The Herules, Rugians and Gepids have usually been regarded as playing only a secondary role in history, overshadowed by the Goths and Huns. Unjustly, since these three peoples played major roles between the third and sixth centuries: the three barbarian groups fought with and against the Romans, allied themselves with the Huns and finally attempted to establish their own kingdoms along the Danube and in the Balkans on the edge of the Empire. Tracing this ?barbarian= history offers a better understanding of Roman history. The fate of these three peoples provides informative insights into a pioneering episode in Europe=s development.