Laeti , the plural form of laetus , was a term used in the late
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
to denote communities of ''barbari'' ("
barbarians
A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be les ...
"), i.e. foreigners, or people from outside the Empire, permitted to settle on, and granted land in, imperial territory on condition that they provide recruits for the Roman military. The term ''laetus'' is of uncertain origin. It means "lucky" or "happy" in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
but may derive from a non-Latin word. It may derive from a
Germanic word meaning "serf" or "half-free colonist". Other authorities suggest the term was of Celtic or Iranian origin.
Origin
The ''Laeti'' may have been groups of migrants drawn from the tribes that lived beyond the Empire's borders. These had been in constant contact and intermittent warfare with the Empire since its northern borders were stabilized in the reign of
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 ...
in the early 1st century. In the West, these tribes were primarily
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
, living beyond the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
. There is no mention in the sources of ''laeti'' in the Eastern section of the Empire.
[Jones (1964) 620] Literary sources mention ''laeti'' only from the late 3rd and 4th centuries.
Although the literary sources mention ''laeti'' only from the 4th century onwards, it is likely that their antecedents existed from as early as the 2nd century: the 3rd-century historian
Dio Cassius reports that 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 ...
(ruled 161–180) granted land in the border regions of
Germania,
Pannonia,
Moesia and
Dacia
Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It ...
, and even in Italy itself, to groups of
Marcomanni
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. According to Tacitus and Strabo, they were Suebian.
Or ...
,
Quadi and
Iazyges
The Iazyges (), singular Ἰάζυξ. were an ancient Sarmatian tribe that traveled westward in BC from Central Asia to the steppes of modern Ukraine. In BC, they moved into modern-day Hungary and Serbia near the Dacian steppe between th ...
tribespeople captured during the
Marcomannic Wars (although Marcus Aurelius later expelled those settled in the peninsula after one group mutinied and briefly seized
Ravenna
Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the ca ...
, the base of the
Adriatic fleet). These settlers may have been the original ''laeti''. Indeed, there is evidence that the practice of settling communities of ''barbari'' inside the Empire stretches as far back as the founder-emperor
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 ...
himself (ruled 42 BC - 14 AD): during his time, a number of subgroups of German tribes from the eastern bank of the Rhine were transferred, at their own request, to the Roman-controlled western bank, e.g. the
Cugerni, a subgroup of the
Sugambri
The Sicambri, also known as the Sugambri or Sicambrians, were a Germanic people who during Roman times lived on the east bank of the river Rhine, in what is now Germany, near the border with the Netherlands. They were first reported by Julius Ca ...
tribe, and the
Ubii
350px, The Ubii around AD 30
The Ubii were a Germanic tribe first encountered dwelling on the east bank of the Rhine in the time of Julius Caesar, who formed an alliance with them in 55 BC in order to launch attacks across the river. They were ...
.
[Tacitus ''Germ.'' XXVIII] In 69, the emperor
Otho
Marcus Otho (; born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was the seventh Roman emperor, ruling for three months from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors.
A member of a noble Etr ...
is reported to have settled communities of
Mauri
Mauri (from which derives the English term "Moors") was the Latin designation for the Berber population of Mauretania, located in the part of North Africa west of Numidia, in present-day northern Morocco and northwestern Algeria.
Name
''Mauri'' ...
from North Africa in the province of
Hispania Baetica
Hispania Baetica, often abbreviated Baetica, was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula). Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Hispania Tarraconensis. Baetica remained one of the basic di ...
(modern Andalusia, Spain). Given the attestation of several auxiliary regiments with the names of these tribes in the 1st and 2nd centuries, it is likely that their admission to the empire was conditional on some kind of military obligations (Tacitus states that the Ubii were given the task of guarding the West bank of the Rhine) i.e. that they were ''laeti'' in all but name.
The name ''Laeti'' may have become more widely used after
Quintus Aemilius Laetus
Quintus Aemilius Laetus (died 193) was a prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, from 191 until his death in 193. He acceded to this position upon the deaths of his predecessors Regillus and Lucius Julius Vehilius ...
managed the support of the Danubian Legions for
Septimius Severus
Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary suc ...
and eventually took 15 thousand Danubians to the
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 ...
s in Rome.
The
Severan dynasty
The Severan dynasty was a Roman imperial dynasty that ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235, during the Roman imperial period. The dynasty was founded by the emperor Septimius Severus (), who rose to power after the Year of the Five Empero ...
lasted for 42 years, during which Danubians served as
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 ...
s.
Organisation
The precise constitutions which regulated ''laeti'' settlements are obscure.
It is possible that their constitutions were standard, or alternatively that the terms varied with each individual settlement.
[Elton (1996) 130] There is also doubt about whether the terms governing ''laeti'' were distinct from those applying to ''gentiles'' ("natives") or ''dediticii'' ("surrendered barbarians") or ''tributarii'' (peoples obliged to pay tribute).
It is possible that these names were used interchangeably, or at least overlapped considerably. On the other hand, they may refer to juridically distinct types of community, with distinct sets of obligations and privileges for each type. Most likely, the terms ''laeti'' and ''gentiles'' were interchangeable, as they are listed in the same section of the ''Notitia'', and both referred to voluntary settlements.
In addition, the ''Notitia'' often places the two terms together e.g. the ''praefectus laetorum gentilium Svevorum'' at Bayeux and the ''praefectus laetorum gentilium'' at Reims.
Reproductively self-sufficient groups of ''laeti'' (i.e. including women and children) would be granted land (''terrae laeticae'') to settle in the empire by the imperial government.
They appear to have formed distinct military
cantons, which probably were outside the normal
provincial administration
Provincial may refer to:
Government & Administration
* Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country
* Provincial city (disambiguation)
* Provincial minister (disambiguation)
* Provincial Secretary, a position in C ...
, since the settlements were under the control of a Roman ''praefectus laetorum'' (or ''praefectus gentilium''), who were probably military officers, as they reported to the ''
magister peditum praesentalis'' (commander of the imperial escort army) in Italy.
[Notitia ''Occ.'' XLII] This officer was, in the late 4th/early 5th centuries, the effective supreme commander of the Western Roman army.
In return for their privileges of admission to the empire and land grants, the ''laeti'' settlers were under an obligation to supply recruits to the
Roman army
The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 500 BC) to the Roman Republic (500–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–395 AD), and its medieval contin ...
, presumably in greater proportions than ordinary communities were liable to under the regular
conscription of the late empire. The treaty granting a ''laeti'' community land might specify a once-and-for-all contribution of recruits.
Or a fixed number of recruits required each year.
[Goldsworthy (2005) 208] A possible parallel is the treaty with Rome of the
Batavi tribe of
Germania Inferior
Germania Inferior ("Lower Germania") was a Roman province from AD 85 until the province was renamed Germania Secunda in the fourth century, on the west bank of the Rhine bordering the North Sea. The capital of the province was Colonia Agripp ...
in the 1st century. It has been calculated that in the
Julio-Claudian
, native_name_lang=Latin, coat of arms=Great_Cameo_of_France-removebg.png, image_size=260px, caption= The Great Cameo of France depicting emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius and Nero, type=Ancient Roman dynasty, country= Roman Empire, estates=* ...
era, as many as half of all Batavi males reaching military age were enlisted in the Roman
auxilia.
There is considerable dispute about whether recruits from ''laeti'' settlements formed their own distinct military units or were simply part of the general pool of army recruits. The traditional view of scholars is that the ''praefecti laetorum'' or ''gentilium'' mentioned in the ''Notitia'' were each in command of a regiment composed of the ''laeti'' ascribed to them. Some regiments of ''laeti'' certainly existed. The ''praesentales'' armies in both East and West contained ''
scholae
Scholae ( el, Σχολαί) is a Latin word, literally meaning "schools" (from the singular ''schola'', ''school'' or ''group'') that was used in the late Roman Empire to signify a unit of Imperial Guards. The unit survived in the Byzantine Empire ...
'' (elite cavalry units) of ''gentiles''. There is also a mention of a regular regiment called ''Laeti'' in the clash between emperors
Constantius II
Constantius II (Latin: ''Flavius Julius Constantius''; grc-gre, Κωνστάντιος; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germanic ...
and
Julian in 361; and a regiment called ''Felices Laetorum'' in 6th century Italy.
The units ''ala I Sarmatarum'' and ''numerus Hnaufridi'' attested in 3rd century Britain may have been formed of ''laeti''.
But Elton and Goldsworthy argue that ''laeti'' were normally drafted into existing military units, and only rarely formed their own.
[Elton (1996) 131] The main support for this view is a decree of 400 AD in the ''
Codex Theodosianus'' which authorises a ''magister militum praesentalis'' to enlist Alamanni and Sarmatian ''laeti'', together with other groups such as the sons of veterans. This probably implies that ''laeti'' were seen as part of the general pool of recruits.
In this case, the ''praefecti laetorum/gentilium'' may have been purely administrative roles, especially charged with ensuring the full military levy from their cantons each year.
''Notitia Dignitatum''
Much of our information on ''laeti'' is contained in the ''
Notitia Dignitatum'', a document drawn up at the turn of the 4th/5th centuries. The document is a list of official posts in the Roman Empire, both civil and military. It must be treated with caution, as many sections are missing or contain gaps, so the ''Notitia'' does not account for all posts and commands in existence at the time of compilation. Furthermore, the lists for the two halves of the Empire are separated by as much as 30 years, corresponding to ca. 395 for the
Eastern section and ca. 425 for the
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
. Therefore, not all posts mentioned were in existence at the same time, and not all posts that ''were'' in existence are shown.
The surviving ''Notitia'' only mentions ''laeti'' settlements in Italy and
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 ...
- and even the two lists of ''laeti'' prefects extant
are incomplete. But the ''Notitia'' suggests that ''laeti'' settlements may have existed in the Danubian provinces also.
[Notitia ''Occ.'' XXXIV and XXXV] Furthermore, the lists probably contain errors. The list of ''praefecti laetorum'' in Gaul contains prefects for the
Lingones
The Lingones (Gaulish: 'the jumpers') were a Gallic tribe of the Iron Age and Roman periods. They dwelled in the region surrounding the present-day city of Langres, between the provinces of Gallia Lugdunensis and Gallia Belgica.
Name
Attes ...
,
Nervii
The Nervii were one of the most powerful Belgic tribes of northern Gaul at the time of its conquest by Rome. Their territory corresponds to the central part of modern Belgium, including Brussels, and stretched southwards into French Hainault. ...
and
Batavi: but these tribes had been inside the empire since its inception under
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 ...
. Thus, their classification as ''laeti'' is problematical. Most likely the text is corrupt. However, it has been suggested that these names may relate to Roman people displaced from their home areas.
List of known ''laeti'' settlements
Title XLII of the Western part contains two lists of ''laeti'' prefects, one for the ''praefecti laetorum'' in Gaul, and one for the ''praefecti gentilium Sarmatarum'' (prefects of Sarmatian ''gentiles'' i.e. "natives") in Italy and Gaul, all under the command of the ''magister peditum praesentalis''- the commander of the imperial escort army in Italy (despite his title, which means "master of infantry", this officer commanded cavalry as well as infantry units).
''Praefecti laetorum'' in Gaul
*
Batavi and
Suevi at Baiocas (
Bayeux, Normandy) and Constantia (
Coutances
Coutances () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.
History
Capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town was given the name of ''Constantia'' in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chloru ...
, Normandy)
*
Suevi at Ceromannos (
Le Mans, Maine) and at another, unknown location
*
Franks
The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...
at Redonas (
Rennes, Brittany)
*
Teutoniciani (
Teutones
The Teutons ( la, Teutones, , grc, Τεύτονες) were an ancient northern European tribe mentioned by Roman authors. The Teutons are best known for their participation, together with the Cimbri and other groups, in the Cimbrian War with th ...
?) at Carnunta (
Chartres, Maine)
*
Suevi in Arumbernos (
Auvergne
Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...
)
*
Lingones
The Lingones (Gaulish: 'the jumpers') were a Gallic tribe of the Iron Age and Roman periods. They dwelled in the region surrounding the present-day city of Langres, between the provinces of Gallia Lugdunensis and Gallia Belgica.
Name
Attes ...
dispersed over Belgica I province
*
Acti at Epuso, Belgica I
*
Nervii
The Nervii were one of the most powerful Belgic tribes of northern Gaul at the time of its conquest by Rome. Their territory corresponds to the central part of modern Belgium, including Brussels, and stretched southwards into French Hainault. ...
at Fanomantis (
Famars
FAMARS, or Fabbrica Armi d’Abbiatico e Salvinelli, is an Italian gunmaker that manufactures bespoke shotguns and rifles. The company is best known for its patented detachable-lock designs and handcrafted woodwork and engraving. FAMARS is consi ...
, Picardy)
* Batavi Nemetacenses at Atrabatis (
Arras, Picardy)
* Batavi Contraginnenses at Noviomagus (
Nijmegen, Netherlands)
* unspecified ''gentiles'' at Remo (
Reims, Champagne) and at Silvamectum (
Senlis
Senlis () is a commune in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France.
The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. It is known for its Gothic cathedral and other ...
)
*
Lagenses near Tungri (
Tongres
Tongeren (; french: Tongres ; german: Tongern ; li, Tóngere ) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the onl ...
, Belgium)
*
ubstantial section missing
''Praefecti gentilium Sarmatarum'' in Italy
* ''Apulia et Calabria'' (the region still known in English as
Apulia, the "heel" of the Italian "boot", and part of
Calabria)
* ''
Bruttii et
Lucania
Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy. It was the land of the Lucani, an Oscan people. It extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto.
It bordered with Samnium and Campania in the north, Apulia in the east, and Bruttiu ...
'' (the regions today known as
Calabria,
Basilicata and
Cilento, southern Italy)
* ''Forum Fulviense''
* ''Opittergum'' (
Oderzo
Oderzo ( la, Opitergium; vec, Oderso) is a '' comune'' with a population of 20,003 in the province of Treviso, Veneto, northern Italy.
It lies in the heart of the Venetian plain, about to the northeast of Venice. Oderzo is crossed by the Montic ...
, Friuli, NE Italy)
* ''Patavium'' (
Padua
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...
, Italian ''Padova'', Veneto, NE Italy)
* (placename missing)
* ''Cremona'' (
Cremona, Lombardy, northern Italy)
* ''
Taurini
The Taurini were a Celto-Ligurian tribe dwelling in the upper valley of the river Po, around present-day Turin, during the Iron Age and the Roman period.
Name
They are mentioned as ''Taurĩnoí'' (Ταυρῖνοί) by Polybius (2nd c. BC), ' ...
'' (
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...
, Italian ''Torino'', Piedmont, NW Italy)
* ''Aquae sive Tertona'' (
Tortona
Tortona (; pms, Torton-a , ; lat, Dhertona) is a ''comune'' of Piemonte, in the Province of Alessandria, Italy. Tortona is sited on the right bank of the Scrivia between the plain of Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines.
History ...
, Piedmont, NW Italy)
* ''Novaria'' (
Novara
Novara (, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It i ...
, Piedmont, NW Italy)
* ''Vercellae'' (
Vercelli
Vercelli (; pms, Vërsèj ), is a city and ''comune'' of 46,552 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, ...
, Piedmont, NW Italy)
* ''Regio Samnites'' (
Sannio, Campania, southern Italy)
* ''Bononia in Aemilia'' (
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...
, Emilia-Romagna, N central Italy)
* ''Quadratae et Eporizium'' (Quadrata now
Verolengo
Verolengo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin.
Origin
The origin of the name Verolengo seems to be linked to the numerous pig farms (verro, also present ...
near
Chivasso
Chivasso (; pms, Civass) is a comune in the Metropolitan City of Turin, in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin. Chivasso has a population of about 27,000. It is situated on the left bank of the Po river, near the inf ...
and
Ivrea
Ivrea (; pms, Ivrèja ; ; lat, Eporedia) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Situated on the road leading to the Aosta Valley (part of the medieval Via Francigena), it strad ...
- ancient Eporedia, in Piedmont, NW Italy)
* ''(in Liguria) Pollentia'' (
Pollenzo, Piedmont, NW Italy)
''Praefecti gentilium Sarmatarum'' in Gaul
* ''
Pictavi'' (
Poitiers west central France): N.B.
Taifali
The Taifals or Tayfals ( la, Taifali, Taifalae or ''Theifali''; french: Taïfales) were a people group of Germanic or Sarmatian origin, first documented north of the lower Danube in the mid third century AD. They experienced an unsettled and fra ...
also mentioned here
* ''a Chora Parisios usque'' (
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
region)
* ''inter Remos et Ambianos Belgica II'' (
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
region)
* ''per tractum Rodunensem et Alaunorum'' (
Rennes area? NW France) : N.B. ''Alauni'' (
Alans
The Alans (Latin: ''Alani'') were an ancient and medieval Iranian nomadic pastoral people of the North Caucasus – generally regarded as part of the Sarmatians, and possibly related to the Massagetae. Modern historians have connected the A ...
) were probably also present here
* ''
Lingones
The Lingones (Gaulish: 'the jumpers') were a Gallic tribe of the Iron Age and Roman periods. They dwelled in the region surrounding the present-day city of Langres, between the provinces of Gallia Lugdunensis and Gallia Belgica.
Name
Attes ...
'' (
Langres
Langres () is a commune in northeastern France. It is a subprefecture of the department of Haute-Marne, in the region of Grand Est.
History
As the capital of the Romanized Gallic tribe known as the Lingones, it was called Andematunnum, then ...
, NE France)
* ''Au...'' (name unintelligible)
*
ntire folio - two pages - missing
Marcomanni
The ''Notitia'' also mentions a ''tribunus gentis Marcomannorum'' under the command of the ''dux Pannoniae et Norici'' and a ''tribunus gentis per Raetias deputatae'' (tribune of natives in the
Raetia
Raetia ( ; ; also spelled Rhaetia) was a province of the Roman Empire, named after the Rhaetian people. It bordered on the west with the country of the Helvetii, on the east with Noricum, on the north with Vindelicia, on the south-west ...
n provinces).
These
Marcomanni
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. According to Tacitus and Strabo, they were Suebian.
Or ...
were probably ''laeti'' also and may be the descendants of tribespeople settled in the area in the 2nd century by Marcus Aurelius. Alternatively (or additionally), they may have been descended from Germans settled in Pannonia following
Gallienus
Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (; c. 218 – September 268) was Roman emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse of the empi ...
's treaty with King Attalus of the Marcomanni in AD 258/9.
[Alfoldi: Cambridge Ancient History, Vol XII 1939)]
The ''Notitia'' thus contains 34 entries concerning ''laeti''. But some entries relate to several settlements, not just one, e.g. the Sarmatian settlements in Apulia and Calabria. Furthermore, more than two pages of entries appear to be missing. The number of settlements may thus have been in the hundreds, in the western half of the empire alone.
Impact
The ''Notitia'' lists of ''laeti'' settlements, incomplete as they are, show their considerable proliferation over the fourth century. This, together with the large numbers of military units with barbarian names, gave rise to the "barbarisation" theory of the fall of the Roman empire. This view ultimately originates from
Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon (; 8 May 173716 January 1794) was an English historian, writer, and member of parliament. His most important work, '' The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'', published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788, is ...
's ''magnum opus'', the ''
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
''The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'' is a six-volume work by the English historian Edward Gibbon. It traces Western civilization (as well as the Islamic and Mongolian conquests) from the height of the Roman Empire to th ...
''. According to this view, a critical factor in the disintegration of the western Roman empire in the 5th century was the Romans' ever-increasing reliance on barbarian recruits to man (and lead) their armies, while they themselves became soft and averse to military service. The barbarian recruits had no fundamental loyalty to Rome and repeatedly betrayed Rome's interests. This view does not distinguish between ''laeti'',
foederati and mercenaries.
This view has remained in history writing since the more than 200 years since Gibbon wrote his narrative. In recent times the views of Gibbon has been generally discounted. According to Goldsworthy, there is no evidence that barbarian officers or men were any less reliable than their Roman counterparts.
Instead, the evidence points to the conclusion that ''laeti'' were a crucial source of first-rate recruits to late Roman army. Recruitment of Barbarians was not something new and had been present since the days of the
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...
, Julius Caesar and Marc Antony recruited defeated Gallic and German horsemen which served in their campaigns. The practice was taken up by the first emperor
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 ...
with the establishment of the auxiliaries, incorporating the defeated Barbarians into the Roman army. The Laeti, like the auxiliaries, were set on a path of Romanization.
See also
*
Late Roman army
*
Saxon shore
Citations
{{reflist, 35em
References
Ancient
Notitia Dignitatum(late 4th century)
Modern
* Birley, Anthony (2002), ''Band of Brothers: Garrison Life at Vindolanda''
* Elton, Hugh (1996), ''Roman Warfare 350-425''
* Goldsworthy, Adrian (2000), ''Roman Warfare''
* Goldsworthy Adrian, (2005), ''The Complete Roman Army''
* Jones, A. H. M. (1964), ''Later Roman Empire''
* Mattingly, David (2006), ''An imperial possession: Britain in the Roman empire''
* Neue
Pauly-Wissowa
* Walde, A. and Hofmann, J.B. (1965), ''Lateinisches etymologisches Wörterbuch''.
Late Roman military units
Military of ancient Rome
Military units and formations of ancient Rome