 Qualifier
8	6 October 2001	Yerevan	Armenia	4–1	Win	World Cup 2002 Qualifier
9	6 October 2001	Yerevan	Armenia	4–1	Win	World Cup 2002 Qualifier
10	7 September 2002	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Denmark	2–2	Draw	Euro 2004 Qualifier
11	4 September 2004	Palermo	Italy	1–2	Loss	World Cup 2006 Qualifier
12	13 October 2004	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Slovenia	3–0	Win	World Cup 2006 Qualifier
13	3 September 2005	Celje	Slovenia	3–2	Win	World Cup 2006 Qualifier
14	15 November 2006	Belgrade	Serbia	1–1	Draw	Friendly
15	24 March 2007	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1–2	Loss	Euro 2008 Qualifier
16	6 June 2007	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Hungary	4–0	Win	Euro 2008 Qualifier
17	6 June 2007	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Hungary	4–0	Win	Euro 2008 Qualifier
18	22 August 2007	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Argentina	2–1	Win	Friendly
19	22 August 2007	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Argentina	2–1	Win	Friendly
20	12 September 2007	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Greece	2–2	Draw	Euro 2008 Qualifier
21	26 March 2008	Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica	Montenegro	3–1	Loss	Friendly
22	14 November 2009	Stade de Genève, Geneva	Switzerland	0–1	Win	Friendly
23	8 October 2010	Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca	Cyprus	1–2	Win	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
24	11 October 2011	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	Cyprus	3–1	Win	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying

International statistics[link]

Source:^[39]

Career statistics[link]