The Marcomanni were a
Germanic people[
*
*
*
] that established a powerful kingdom north of the
Danube, somewhere near modern
Bohemia, during the peak of power of the nearby
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
. According to
Tacitus and
Strabo, they were
Suebian.
Origin
It is believed their name may derive from
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages.
Proto-Germanic eventually developed from pre-Proto-Germanic into three Germanic br ...
''*markō'' "border, boundary" (hence the English
''march'' or ''mark'', meaning "frontier, border", as in the
Welsh marches and the kingdom of
Mercia) and ''*mann-'' (pl. ''*manniz'') "man", ''*Markōmanniz'', which would have been rendered in
Latinised form as ''Marcomanni''.
The Marcomanni first appear in historical records as confederates of the
Suebi of
Ariovistus
Ariovistus was a leader of the Suebi and other allied Germanic peoples in the second quarter of the 1st century BC. He and his followers took part in a war in Gaul, assisting the Arverni and Sequani in defeating their rivals, the Aedui. They t ...
fighting against
Julius Caesar in
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
(now France) after they had crossed the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, source ...
from what is now southern Germany. The exact position of their lands at the time is not known. The fact that their name existed before the Romans had territory near the
Danube or Rhine raises the question of which border they lived near to explain their name. Their name may echo an earlier demarcation between the northern Germanic tribes of the
Jastorf cultural circle and those of the maximum expansion of the
Celts during the earlier and later
Iron Age of
La Tène dominance throughout Europe. Findings in the archaeological record show that they had pressed north with some influence as far as into
Jutland
Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
, but they mostly remained separated in the south and settled in ''
oppida'' over what is now
Thuringia and
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a ...
along the
Hercynian Forest, intrinsically connected to the major trade roads that went into the more evolved centres of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, which were then all still Celtic regions. It has been suggested that they may have lived near the confluence of the Rhine and Main Rivers in areas that had been inhabited but left deserted by the
Helvetii and
Taurisci. However, the historian
Florus reports that
Drusus
Drusus may refer to:
* Claudius (Tiberius Claudius Drusus) (10 BC–AD 54), Roman emperor from 41 to 54
* Drusus Caesar (AD 8–33), adoptive grandson of Roman emperor Tiberius
* Drusus Julius Caesar (14 BC–AD 23), son of Roman emperor Tiberius
...
erected a mound of their spoils during his campaign of 12–9 BC after he had defeated the
Tencteri and
Chatti, and before next turning to
Cherusci,
Suevi, and
Sicambri. That suggests that they were not close to any obvious border at the time.
According to the accounts of
Tacitus (Germ. 42),
Paterculus
Marcus Velleius Paterculus (; c. 19 BC – c. AD 31) was a Roman historian, soldier and senator. His Roman history, written in a highly rhetorical style, covered the period from the end of the Trojan War to AD 30, but is most useful for the per ...
(2.108),
Pliny the Elder, and
Strabo (vii. p. 290) they eventually moved into the large area that had been occupied by the
Boii, specifically in a region already called ''Baiohaemum'', where their allies and fellow Suevi lived, the
Quadi. It was described as being within the
Hercynian Forest and was possibly in the region of modern
Bohemia, but that is not certain. By 6 BC, their king,
Maroboduus, had established a powerful kingdom there that
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
perceived as a threat to the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
. Before he could act, however, the
revolt in
Illyria intervened. Eventually, Maroboduus was deposed and exiled by
Catualda (AD 19). Catualda was, in turn, deposed by
Vibilius of the
Hermunduri that year and succeeded by the Quadian
Vannius. Around 50 AD, Vannius was himself also deposed by Vibilius, in co-ordination with his nephews
Vangio and Sido.
In the late first century, Tacitus mentions (''Germania'' I.42) the Marcomanni as being under kings appointed by Rome.
Marcomannic Wars
In the second century AD, the Marcomanni entered into a confederation with other peoples, including the
Quadi,
Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal Kingdom, Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.
The ...
, and
Sarmatians, against the Roman Empire. It was probably driven by movements of larger tribes, like the
Goths
The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Euro ...
. According to the historian
Eutropius, the forces of the Emperor
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Latin: áːɾkus̠ auɾέːli.us̠ antɔ́ːni.us̠ English: ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good E ...
battled against the Marcomannic confederation for three years at the fortress of
Carnuntum
Carnuntum ( according to Ptolemy) was a Roman legionary fortress ( la, castra legionis) and headquarters of the Pannonian fleet from 50 AD. After the 1st century, it was capital of the Pannonia Superior province. It also became a large ...
, in
Pannonia. Eutropius compared the war and Aurelius's success against the Marcomanni and their allies to the
Punic Wars. The comparison was apt in that the war marked a turning point, had significant Roman defeats, and caused the death of two
Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guard (Latin: ''cohortēs praetōriae'') was a unit of the Imperial Roman army that served as personal bodyguards and intelligence agents for the Roman emperors. During the Roman Republic, the Praetorian Guard were an escort fo ...
commanders. The war began in 166, when the Marcomanni overwhelmed the defences between
Vindobona and
Carnuntum
Carnuntum ( according to Ptolemy) was a Roman legionary fortress ( la, castra legionis) and headquarters of the Pannonian fleet from 50 AD. After the 1st century, it was capital of the Pannonia Superior province. It also became a large ...
, penetrated along the border between the provinces of
Pannonia and
Noricum, laid waste to
Flavia Solva Flavia Solva was a municipium in the ancient Roman province of Noricum. It was situated on the western banks of the Mur river, close to the modern cities of Wagna and Leibnitz in the southern parts of the Austrian province of Styria. It is the on ...
, and could be stopped only shortly before
Aquileia, on the
Adriatic Sea. The war lasted until Aurelius's death in 180. It would prove to be only a limited success for Rome since the
Danube River remained the frontier of the empire until the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
Later history
The
Christianisation of the Marcomanni, at least into a Roman orthodox form of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
, seems to have occurred under their queen
Fritigil
Fritigil (or ''Fritigils''), Queen of the Marcomanni, is the last known ruler of the Germanic peoples who were at that time (late 4th century) probably settled in Pannonia. She is alleged to have had her residence in the present Burgenland. Fritigi ...
in the mid-4th century. She corresponded with
Ambrose of Milan to bring about the conversion. That was the last clear evidence of the Marcomanni having a polity, which was possibly now on the Roman side of the Danube. Soon afterward, the Pannonian and Danubian area went into a long period of turmoil.
After crossing the Rhine in 406 and the
Pyrenees in 409, a group of Suevi that had migrated with
Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal Kingdom, Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.
The ...
and
Alans established itself in the Roman province of
Gallaecia (modern
Galicia and northern Portugal), where it was considered ''
foederati'' and founded the Suebi kingdom of Gallaecia. The Suevi were probably a mix of Suevian groups from the area north of Danube and
Pannonian basin such as the Marcomanni, Quadi and
Buri.
There,
Hermeric
Hermeric (died 441) was the king of the Suevi from at least 419 and possibly as early as 406 until his abdication in 438.
Biography
Before 419
Nothing is known for sure about Hermeric before 419, the year in which he is first mentioned; ...
swore fealty to the emperor in 410. Bracara Augusta, the modern city of
Braga in Portugal, had been the capital of Roman Gallaecia and now became the capital of the Suebic Kingdom.
The Danubian area, meanwhile, became the core of
Attila the
Hunnic Empire, and within it seem to have been many Suebians. One group of them managed to reform into an independent group after the
Battle of Nedao in 454, like many other groups that emerged from Attila's confederation. Those Suevi eventually came into conflict with the
Ostrogoths, who had lost at Nadao.
Jordanes
Jordanes (), also written as Jordanis or Jornandes, was a 6th-century Eastern Roman bureaucrat widely believed to be of Gothic descent who became a historian later in life. Late in life he wrote two works, one on Roman history ('' Romana'') an ...
, the historian of the Goths, reported (''Getica'' 280) that after the
Battle of Bolia, the Ostrogoths attacked the Suevi (ruled by a man named
Hunimund Hunimund (395 - after 469) was a leader - variously described by Jordanes as dux and as rex - of the Suebi.
Hunimund fought with Ardaric against the Huns at the Battle of Nedao in 454. Afterwards Hunimund founded a small and short-lived kingdom in ...
, who also seemingly led an attack on
Passau) by crossing the Danube when it was frozen and going into a high Alpine area held by the confederates of the Suevi at the time, the
Alamanni. (He said that several streams start in the area and enter the Danube.) The region held by those Suevi was described as having
Bavarians to the east, Franks to the west, Burgundians to the south, and Thuringians to the north. The text seems to indicate that the Suevi had moved into the Alamannic area but that Suevi were seen as distinct from both Alamanni and Bavarians. That was also the first mention of Bavarians, who are also often proposed to have had Marcomanni in their ancestry.
According to historians such as
Herwig Wolfram:
The Marcomanni and the Quadi gave up their special names after crossing the Danube, in fact both the emigrants and the groups remaining in Pannonia became Suebi again. The Pannonian Suebi became subjects of the Huns. After the battle at the Nadao they set up their kingdom, and when it fell, they came, successively under Herulian and Longobard rule, south of the Danube under Gothic rule, and eventually again under Longobard rule.
There is a
runic alphabet called the Marcomannic runes, but they are not believed to be related to the Marcomanni.
Kings
*
Maroboduus, c. 9 BC – 18 AD
[Tac. ''Ann.'' 2.62-3]
*
Catualda, 18 – 20
*
Vannius, 20 – c. 50
*
Vangio and Sido, c. 50 – ?
*
Ballomar, c. 166? – 172 or 178?
*
Attalus, c. 260/2
[Aur. Vict. ''Caes.'' 33,6; ''Epit.'' 33,1; SHA ''Gall.'' 21,3; PIR2 A 1328; PLRE I Attalus]
*
Fritigil
Fritigil (or ''Fritigils''), Queen of the Marcomanni, is the last known ruler of the Germanic peoples who were at that time (late 4th century) probably settled in Pannonia. She is alleged to have had her residence in the present Burgenland. Fritigi ...
, mid-4th century, queen
See also
*
History of Portugal
*
History of Spain
*
Irminones
*
List of ancient Germanic peoples
*
Migrations period
The Migration Period was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories by various tribes, and the establishment of the post-Roman ...
*
Timeline of Germanic kingdoms
This is a historical timeline of the Iberian Peninsula during the period of the post-Imperial kingdoms (5th to 8th centuries).
5th century
*409
**Invasion of the NW of the Iberian peninsula (the Roman Gallaecia) by the Suevi (Quadi and Marc ...
References
Classical sources
Caesar ''De Bello Gallico'' at
The Latin Library
The Latin Library is a website that collects public domain Latin texts. It is run by William L. Carey, adjunct professor of Latin and Roman Law at George Mason University. The texts have been drawn from different sources, are not intended for ...
Tacitus ''Germania'' at
The Latin Library
The Latin Library is a website that collects public domain Latin texts. It is run by William L. Carey, adjunct professor of Latin and Roman Law at George Mason University. The texts have been drawn from different sources, are not intended for ...
Tacitus ''Annales'' at
The Latin Library
The Latin Library is a website that collects public domain Latin texts. It is run by William L. Carey, adjunct professor of Latin and Roman Law at George Mason University. The texts have been drawn from different sources, are not intended for ...
External links
*
{{Authority control
Early Germanic peoples
Suebi