Marcomanni
The
Marcomanni were a
Germanic tribe, probably related to the
Suebi or Suevi.
Contemporary scholars believe their name derives from one of two possible sources: (1) old Germanic forms of
March (frontier) and
Men, or (2) the tribe has taken on the name of a Roman captain named Marcus Romanus who deserted the legions of
Drusus during his German campaign in c. 13 BC, and is thought to have banded together a ragtag group of Germanic tribes into a cohesive fighting force (see POMOERIVM, vol.3, 1998).
Drusus attacked the Marcomanni in
9 BC, forcing them into what is now
Bohemia. In that region, their king
Maroboduus established a powerful kingdom that
Augustus perceived as a threat to
Rome. Before he could act on this, the war in
Illyria intervened. Eventually, Maroboduus was deposed and exiled by Catualda (AD
19).
In the
2nd century AD, the Marcomanni entered into a confederation with other peoples including the
Quadi,
Vandals, and
Sarmatians, against the Roman Empire. This was probably driven by movements of larger tribes, like the
Goths. According to the historian
Eutropius, the forces of the Emperor
Marcus Aurelius battled against the Marcomannic confederation for three years at the fortress of
Carnuntum in
Pannonia. Eutropius compared the war, and Marcus Aurelius' success against the Marcomanni and their allies, to the
Punic Wars. The comparison was apt in that this war marked a turning point and had significant Roman defeats; it caused the death of two
Praetorian Guard commanders. The war began in
166 and lasted until Marcus Aurelius' death in
180. It would prove to be only a limited success for Rome; the
Danube river remained as the frontier of the Empire for its duration.
The
Christianisation of the Marcomanni occurred under their queen
Fritigil (mid
fifth century), who corresponded with
Ambrose of Milan to bring about the conversion.
*
Migrations period*
Timeline of Portuguese history - Germanic Kingdoms (5th to 8th Century)*
History of Portugal*
Gallaecia*
Galicia (Spain)*
History of Spain*
Irminones*
Caesar De Bello Gallico, at
The Latin Library*
Tacitus Germania, at
The Latin Library*
Tacitus Annales, at
The Latin Library
