Location of the Suebi (orange), first century

The Suebi or Suevi (from Proto-Germanic *swēbaz based on the Proto-Germanic root *swē- meaning "one's own" people,^[1] from an Indo-European root *swe-,^[2] the third person reflexive pronoun) were a group of Germanic peoples^[3] who were first mentioned by Julius Caesar in connection with Ariovistus' campaign, c. Proto-Germanic, or Common Germanic, is the hypothetical common ancestor ( Proto-language) of all the Germanic languages such as modern English Proto-Germanic, or Common Germanic, is the hypothetical common ancestor ( Proto-language) of all the Germanic languages such as modern English The root is the primary lexical unit of a Word, which carries the most significant aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic Ariovistus was a leader of the Suebi and other allied Germanic peoples in the second quarter of the 1st century BC 58 BC;^[4] Ariovistus was defeated by Caesar.

Some Suebi remained a periodic threat against the Romans on the Rhine until toward the end of the empire the Alamanni, including elements of Suebi, brushed aside Roman defenses and occupied Alsace, and from there Bavaria and Switzerland. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Main river ( Germany Alsace (Alsace alzas Alsatian and Elsass pre-1996 German: Elsaß; Alsatia is one of the 26 Regions of France, located on the eastern Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Except for a pocket in Swabia, and migrants to Portugal and Spain, no more was heard of the Suebi. Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia ( German: Schwaben, Schwabenland or Ländle) is both a historic and linguistic Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

Early history

Classification in classical sources

Iin the classical sources, the ethnonym Suebi is used with two different meanings: the specific tribe of Caesar's campaign, "dwelling on the Main", and "broadly, to cover a large number of tribes in central Germany. The Main (maɪn is a River in Germany, 524 km (329 miles long (including White Main 574 km (357 mi and it is one of the more significant tributaries "^[5] The broad view is expressed in Tacitus' Germania, a basic written source for the Suebic peoples that states:^[6]

We must come now to speak of the Suebi, who do not, like the Chatti or Tencteri, constitute a single nation. Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. The Germania ( Latin title De Origine et situ Germanorum, English for the Origin and Situation of the Germans) written by Gaius The Chatti (also Chatthi or Catti) were an ancient Germanic tribe whose homeland was near the upper Weser. The Tencteri and Usipetes were Germanic tribes located on the eastern bank of the lower Rhine in the 1st century BC They actually occupy more than half of Germany, and are divided into a number of distinct tribes under distinct names, though all generally are called Suebi.

For Tacitus, the Suebi comprise the Semnones, who are "the oldest and noblest of the Suebi";^[7] the Langobardi;^[8] the seven tribes of Jutland and Holstein: Reudigni, Aviones, Anglii, Varini, Eudoses, Suarini, Nuitones;^[8] the Hermunduri on the Elbe;^[9] three tribes along the Danube: Naristi, Marcomanni, Quadi;^[10] the Marsigni and Buri. Semnoni (Semnonen or Semnones were a Germanic tribe which was settled between the Elbe and the Oder in the 1st century when they The Lombards ( Latin Langobardi, whence the alternative names Langobards and Longobards) were a Germanic people originally from This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland. Holstein (ˈhɔlʃtain ( Low German: Holsteen, Danish: Holsten, Latin and historical English: Holsatia) The Reudigni were one of the Nerthus -worshipping Germanic tribes mentioned by Tacitus in Germania. The Aviones or Auiones (* Awioniz meaning "island people" were one of the Nerthus -worshipping Germanic tribes mentioned by Tacitus The Angles is a modern English word for a Germanic-speaking people who took their name from the cultural ancestral region of Angeln, a modern district located in The Jutes, Iuti, or Iutae were a Germanic people who according to Bede were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of the time The Suarines (or Suardones) were one of the Nerthus -worshipping Germanic tribes mentioned by Tacitus in Germania. The Nuithones were one of the Nerthus -worshipping Germanic tribes mentioned by Tacitus in Germania. The Hermunduri, Hermanduri, Hermunduri, Hermunduli, Hermonduri, or Hermonduli were an ancient tribe of Germanic people The Elbe ( die Elbe Low German: de Ilv) is one of the major Rivers of Central Europe. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj The Varisci ( German Varisker) were a Germanic tribe, the presumed prior inhabitants of a mediaeval district Provincia Variscorum, the same (in Marcomanni were a Germanic tribe, probably related to the Buri, Suebi or Suevi Quadi were a smaller Germanic tribe, about which little definitive information is known The Buri first appear in history as a Germanic tribe mentioned in the Germania of Tacitus, where they initially "close the back" of the Marcomanni ^[11] Then there is a mountain range, and beyond that, in the drainage system of the Vistula, Tacitus places five tribes of the Lugii including the Harii, Helvecones, Manimi, Helsii and Naharvali;^[12] the Gothones, Rugii, Lemovii along the Baltic Sea;^[12] all the states of the Suiones, located in peninsular Scandinavia;^[13] and finally the non-Germanic Aestii,^[14] and the Sitones, beyond the Aestii along the Baltic yet "continuous with the Suiones". For Polish place-names see Ługi. The Lugii, Lugi, Lygii, Ligii, Lugiones, Lygians Among the Germanic tribes mentioned by Tacitus in his Germania were the Harii. The Helveconae, or Helvaeonae, or Helvecones, or Aelvaeones, or Ailouaiones, are names possibly referring to the same ancient population and The Goths ( Gothic: Gothic usvg|14px|u]]Gothic asvg|14px|a]]Gothic s The Rugians (Rugii were an East Germanic tribe whose ultimate origins have been traced to Rogaland in Norway, whose population probably was the The Lemovii was an ancient people which was only named by Tacitus. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. The Swedes (svear Old Norse: svíar; Old English: Sweonas; Suiones Suehans or Sueones) were an ancient North Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The Aesti (or Aestii) were a people described by the Roman historian Tacitus in his treatise Germania (ca Sitones were a people living somewhere in Northern Europe in the 1st century CE. ^[14] Says Tacitus then: "Here Suebia ends. "^[15]

But few clues to the identity of the Suebi are given by Tacitus . They can be identified by their fashion of the hair style called the "Suebian knot", which "distinguishes the freeman from the slave";^[16] in other words, was intended as a badge of social rank. The Suebian knot (Suebenknoten is a historical male Hairstyle ascribed to the tribe of the Suebi. The same passage points out that chiefs "use an even more elaborate style. "

For Tacitus, a second criterion for being Suebian is residence in a territory recognized as Suebia, not identified by any linguistic coherence, apparently: Tacitus' modern editor Arthur J. Pomeroy concludes "it is clear that there is no monolithic 'Suebic' group, but a series of tribes who may share some customs (for instance, warrior burials) but also vary considerably. "^[17] The Suebia of Tacitus comprises the entire periphery of the Baltic Sea, including within it tribes not identified as Suebi by modern historians: the Sitones, for instance, who must have resided where Lapland and Finland where Finno-Ugrian has been spoken since Antiquity. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. Sitones were a people living somewhere in Northern Europe in the 1st century CE. Lappmarken was an earlier Swedish name for the northern part of the old Kingdom of Sweden specifically inhabited by the Sami people. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Finno-Ugric (ˌfɪnoʊˈjuːgɹɪk is a grouping of languages in the Uralic language family comprising Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian and In addition, on the south shore of the Baltic are the Aestii, in the territory of modern-day Baltic language speakers, or where they have been (Prussia), again equally as ancient as the Germanic-speakers. The Aesti (or Aestii) were a people described by the Roman historian Tacitus in his treatise Germania (ca The Baltic languages are a group of related languages belonging to the Indo-European language family and spoken mainly in areas extending east and southeast of the Baltic Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state

A third criterion for Suebi simply involves sharing in the name Suebi, which is "indeed genuine and ancient" Tacitus reports. ^[18]

Maurer's Kulturkreise

Friedrich Maurer,^[19] based on the archaeological and literary analysis of Germanic tribes done earlier by Gustaf Kossinna^[20] and his own linguistic work with isoglosses, divided the Germanic folk of the first century BC through the fourth century AD into five Kulturkreise or "culture-groups": the North, Oder-Vistula, Elbe, Weser-Rhine and North-Sea Germanics. Gustaf Kossinna ( 28 September, 1858 in Tilsit &ndash 20 December, 1931 in Berlin) was a linguist and professor An isogloss is the geographical boundary or delineation of a certain linguistic feature e The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages The East Germanic languages are a group of extinct Indo-European languages in the Germanic family. The Irminones, also referred to as Herminones or Hermiones, were a group of early Germanic tribes settling in the Elbe watershed and by the The Istvaeones, also called Istaevones Istriaones Istriones Sthraones Thracones Rhine Germans and Weser-Rhine Germans ( Istwäonen, Weser-Rhein-Germanen The Ingaevones or Ingvaeones ("people of Yngvi " as described in ^[21] The Herminones comprising the Suebi (in the narrow sense), Hermunduri and others, were the Elbe group. The Irminones, also referred to as Herminones or Hermiones, were a group of early Germanic tribes settling in the Elbe watershed and by the The Hermunduri, Hermanduri, Hermunduri, Hermunduli, Hermonduri, or Hermonduli were an ancient tribe of Germanic people Their linguistic descenants speak modern Upper German. Upper German Oberdeutsch is a family of High German Dialects spoken primarily in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Northern These five groups formed in the Pre-Roman Iron Age after about 800 BC. The Pre-Roman Iron Age of Northern Europe ( 5th / 4th century BC - 1st century BC) designates the earliest part of the Iron Age in Scandinavia

Maurer attributes Proto Germanic to the Nordic Bronze Age, which he dates 1200-800 BC according to the information available to him then. Proto-Germanic, or Common Germanic, is the hypothetical common ancestor ( Proto-language) of all the Germanic languages such as modern English The Nordic Bronze Age (also Northern Bronze Age) is the name given by Oscar Montelius to a period and a Bronze Age culture in Scandinavian The dates have changed a little and a Pre-Roman Iron Age has been broken out since then to which some assign the Proto Germanic language. The Pre-Roman Iron Age of Northern Europe ( 5th / 4th century BC - 1st century BC) designates the earliest part of the Iron Age in Scandinavia It ranged over a region forming a rough triangle, with vertices in south Scandinavia, the mouth of the Rhine river and the mouth of the Vistula. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge In fact the Baltic Sea was known to the Romans as the Mare Suebicum, a name which it no doubt inherited from times when the Suebi inhabited the shores of the Baltic and were probably one with the Suiones. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. The Swedes (svear Old Norse: svíar; Old English: Sweonas; Suiones Suehans or Sueones) were an ancient North ^[3]

The Suebi eventually migrated south and west to reside for a while in the Rhineland area of modern Germany, where their name survives in the historic region known as Swabia. The Rhineland ( Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia ( German: Schwaben, Schwabenland or Ländle) is both a historic and linguistic The Suebi under Ariovistus were invited into Gaul by the Sequani but soon came to dominate them and were finally defeated by Julius Caesar in 58 BC. Ariovistus was a leader of the Suebi and other allied Germanic peoples in the second quarter of the 1st century BC Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Sequani, in ancient geography were a Gallic people who occupied the upper basin of the Arar ( Saone) their territory corresponding to Franche-Comté Year 58 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus

Caesar's Suebi

The Suebi of Julius Caesar's De Bello Gallico^[22] live in 100 cantons of arable land, of which each canton retains ownership, parceling farm lots to individuals to use for up to one year. Commentarii de Bello Gallico is Julius Caesar 's third-person account of his nine years of war in Gaul. They wear animal skins, bathe in rivers, and prohibit wine. They allow trade only to dispose of their booty and otherwise have no goods to export.

They are of a military disposition, drafting yearly 1000 men per canton for service of one year. With these troops they raid Gaul on the other side of the Rhine river frequently, thus involving Gaul's protector, the Roman Republic, whose agent in the field is one of its greatest generals, Julius Caesar. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the Lacking a central government and disrespecting all authority, they rely on the services of war chiefs, who in the age of migrations will become Suebian kings. The Migration Period, also called Barbarian Invasions, or sometimes Völkerwanderung ( German for "wandering of peoples" is the English name

As to their location, they live next to the Cherusci, which places them between the Rhine river and the middle Elbe river. The Cherusci (Cherusker were a Germanic tribe that inhabited parts of the northern Rhine valley and the plains and forests of northwestern Germany, in The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge The Elbe ( die Elbe Low German: de Ilv) is one of the major Rivers of Central Europe. Their innermost refuge is Silva Bacenis, "Beech Wood", which various authors take to be some section of the Hercynian Forest, such as the Thuringian Forest, the Harz Mountains or the Black Forest. The Hercynian Forest was an ancient and dense forest that stretched eastward from the Rhine River across southern Germany and formed the northern boundary of that part of Europe The Thuringian Forest ( Thüringer Wald in German) running northwest to southeast forms a continuous stretch of ancient rounded mountains posing ample difficulties The Harz is a mountain range in central Germany It is the highest mountain chain in northern Germany occupying parts of the German states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt For the suburb of Adelaide, please see Black Forest South Australia; for the CDP in Colorado, please see Black Forest Colorado. In ancient times Germany was heavily forested and these three forests were more or less continuous. They could not have farmed the forests, however, leaving the Main River bottom and the upper Elbe as the only possibilities. The Main (maɪn is a River in Germany, 524 km (329 miles long (including White Main 574 km (357 mi and it is one of the more significant tributaries The Elbe ( die Elbe Low German: de Ilv) is one of the major Rivers of Central Europe.

In addition to their first known incursion under Ariovistus in 58 BC, the Suebi posed another threat in 55 BC. Ariovistus was a leader of the Suebi and other allied Germanic peoples in the second quarter of the 1st century BC ^[23] The Germanic Ubii, who had worked out an alliance with Caesar, were complaining of being harassed by the Suebi. The Ubii were a Germanic tribe first encountered dwelling on the right bank of the Rhine in the time of Julius Caesar, who formed an alliance with them Caesar bridged the Rhine, the first known to do so, with a pile bridge, which though considered a marvel, only stood for eighteen days. The Suebi abandoned their towns closest to the Romans, retreated to the forest and assembled an army. Caesar retreated back across the bridge and broke it down, stating that he had achieved his objective of warning the Suebi. They in turn stopped harassing the Ubii.

Cassius Dio's Suebi

Cassius Dio - who wrote in Greek, though a Roman - starts his account of the Suebi with Caesar's short stay over the Rhine in 55 BC. Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus ( Greek:) (c 155 or 163/164 to after 229 known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was ^[24] In Dio it is the Sugambri who retire to strongholds, but Caesar retreats on hearing that the Suebi were collecting an army to help the Sugambri. The Sicambri (var Sicambers Sicambres Sigambrer Sugumbrer or Sugambri) were a Germanic people living in what is now called the Netherlands

A generation later, shortly before 29 BC the Suebi crossed the Rhine, only to be defeated by Gaius Carrinas who along with the young Octavian Caesar celebrated a triumph in 29 BC. Gaius Carrinas, was a Roman politician general and Consul. In 45 BC, Carrinas was sent on the orders of Julius Caesar to Spain to fight Sextus Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was ^[25] Shortly after they turn up fighting a group of Dacians in a gladiatorial display at Rome celebrating the consecration of the Julian hero-shrine. Dacia, in ancient geography was the land of the Dacians. It was named by the ancient Hellenes ( Greeks) " Getae " Dio says that they "dwell across the Rhine (though many cities elsewhere claim their name)" and that they were anciently called Celts: Earlier he had explained^[26] ". Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts . . very anciently both peoples dwelling on ether side of the river were called Celts. "

A generation later, in 9 BC, consul Nero Claudius Drusus crossed the Rhine and proceeded against the Germans, starting with the Chatti. Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, born Decimus Claudius Drusus (the date of his name change is unknown and variously called Drusus, Drusus I, Nero The Chatti (also Chatthi or Catti) were an ancient Germanic tribe whose homeland was near the upper Weser. He traversed country "as far as that of the Suebi" and then attacked the Cherusci to the north of the Suebi. The Cherusci (Cherusker were a Germanic tribe that inhabited parts of the northern Rhine valley and the plains and forests of northwestern Germany, in He reached the Elbe. There is no evidence in Dio that he subdued the Suebi. Like Julius Caesar he withdrew to the Rhine shortly but "died on the way of some disease" with the wolves running howling through the camp. ^[27]

Florus' Suebi

Florus gives a more detailed view of the operations of 9 BC. Florus, Roman Historian, lived in the time of Trajan and Hadrian. He reports that the Cherusci, Suebi and Sicambri formed an alliance by crucifying twenty Roman centurions, but that Nero Claudius Drusus defeated them, confiscated their plunder and sold them into slavery. The Cherusci (Cherusker were a Germanic tribe that inhabited parts of the northern Rhine valley and the plains and forests of northwestern Germany, in The Sicambri (var Sicambers Sicambres Sigambrer Sugumbrer or Sugambri) were a Germanic people living in what is now called the Netherlands Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, born Decimus Claudius Drusus (the date of his name change is unknown and variously called Drusus, Drusus I, Nero ^[28] Presumably only the war party was sold, as the Suebi continue to appear in the ancient sources.

Florus' report of the peace brought to Germany by Drusus is glowing but premature. He built "more than five hundred forts" and two bridges guarded by fleets. "He opened a way through the Hercynian Forest", which implies but still does not overtly state that he had subdued the Suebi. The Hercynian Forest was an ancient and dense forest that stretched eastward from the Rhine River across southern Germany and formed the northern boundary of that part of Europe "In a word, there was such peace in Germany that the inhabitants seemed changed . . . and the very climate milder and softer than it used to be. "

The peace did not outlast the year. After the death of Drusus the Cherusci annihilated three legions at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest and thereafter ". The Cherusci (Cherusker were a Germanic tribe that inhabited parts of the northern Rhine valley and the plains and forests of northwestern Germany, in The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place in the year 9 A . . the empire . . . was checked on the banks of the Rhine. "

Suetonius' Suebi

Suetonius gives the Suebi brief mention in connection with their defeat in 9 BC. He says that the Suebi and Sugambri "submitted to him and were taken into Gaul and settled in lands near the Rhine" while the other Germani were pushed "to the farther side of the river Albis. The Sicambri (var Sicambers Sicambres Sigambrer Sugumbrer or Sugambri) were a Germanic people living in what is now called the Netherlands The Elbe ( die Elbe Low German: de Ilv) is one of the major Rivers of Central Europe. "^[29] He must have meant the temporary military success of Drusus, as it is unlikely the Rhine was cleared of Germans. Elsewhere he identifies the settlers as 40,000 prisoners of war,^[30] only a fraction of the yearly draft of militia.

Strabo's Suebi

Strabo in Book IV of his Geography—a text in Greek—says of the Soēboi that they live "beyond this whole river-country" (the Rhineland) and "excel all the others in power and numbers. Strabo ( Greek: Στράβων 63/64 BC – ca AD 24 was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c The Rhineland ( Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. "^[31] He also places them near the Hercynian Forest,^[32] which, in the words of Edward Gibbon, "overshadowed a greater part of Germany and Poland. The Hercynian Forest was an ancient and dense forest that stretched eastward from the Rhine River across southern Germany and formed the northern boundary of that part of Europe Edward Gibbon ( April 27, 1737 January 16, 1794) was an English historian and Member of Parliament. "^[33] In Book VII^[34] Strabo connects all the tribes between the upper Rhine, Danube and Elbe to the Soēboi: the tribes of the Coldui, including those in Bohemia, where the Marcomanni were located; the Lugii, Zumi, Butones, Mugilones, Sibini and Semnones, who were "a large tribe of the Suevi themselves. Quadi were a smaller Germanic tribe, about which little definitive information is known Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Marcomanni were a Germanic tribe, probably related to the Buri, Suebi or Suevi For Polish place-names see Ługi. The Lugii, Lugi, Lygii, Ligii, Lugiones, Lygians Semnoni (Semnonen or Semnones were a Germanic tribe which was settled between the Elbe and the Oder in the 1st century when they " Some of these tribes were "inside the forest" and some "outside of it. "

This passage is the first distinction between narrowly and broadly-conceived Suevi, but evem Strabo's broad conception is not as broad as Tacitus, for whom "the tribe of the Suevi . . . extends from the Rhenus (Rhine) to the Albis (Elbe); and a part of them even dwell on the far side of the Albis, as, for instance, the Hermondori and the Langobardi. The Lombards ( Latin Langobardi, whence the alternative names Langobards and Longobards) were a Germanic people originally from " These latter are portrayed as migrants living in small temporary huts and porting their belongings in wagons, living "off their flocks. "

Pliny's Suebi

Pliny the Elder wrote a now lost History of the German Wars and consequently has little to say of the Germans in Naturalis Historia, but as much of his military service was on the German frontier he is probably authoritative and is believed to have been a source for Tacitus, although the latter does not follow what Pliny does say exactly. Gaius or Caius Plinius Secundus, ( AD 23 – August 25, AD 79 better known as Pliny the Elder, was an ancient Author Naturalis Historia ( Latin for "Natural History" is an Encyclopedia written Circa AD 77 by Pliny the Elder. Pliny divides the Germans into five genera or "kinds", including the Hermiones, containing the gentes or "tribes" of the Suebi, Hermunduri, Chatti and Cherusci. The Irminones, also referred to as Herminones or Hermiones, were a group of early Germanic tribes settling in the Elbe watershed and by the The Hermunduri, Hermanduri, Hermunduri, Hermunduli, Hermonduri, or Hermonduli were an ancient tribe of Germanic people The Chatti (also Chatthi or Catti) were an ancient Germanic tribe whose homeland was near the upper Weser. The Cherusci (Cherusker were a Germanic tribe that inhabited parts of the northern Rhine valley and the plains and forests of northwestern Germany, in ^[35] Elsewhere in Pliny is only brief scattered mention.

Ptolemy's Suebi

The geographer, Ptolemy, in a fairly extensive account of Greater Germany,^[36] makes use of the two meanings of Suebi as well. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca

The Suevi Langobardi are located north of the Sugambri, who are on the Rhine, a location to the west of Strabo's, perhaps the source of Strabo's migrant wagoneers. The Sicambri (var Sicambers Sicambres Sigambrer Sugumbrer or Sugambri) were a Germanic people living in what is now called the Netherlands To the east of the Longobardi, possibly the same as or continuous with the Suevi Langobardi, are the Suevi Angili, but these are in the interior to the south, extending as far north as the middle Elbe, upstream from the Chauci, later a constituent of the Saxons. The Chauci were a populous Germanic tribe that inhabited the extreme northwestern shore of Germany between Frisia in the west and the Elbe estuary The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. To the east are the Suevi Semnones between the Elbe and a mysterious river apparently named after them, the Suevus, which empties into the Baltic between the Oder and the Elbe. The Oder (known in Czech and Polish as Odra) is a River in Central Europe. And finally there is a tribe called just the Suevi, which appears to be on the Rhine east of the Ems, about where Swabia was later located. Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia ( German: Schwaben, Schwabenland or Ländle) is both a historic and linguistic

Though offering coordinates for rivers, towns and mountains, Ptolemy is imprecise in the location of peoples; certainly, some are repeated with different spellings. He leaves us to guess which towns are associated with which peoples. His list of some 94 towns makes it clear that Tacitus' view of Germanics as rustics is not quite accurate in fact, although it may have been in values.

Lucan's Suebi

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus gives the location and appearance of the Suebi:^[37] ". Marcus Annaeus Lucanus ( November 3, 39 AD – April 30, 65 AD better known in English as Lucan, was a Roman . . let the Elbe and Rhine's unconquered head let loose from furthest north the blond (flavi) Suebi; . . . only ward off civil war. " This locates the Suebi in a narrow sense and gives a variation on a theme of Tacitus, who asserted the Germans were entirely red-headed.

Tacitus' Suebi

Tacitus' Germania is the main source for the earliest known Suebi (see above under Classification in classical sources). Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. Germania was the Latin Exonym for Tacitus mentions the sacrifice of humans practiced by the Semnones in a sacred grove^[38] and the murder of slaves used in the rites of Nerthus practiced by the tribes of Schleswig-Holstein. Semnoni (Semnonen or Semnones were a Germanic tribe which was settled between the Elbe and the Oder in the 1st century when they Nerthus is a Goddess in Germanic paganism associated with fertility. is the northernmost of the 16 ''Bundesländer'' in Germany. The former English name was Sleswick-Holsatia the Danish name is ^[39] The chief priest of the Naharvali dresses as a woman and that tribe also worships in groves. The Harii fight at night dyed black. Among the Germanic tribes mentioned by Tacitus in his Germania were the Harii. The Suiones own fleets of rowing vessels with prows at both ends. The Swedes (svear Old Norse: svíar; Old English: Sweonas; Suiones Suehans or Sueones) were an ancient North

The Suebi also are mentioned in the Annales. The Annals, or in Latin, Annales, is a history book by Tacitus covering the reign of the four Roman Emperors succeeding After the defeat of 9 BC Augustus divided the Germans by making a separate peace with the Sugambri and Suebi under their king Maroboduus. Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was The Sicambri (var Sicambers Sicambres Sigambrer Sugumbrer or Sugambri) were a Germanic people living in what is now called the Netherlands Marbod or Maroboduus (born c in 30 BC died in AD 37 was king of the Marcomanni. This is the first mention of any permanent king of the Suebi. ^[40] Subsequently Augustus placed Germanicus, the son of Drusus, in charge of the forces of the Rhine and he after dealing with a mutiny of the troops proceeded against the Cherusci and their allies, breaking their power finally at the battle of Idistavisus, a plain on the Weser. Germanicus Julius Caesar ( 24 May 16 BC or 15 BC&ndash October 10, 19) The Cherusci (Cherusker were a Germanic tribe that inhabited parts of the northern Rhine valley and the plains and forests of northwestern Germany, in The Weser (ˈveːzɐ is a River in north-western Germany. Formed at Hann All eight legions and supporting units of Gauls were required to do that. ^[41] Germanicus' zeal led finally to his being replaced (17 BC) by his cousin Drusus, Tiberius' son, as Tiberius thought it best to follow his predecessor's policy of limiting the empire. Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (or Tiberius I) born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16 42 BC – March 16 AD 37) was the second Roman Germanicus certainly would have involved the Suebi, with unpredictable results. ^[42]

Arminius, leader of the Cherusci and allies, now had a free hand. Arminius, also known as Armin or Hermann (18 BC/17 BC - AD 21) was a chieftain of the Cherusci who defeated a Roman army in the The Cherusci (Cherusker were a Germanic tribe that inhabited parts of the northern Rhine valley and the plains and forests of northwestern Germany, in He accused Maroboduus of hiding in the Hercynian Forest while the other Germans fought for freedom, and accused Maroboduus of being the only king among the Germans. The Hercynian Forest was an ancient and dense forest that stretched eastward from the Rhine River across southern Germany and formed the northern boundary of that part of Europe The two groups "turned their arms against each other. " The Semnones and Langobardi rebelled against their king and went over to the Cherusci. Semnoni (Semnonen or Semnones were a Germanic tribe which was settled between the Elbe and the Oder in the 1st century when they The Lombards ( Latin Langobardi, whence the alternative names Langobards and Longobards) were a Germanic people originally from Left with only the Marcomanni and Herminius' uncle, who had defected, Maroboduus appealed to Drusus, now governor of Illyricum, and was given only a pretext of aid. Marcomanni were a Germanic tribe, probably related to the Buri, Suebi or Suevi Nero Claudius Drusus, later Drusus Julius Caesar (his adoptive name (13 BC- September 14 23) was the only child of Roman Emperor Tiberius ^[43]

The resulting battle was indecisive but Maroboduus withdrew to Bohemia and sent for assistance to Tiberius. He was refused on the grounds that he had not moved to help Varus. Drusus encouraged the Germans to finish him off. A force of Goths under Catualda, a Marcomannian exile, bought off the nobles and seized the palace. The Goths ( Gothic: Gothic usvg|14px|u]]Gothic asvg|14px|a]]Gothic s Maroboduus escaped to Noricum and the Romans offered him refuge in Ravenna where he remained the rest of his life. Noricum, in ancient Geography, was a Celtic kingdom (perhaps better described as a federation of by tradition twelve tribes stretching over the area of Ravenna is a City and Comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. ^[44]

Migration period

Closely related to the Alamanni and often working in concert with them, the Suebi for the most part stayed on the right bank of the Rhine until December 31, 406, when much of the tribe joined the Vandals and Alans in breaching the Roman frontier by crossing the Rhine, perhaps at Mainz, thus launching an invasion of northern Gaul. The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Main river ( Germany The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Roman legions in Britain mutiny against Honorius and select The Alans or Alani (occasionally but more rarely termed Alauni or Halani) were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people The date 31 December 406, is the often-repeated date of the crossing of the Rhine by a mixed group of Barbarians that included Vandals, Alans Mainz (ˈmaɪ̯nʦ (Mayence is a City in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western

The "northern Suebi" were mentioned in 569 under Frankish king Sigebert I in areas of today's Saxony-Anhalt. Events By Place Byzantine Empire The King of the Garamantes signs a peace treaty with Byzantium. The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group Sigebert I (535-575 was the king of Austrasia from the death of his father in 561 to his own death Saxony-Anhalt ( Sachsen-Anhalt) is one of the sixteen ''Bundesländer'' (federal states that make up the Federal Republic of Germany. In connection to the Suebi, Saxons and Lombards, returning from the Italian Peninsula in 573, are also mentioned. The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. The Lombards ( Latin Langobardi, whence the alternative names Langobards and Longobards) were a Germanic people originally from Th Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula (Penisola italiana or Penisola appenninica) is one of the three Peninsulas of Southern Europe Events By Place Europe The Battle of Arfderydd is fought between Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio and the sons of Eliffer Gwrgi and

While the Vandals and Alans clashed with the Roman-allied Franks for supremacy in Gaul, the Suebi under their king Hermeric worked their way to the south, eventually crossing the Pyrenees and entering the Iberian Peninsula which was out of Imperial rule since the rebellion of Gerontius and Maximus in 409. The Alans or Alani (occasionally but more rarely termed Alauni or Halani) were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group Hermeric (died 441 was the Suevic King of Galicia from perhaps as early as 406 and certainly no later than 419 until his retirement in 438 The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra Maximus was Roman usurper (409 - 411 in Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula - modern Portugal and Spain) Events By Place Western Roman Empire Constantine III 's general Gerontius revolts in Hispania, and elevates

Political history

Main article: Suebic Kingdom of Galicia

Suebic kingdom in Gallaecia and Lusitania. The Suebic Kingdom of Galicia was the first kingdom to separate from the Roman Empire and mint coins There were periods of control of territories south of the Tagus river as far as the Algarve. The Tagus ( Latin Tagus, Spanish Tajo, Portuguese Tejo, pron. The Algarve ( pron aɫ'gaɾv(ɨ is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal.

Passing through the Basque country, they settled in the Roman province of Gallaecia, in north-western Hispania (modern Galicia and northern Portugal), swore fealty to the Emperor Honorius and were accepted as foederati and permitted to settle, under their own autonomous governance. Gallaecia or Callaecia was the name of a Roman province that comprised Hispania was the name given by the Romans to the whole of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Gibraltar Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Honorius may refer to Honorius (emperor (Flavius Augustus Honorius western Roman emperor 395-423 Honorius of Canterbury (Saint Honorius Foederatus (pl foederati) is a Latin term whose definition and usage drifted in the time between the early Roman Republic and the Contemporaneously with the self-governing province of Britannia, the kingdom of the Suebi in Gallaecia became the first of the sub-Roman kingdoms to be formed in the disintegrating territory of the Western Roman Empire. Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an Archaeologists ' label for the material culture of Britain in Late Antiquity. Suebic Gallaecia was the first kingdom separated from the Roman Empire to mint coins.

The Suebic kingdom in Gallaecia and northern Lusitania was established at 410 and lasted until 584. Gallaecia or Callaecia was the name of a Roman province that comprised This article concerns the Roman province For the ship see RMS Lusitania. Events By place Western Roman Empire Alaric I deposes Priscus Attalus as Emperor. Events By Place Europe Andeca deposes and kills Eboric to become king of the Suevi. Smaller than the Ostrogothic kingdom of Italy or the Visigothic kingdom in Hispania, it never reached major political relevance. The Ostrogoths (Ostrogothi or Austrogothi were a branch of the Goths, an East Germanic tribe that played a major role in the political events of the late The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East Hispania was the name given by the Romans to the whole of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Gibraltar After the kingdom of the Suebi was conquered by the Visigoths in 585, Braulio of Zaragoza (590 - 651) depicted the region as "the edge of the west in an illiterate country where naught is heard but the sound of gales". Saint Braulio or Braulius, Bishop of Zaragoza (590–651 was a learned cleric of seventh-century Hispania. Zaragoza, also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza province and of the autonomous community and former A gale is a very strong Wind. There are conflicting definitions of how strong

Settlement and integration in Iberia

The Germanic invaders settled mainly in the areas of Braga (Bracara Augusta), Porto (Portus Cale), Lugo (Lucus Augusti) and Astorga (Asturica Augusta). Braga (ˈBrag-uh a city and municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the district of Braga, the oldest archdiocese Portus Cale ( Latin for Port of Cale) was the old name of an ancient town and port in current day Portugal. Lugo is a city in northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Astorga is a small city and Episcopal see, located in the province of León of Spain. Bracara Augusta, the modern city of Braga and former capital of Roman Gallaecia, became the capital of the Suebi. Braga (ˈBrag-uh a city and municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the district of Braga, the oldest archdiocese Orosius, at that time resident in Hispania, shows a rather pacific initial settlement, the newcomers working their lands^[45] or serving as bodyguards of the locals. Paulus Orosius (b circa 375 d 418? was a Christian Historian, theologian and disciple of St ^[46] Another Germanic group that accompanied the Suebi and settled in Gallaecia were the Buri. The Buri first appear in history as a Germanic tribe mentioned in the Germania of Tacitus, where they initially "close the back" of the Marcomanni They settled in the region between the rivers Cávado and Homem, in the area know as Terras de Bouro (Lands of the Buri). Cávado is a subregion that is integrated in the Portuguese region of Norte. Terras de Bouro ( pron. 'tɛʁɐʃ dɨ 'bo(owɾu is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 277 ^[47]

As the Suebi quickly adopted the local Hispano-Roman language, few traces were left of their Germanic tongue, but for their personal names, adopted by most of the Galicians. This article is about a subdivision of the Romance language family ^[48]

Formation of a kingdom

Europe in 500 AD, showing the Suevi Iberian kingdom and its neighbors (also shows Suevi remaining in Germany).

The irruption of Visigoths in the Iberian Peninsula from 416 sent from Aquitania by the Emperor of the West to fight the Vandals and the Alans resulted into an ephemeral expansion of the Suebi Kingdom: at its heyday Suebic Gallaecia extended as far as Mérida and Seville, and suebic expeditión reached Saragossa and Lerida. For the Canadian area code see Area code 416/647. For the Assault rifle see Heckler & Koch HK416. The Alans or Alani (occasionally but more rarely termed Alauni or Halani) were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people Mérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain. Zaragoza, also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza province and of the autonomous community and former Lleida (Standard Central Catalan ˈʎejðə or North-Western Catalan; Spanish Lérida, though officially referred as Lleida

In 438 Hermeric ratified the peace with the Hispano-Roman local population and, weary of fighting, abdicated in favour of his son Rechila, who proved to be a notable general, defeating Andevotus, Romanae militiae ducem^[49], an later Vitus magister utriusque militiae. Events By Place Western Roman Empire The last known Gladiator combat in the Colosseum is held Rechila (died 448 was the Suevic King of Galicia from 438 until his death

In 448, Rechila died, leaving the crown to his son Rechiar who had converted to Roman Catholicism circa 447. Events By Place Eastern Roman Empire Theodosius II sends an ambassador to Attila; Priscus records one of the few Rechila (died 448 was the Suevic King of Galicia from 438 until his death Rechiar or Rechiarius (died December 456 was the Suevic King of Galicia from 448 until his death Events By Place Eastern Roman Empire Battle of the Utus: Attila the Hun meets the Romans in an indecisive battle Soon, he married a daughter of the gothic king Theodoric I, and began a wave of attacks on the Tarraconense, still a roman province. Theodoric I, sometimes called Theodorid and in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian Teodorico, was the King of the Visigoths Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. By 456 the campaigns of Rechiar clashed with the interests of the Visigoths, and a large army of Roman federates (Visigoths under the command of Theodoric II, Burgundians directed by kings Gundioc and Chilperic) crossed the Pyrenees into Hispania, and defeated the suebi near modern day Astorga. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Capua is destroyed by the Vandals. Rechiar or Rechiarius (died December 456 was the Suevic King of Galicia from 448 until his death The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East Theodoric II (in Spanish and Portuguese Teodorico) murdered his older brother Thorismund to become king of the Visigoths in 453 The Burgundians or Burgundes were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose Gondioc (also called Gundioc, Condiaco, Candiacus and Gundowech, died 473 was King of Burgundy following the destruction of Chilperic I (died c 480 was the King of Burgundy from 473 until his death Rechiar was executed after being captured by his brother-in-law, the Visigothic king Theodoric II. The Suebic kingdom then became cornered in the northwest, in Gallaecia and northern Lusitania, and political division and civil war arose among several pretenders to the royal throne.

Twilight of the kingdom

Suebic kingdom in the mid-sixth century, on the verge of conquest.

In 561 king Ariamir called the catholic First Council of Braga, which dealt with the old problem of the Priscillianism heresy. In the First Council of Braga of 561 eight bishops took part and twenty-two decrees were promulgated among others the following that in the services of the church the same rite should Priscillianism is a Christian doctrine developed in the Iberian Peninsula (the Roman Hispania) in the 4th century by Priscillian And eight years after, in 569, king Theodemir called the First Council of Lugo,^[50] in order to increase the number of dioceses within his kingdom. The Council of Lugo was a Catholic synod called by the Suevic King Theodemir in 569 in order to increase the number of dioceses within his kingdom

In 570 the Arian king of the Visigoths, Leovigild, made his first attack on the Suebi. Liuvigild, Leuvigild, Leovigild, or Leogild was Visigothic King of Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula) from 569 Between 572 and 574, Leovigild invaded the valley of the Douro, pushing the Suebi northwards. The Douro or Duero ( Latin: Durius, Spanish: Duero, Portuguese: Douro, pron. In 575 the Suebic king, Miro, made a peace treaty with Leovigild, but in 583 he supported the rebellion of the Catholic Gothic prince Hermenegild and was overthrown. Miro ( Mir, Mirio, Mirus) was the Suevic King of Galicia from 570 until his death in 583 Saint Hermenegild (ca 564 - April 13, 585) or Saint Ermengild (San Hermenegildo (from Gothic Ermen Gild: "immense The kingdom could not survive Leovigild's response. First Andeca in 585 and then Malaric were defeated and the Suevic kingdom was no more. Andeca or Audeca was the last de facto Suevic King of Galicia (now western Portugal and Spain) from 584 until his deposition Malaric or Amalaric was the last man to claim the kingship of the Suevi of Galicia.

Religion

Paganism

Conversion to Arianism

The Suebi remained most pagan and their subjects Priscillianist until an Arian missionary named Ajax, sent by the Visigothic king Theodoric II at the request of the Suebic unifier Remismund, in 466 converted them and established a lasting Arian church which dominated the people until the conversion to Catholicism in the 560s. Priscillianism is a Christian doctrine developed in the Iberian Peninsula (the Roman Hispania) in the 4th century by Priscillian Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea. Ajax was an Arian missionary to the pagan Suevi of Galicia who converted them to Christianity in 464 or 466 Remismund or Rimismund (died 469 was the Suevic King of Galicia from c

Conversion to Catholicism

Mutually incompatible accounts of the conversion of the Suebi to Catholicism are presented in the primary records:

• The minutes of the First Council of Braga—which met on 1 May 561—state explicitly that the synod was held at the orders of a king named Ariamir. In the First Council of Braga of 561 eight bishops took part and twenty-two decrees were promulgated among others the following that in the services of the church the same rite should Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Events By Place Europe Clotaire I dies and the Frankish kingdom is divided Sigebert I becomes king of Austrasia Ariamir was the Suevic King of Galicia, with his capital at Bracara, from around 561 when he is mentioned by the bishops of the First Council of Braga Of the eight assistant bishops, just one bears a Suebic name: Hildemir. While the Catholicism of Ariamir is not in doubt, that he was the first Catholic monarch of the Suebes since Rechiar has been contested on the grounds that his Catholicism is not explicitly stated. ^[51] He was, however, the first Suebic monarch to hold a Catholic synod, and when the Second Council of Braga was held at the request of king Miro, a Catholic himself,^[52] in 572, of the twelve assistant bishops five bears Suebic names: Remisol of Viseu, Adoric of Idanha, Wittimer of Ourense, Nitigis of Lugo and Anila of Tui. The Second Council of Braga, held in 572 presided over by Martin of Dumio, was held to increase the number of bishops in Galaecia. Miro ( Mir, Mirio, Mirus) was the Suevic King of Galicia from 570 until his death in 583 Vişeu is also a River in northern Romania. Viseu (viˈzew is both a city (capital of the Idanha-a-Velha is a parish ( Freguesia) in the east of Portugal, in the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova, and in the Ourense (Orense Galician: Ourense) is a city in northwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Ourense in Galicia. Lugo is a city in northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Tui is a town located in Galicia (Spain, in the province of Pontevedra.
• The Historia Suevorum of Isidore of Seville states that a king named Theodemar brought about the conversion of his people from Arianism with the help of the missionary Martin of Dumio. Saint Isidore of Seville ( Spanish: es ''San Isidro'' or es ''San Isidoro de Sevilla'' Latin: latin ''Isidorus Hispalensis'' (c Theodemir or Theodemar ( Teodemiro; died 570 was one of the last Suevic Kings of Galicia and one of the first Catholics. Saint Martin of Dumio (c 520 &ndash 580 was an archbishop of Braga in Portugal, a monastic founder and an ecclesiastical author ^[53]
• According to the Frankish historian Gregory of Tours on the other hand, an otherwise unknown sovereign named Chararic, having heard of Martin of Tours, promised to accept the beliefs of the saint if only his son would be cured of leprosy. The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group Saint Gregory of Tours ( November 30, c 538 &ndash November 17, 594) was a Gallo-Roman historian and bishop of Tours Chararic or Chararich was the Suebic King of Galicia (c 550 &ndash 558/559 according to Gregory of Tours, who is the only primary source for Saint Martin of Tours (Martinus (316/317 Savaria, Pannonia &ndash November 8, 317, Candes, Gaul; buried November Through the relics and intercession of Saint Martin the son was healed; Chararic and the entire royal household converted to the Nicene faith. The Nicene Creed (ˈnaɪsiːn is an ecumenical Christian statement of faith accepted in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of ^[54]
• By 589, when the Third Council of Toledo was held, and the Visigoth Kingdom of Toledo converses officially from Arianism to Catholicism, king Reccared I stated in its minutes that also "an infinite number of Suebi have converted", together with the Goths, which implies that the earlier conversion were either superficial or partial. The Third Council of Toledo (589 marks the entry of Catholic Christianity into the rule of Visigothic Spain, and the introduction into Western Christianity Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea. Reccared (or Recared) I (reigned 586—601 was Visigothic King of Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula) In the same council 4 bishops from Gallaecia abjured of their Arianism. And so, the Suebic conversion is ascribed, not to a Suebe, but to a Visigoth by John of Biclarum, who puts their conversion alongside that of the Goths, occurring under Reccared I in 587–589. John of Biclaro, Biclar, or Biclarum ( circa 540 - after 621 also Iohannes Biclarensis, was a Visigoth chronicler, born

Most scholars have attempted to meld these stories. It has been alleged that Chararic and Theodemir must have been successors of Ariamir, since Ariamir was the first Suebic monarch to lift the ban on Catholic synods; Isidore therefore gets the chronology wrong. ^[55][56] Reinhart suggested that Chararic was converted first through the relics of Saint Martin and that Theodemir was converted later through the preaching of Martin of Dumio. A relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance carefully preserved with an air of Veneration as a tangible memorial ^[51] Dahn equated Chararic with Theodemir, even saying that the latter was the name he took upon baptism. ^[51] It has also been suggested that Theodemir and Ariamir were the same person and the son of Chararic. ^[51] In the opinion of some historians, Chararic is nothing more than an error on the part of Gregory of Tours and never existed. ^[57] If, as Gregory relates, Martin of Dumio died about the year 580 and had been bishop for about thirty years, then the conversion of Chararic must have occurred around 550 at the latest. ^[54] Finally, Ferreiro believes the conversion of the Suevi was progressive and stepwise and that Chararic's public conversion was only followed by the lifting of a ban on Catholic synods in the reign of his successor, which would have been Ariamir; Thoedemir was responsible for beginning a persecution of the Arians in his kingdom to root out their heresy. ^[58]

Norse mythology

The name of the Suebi also appears in Norse mythology and in early Scandinavian sources. Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland The earliest attestation is the Proto-Norse name Swabaharjaz ("Suebian warrior") on the Rö runestone and in the place name Svogerslev. Proto-Norse (also Proto-Scandinavian, Primitive Norse, Proto-Nordic, Ancient Nordic, Old Scandinavian and Proto-North Germanic Rö runestone ( Bo Krause196673A U) is one of Sweden 's oldest and most notable Runestones It was discovered 1919 at the farm Rö on the island of Otterö ^[1] Sváfa, whose name means "Suebian",^[59] was a Valkyrie who appears in the eddic poem Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar. Sváfa is a Valkyrie and the daughter of king Eylimi in Norse mythology. In Norse mythology the valkyries ( Old Norse Valkyrja "Choosers of the Slain" are Dísir, minor female deities Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar ("Lay of Helgi Hjörvarðsson" is a poem collected in the Poetic Edda, found in the Codex Regius manuscript The kingdom Sváfaland also appears in this poem and in the Þiðrekssaga. Þiðrekssaga (also Thidreksaga, Thidrekssaga, Niflungasaga or Vilkina saga) is a chivalric saga of the adventures of the

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• The Chronicle of Hydatius is the main source for the history of the suevi in Galicia and Portugal up to 468.
• Identity and Interaction The Suevi and the Hispano-Romans
• Medieval Galician anthroponomy
• Minutes of the Councils of Braga and Toledo, in the Collectio Hispana Gallica Augustodunensis
• Orosius' Historiarum Adversum Paganos Libri VII