The Roman Empire had vast territories, its possessions stretched across Europe and the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, this state was famous for its wealth.
It is not surprising that the territories and treasures belonging to the Romans aroused keen interest among the barbarian tribes, whose lands border the Roman Empire. In this regard, throughout history, the state has been forced to fight barbarians more than once.
Further in our article you can find a list of ten tribes, whose attacks were subjected to the Roman Empire for centuries.
List
- 10. Persians
- 9. Alans (and Sarmatians)
- 8. Illyrians
- 7. Thracians (Dacians, Getae, etc.)
- 6. East Germans (Vandals, Marcoman, Burgundians, Gepids, Alemans, etc.)
- 5. West Germans (Franks, Angles, Saxons, Sueves, Lombards, Batavas, etc.)
- 4. The Huns
- 3. Goths (as well as Ostrogoths and Visigoths)
- 2. Celts (Scott, Picts, Shaving, etc.)
- 1. Gauls
10. Persians
Since 224 A.D. the main enemy of the Romans were the Persians. They spoke the Persian language, which had various dialects. The Persians represented the Sassanian state, led a sedentary lifestyle, engaged mainly in agriculture.
They attacked the Roman Empire from the East, their hallmark was courage. Despite the fact that the Persians were associated with the barbarians, the level of their combat training and the quality of their weapons were not inferior to the Roman ones. Persian warriors rode excellently and excellently fired from a bow. In the 7th century, their lands were conquered by the Arabs.
9. Alans (and Sarmatians)
Alans and Sarmatians were nomadic Iranian-speaking tribes. Historians believe that their people were driven out of the lands of Asia, and therefore the tribes moved to the lands of Scythia.
Initially, they led a sedentary lifestyle, peacefully existed with neighbors. But in the 160-170s. began an active struggle against the Roman Empire. Only in 179 the Romans and Sarmatians managed to conclude a truce, the barbarians returned to the state more than 100,000 prisoners. Part of the Sarmatian cavalry passed to the service of the Roman Empire.
The clashes between the barbarians and the Romans did not end there, they occurred several more times, but after the war cooperation again ensued.
8. Illyrians
This people belonged to the Indo-European tribes, some historians considered related to the Thracians. They lived in the Balkans, and also occupied part of the Apennine Peninsula.
Illyrians included Istra, Yapigi, Dalmatians, Dardans. The first information about these tribes was found in the VI-V centuries. BC. in ancient sources.
As a result of the Illyrian wars that took place in 229-228, 219, 168-167. BC, the lands belonging to the people were conquered by the Romans, they became a province of the Roman Empire, the population quickly underwent Romanization, as a result of which they even lost their own language.
7. Thracians (Dacians, Getae, etc.)
The Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes, which included the Dacians, Getae, Di, Kikon, demons, Odrisses and some others. They inhabited the northeast of the Balkans and northwest of Asia Minor.
In 450, the Thracians founded their own state under the name Thrace. This powerful nation was mentioned in the ancient epos "Iliad", and the ancient Greek historian Herodotus also wrote about it.
In 46 AD during the reign of Emperor Claudius, the lands of the Thracians were conquered by the Romans.
6. East Germans (Vandals, Marcoman, Burgundians, Gepids, Alemans, etc.)
East Germans called a group of tribes belonging to the Indo-European language family. These included vandals, alemans, gepids, Marcoman, Burgundians, Gutons, and some others. According to some historians, the group of East Germans included more than 20 tribes.
The Vandals were one of the powerful tribes of the East Germans, they inhabited the lands of the Jutland Peninsula, as well as the territories between the Order, the Vistula, the Sudetenland and the Carpathians.
In the II century, these peoples took part with the Marcoman in the war against the Romans and partially conquered the provinces of the empire. But in the battles of 429-439. part of their people was destroyed, and the survivors captured Roman lands in Africa.
Marcomanians fought against the Romans in 169-175. and in 177-180, they invaded their territory, but during the war on the Danube border were destroyed by Roman troops.
5. West Germans (Franks, Angles, Saxons, Sueves, Lombards, Batavas, etc.)
The group of tribes of the West Germans included the Saxons, Franks, Lombards, Suevs, Batavians, and many others. The Angles occupied part of Britain.
The Batavians lived at the mouth of the Rhine, but in the 12th century BC they were conquered by the Romans, tried to oppose their empire by raising an uprising in the years 60-70, but were finally romanized.
The Saxons owned territories on the Lower Rhine and the Elbe. In the IV century, they took part in the conquest of the lands of Britain.
The Franks took the most active part in the conquest of Roman lands, but the empire managed to withstand them.
4. The Huns
Nomads came from Asian lands, made multiple raids on China, whose warriors successfully repelled them. After that, in the 370s. the tribe moved to the West, simultaneously trying to conquer the territory of the Roman Empire under the leadership of Attila.
In 452, the Huns managed to penetrate the lands of the state, they plundered several cities, but then they had to retreat before the combined army of the Romans.
3. Goths (as well as Ostrogoths and Visigoths)
The Goths belonged to a group of East Germanic tribes; they lived in the lower Vistula and the territories of the Lower Danube. In the III century. the Goths began to actively attack the Roman lands, but they were rebuffed.
The Visigoths were part of the Germanic tribes. In 418, they lived on Roman lands as federals, but the policy of the empire led to the fact that in the 470s. they rebelled against the Romans.
The Ostrogoths were also part of the Germanic tribes, but from the 5th century they joined the Huns, under whose leadership they infiltrated Spain, Italy, where they finally settled.
2. Celts (Scott, Picts, Shaving, etc.)
The Celts belonged to a group of Indo-European tribes and occupied territories in western Europe. These included shaving, picts, scott and some others.
The Scottes first lived on the lands of modern Ireland, their main occupation was sea robbery. Between 250 AD and 400 AD they actively attacked the territory of the empire, located in Britain, then conquered the land from the Picts.
The Picts lived in Northern Britain. In 297 AD began to wage active war with the Romans, both on land and at sea.
Britons also belonged to the Celtic tribes, from the VI century. they raided the territory of the empire, which were located in Britain, shortly afterwards the Romans withdrew their troops from these lands.
1. Gauls
The tribes belonged to the Celtic group. They lived in Gaul (today it is France, part of Switzerland, Northern Italy and Germany, Belgium).
The first attempt to conquer the Roman Empire took place among the Gauls in 390. The lands of Gaul were conquered by the Romans during the reign of Emperor Caesar, it happened 59-51. BC.
But the Gauls were not romanized immediately, periodically rebellions broke out. In 258, Gaul managed to disconnect from the Roman Empire, but this lasted only 15 years, then the state rejoined it.