The Alamans or Alémans (German: ale männer , all the men) were a whole of Germanic tribes initially established on the middle price and lower of the Elba then along the Main where they were mentioned for the first time by Dion Cassius in 213. These people had as a common point to compete with the Francs (germ. Frank , Free), undoubtedly at the origin another regrouping of ethnos groups established more in north on Right Bank of the Rhine. The Royaume alaman indicates the territory of Alamans described starting from 269.
Origin of Alamans
According to Asinius Quadratus, their name, which means all the men , indicates that they were a regrouping various tribes. It does however little doubt that old the Hermundures formed large nation. The tribes which probably formed part of Alamans are inter alia:- the Hermundures ( Hermions ),
- the Juthunges,
- the Bucinobantes,
- the Lentiens,
- the Quades, Marcomans, and Let us sow.
- the Armalauses
- the Teutons.
- As from the 4th century, one also hears of the Suèves.
Historical summary
Alamans were continuously in conflict with the Roman Empire. Initially located at the north of the province of Rhétie, they are initially contained by the Romans until the middle of the 3rd century, then in two centuries of confrontations, they move little by little towards the west to be installed definitively on a territory covering part of the Suisse, the Pays of Bade, the Alsace (see the article Royaume alaman). They contributed to the germanisation of these areas previously romanized.In 258, Alamans carry out their raid more the devastator and most deeply advanced in the Roman Empire: they invade the Rhétie, destroy the forts of the Limes Champs Décumates, reach the Helvétie and plunder Avenches. Several bands descend the valley from the the Rhone, plundering in particular the suburbs of Arles but avoiding the too powerful cities like Lugdunum or Autun. The ones attack Tarragone in Spain, others pass in the Italy of North and go on Rome. In spring 259, Gallien beats them close to Milan, but must give up the Décumates Fields to them: Alamans settle in this projecting which enables them to easily pass the the Rhine or the the Danube, threatening Gaulle of the East, Rhétie and Italy of North.
In 268, they launched a major invasion in the north of the Italy, where the Romans had been forced to withdraw most of their troops in answer to the invasion of the Visigoths. At the beginning of the summer, the emperor Gallien stopped their advance in Italy, but then had to face the Goths. When, in September, the countryside of Goths ended in the victory of the Romans to the Bataille of Naissus, the successor of Gallien, Claude the Gothic, turned over in North to deal with Alamans who started to occupy all Italy in the North of the Po.
After useless efforts to arrive at a peaceful retirement, in November 268 Claude forced Alamans to fight at the time of the Bataille of Lake Garda. Alamans were beaten and forced to turn over in Germanie where during many years they were not any more one threat for the Romans.
Their more famous battle against the Romans took place with Strasbourg in 357 (Bataille of Argentoratum). They were beaten by the future emperor Julien at the time of a decisive load of its heavy cavalry and their king Chnodomarius was made prisoner.
The January 2nd 366, Alamans crossed in great number the the cold Rhine, in order to invade the Roman Empire.
At the beginning of the 5th century, it seems that Alamans crossed the Rhine and conquered then settled in what is now the Alsace and most of the Suisse. Their kingdom lasted until in 496, when it was conquered by Clovis I {{er}} with the Bataille of Tolbiac. They accepted the suzerainty of the Francs and their kingdom became the duchy of Alémanie.
Chronology
- 213 : first higher appearance of Alamans like attackers in Germanic. Caracalla inflicts such a defeat to them that they are held in respect for a score of years.
- 233 : Alamans cross the Limes, dismantled troops engaged in the East. Alexandre Sévère, returned of the East, engages of the negotiations rather than to fight. Furious, its soldiers kill it in 235 and replace it by Maximin Thrace. Maximin counter-attacks Alamans on their territories and beats completely them.
- 253 : The Frank and Alamans invade the Gaulle.
- 258 with 259: the raid more the devastator of Alamans. Gallien beats them close to Milan, but must give up the Décumates Fields to them.
- 268 : attack of Alamans on the Rhétie and Italy, Claude the Gothic beats them with its cavalry close to Milan, then with Lake Garda.
- 275 : The Gaulle is plundered by the Francs and Alamans.
- 277 : The Roman Emperor Probus releases the Gaulle Francs and of Alamans, and confines the latter between the Rhine and the Danube.
- 352 : Alamans and the Francs beat the army Roman E, take 40 cities and settle between the Moselle and the Rhine.
- 357 : Julien demolishes Alamans with Strasbourg and on the other side of the the Rhine rejects them.
- 360 : Julien subjects the Francs and Alamans and restores the border of the the Rhine.
- 365 : Alamans pass the the cold Rhine and reach Châlons-sur-Marne.
- 368 : Valentinien Ier, based with Trier, demolishes Alamans on the border of the the Rhine.
- 374 : Valentinien Ier establishes a Fœdus with Alamans, authorizing their installation on western bank of the Rhine.
- 378 : Alamans invade the Alsace.
- 396 : The Romains enlist Francs and of Alamans to defend the border of the the Rhine.
- 496 : The Francs beat Alamans on Neckar which yield the area of the Hand-Neckar to them.
- 496 : Clovis I {{er}} makes alliance with the Francs the Rhine to demolish Alamans with the battle of Tolbiac on the Rhine.
- 709 : Beginning of the war of the Frank and Alamans (fine in 712).
- 712 : End of the war of the Frank and Alamans.
See too
Internal bonds
External bonds
- rather complete Site
- Article in the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland
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