Author: * Ahtaswintha Chattian -
4 Posts
on this thread out of
107 Posts
sitewide.
Date: Oct 12, 2003 - 06:44
The 19c map of the Germania Magna is a bit of a mess, if you're looking for the tribes living there between 100 BCE to 100 CE.
According to Caesar BG, large parts of the Suebi (lead by their king Ariovistus) crossed the Rhine, but were driven back by Caesar (BG 1). Only 2 tribes stayed on the Gaulish bank of the river, the Vangiones (S of Mogontiacum) and the Triboci (between Basilia and Argentorate). All the others settled on the Germanic bank and formed a union named Suebi Nicretes; Nicer (Germ. Neckar) is the river that goes through their territory, which bordered on those of the Tutones/Teutones, Marcomanni and Naristi. After the Marcomanni moved East into today's Frankonia, the Hermunduri settled in the area, between T[e]utones and Suebi Nicretes.
Apparently, most of these tribes had close cultural and cultic relationships to one another and to the Suebi on both sides of the Elbe ("Elbsueben"), including the Langobardi; thus, Tacitus sums them up (together with Suebi and Semnomes) as Herminones (which also include the Chatti, Cherusci and Angrivarii).
Their language was West-Germanic.
Sources:
- C.I.Caesar, Bellum Gallicum
- Cassius Dio, Hist.
- Tacitus, Germania, Annales, Historiae
General Information:
- RE (Pauly-Wissowa), i.e. Realencyclopaedie der classischen Alterthumswissenschaften
- RGA (Hoops), i.e. Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde
|