Complex sentence: By means of marriage alliances, he sought to establish a central position among the barbarian states of the West, in part as a defensive measure, and in part as a counterbalance to the Empire.
Split into simpler sentences: By means of marriage alliances, he sought, to establish a central position among the barbarian states of the West. Jordanes, "Getica" 303 This was in part meant as a defensive measure, and in part as a counterbalance to the influence of the Empire.