Shrouded within the uncertainty of Europe's distant past are many mysteries. Whilst we are relatively well informed about the Mediterranean with its mighty empires we know comparatively little about the heartland and the fringes of the European continent. It wasn't until the days of Julius Caesar that a new player stepped up onto the stage of European and – by extension to the modern age – World History: The Ancient Germanic Peoples. Caesar described them as even more brutish and uncivilized than the in the eyes of the Mediterranean World already savage Gauls and justified his campaigns into Gaul partially by claiming that they needed protection from the Germans. But before we venture too far into historical events involving these peoples the term “German” and its use in the context of Antiquity has to be clarified.
Germanic
The Migration of the Cimbri and Teutons
The migration of the Cimbri and the Teutons from Jutland across Central and Western Europe and into Northern Italy. The Cimbri and Teutons were the first Germanic people mentioned in history, although the term Teuton itself may in fact be of Celtic origin.
Europe ca. 476 CE
Picture: Germanic Kingdoms in Europe after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Although the Germans were certainly less sophisticated than their contemporary Romans, Greeks, Egyptians or even the neighbouring Celts, which to the Mediterranean world were already considered barbarians, they were to some degree responsible for the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The … Continue reading Europe ca. 476 CE
The Roman Border in Ancient Germany
The borders of Rome weren't as much boundaries as they were frontiers: Areas of cultural exchange between different peoples. This article explores the relationship between Rome and the Germanic tribes living beyond the border.
Rom und die Germanen – Der Limes in Deutschland
In der Vergangenheit wurde angenommen, beim Limes handle es sich um ein Verteidigungsbollwerk. Die Forschung der letzten drei Jahrzehnte hat allerdings gezeigt, dass kultureller Austausch zwischen Römern und Germanen in der Grenzzone alltäglich war.
The Origin of the Elder Futhark
The origin of the Elder Futhark is still disputed. The Roman alphabet appears to be a significant inspiration but fails to explain all it's oddities. Perhaps the North Etruscan or Phoenician alphabets offer an alternative.
Origins and Culture of the Ancient Germanic Tribes
The origin of the ancient Germans (not to be confused with the modern Germans) is still debated, although somewhere between Northern Germany and Southern Scandinavia seems to be the most likely place. Bu where did the people inhabiting this area come from?
European Origins 