Hérules
The Hérules are a Germanic Peuple pertaining to the group ostic, or groups Germains known as “Eastern”, resulting from Scandinavia, like the Goths, the Vandales, the Burgondes, and the Gépides inter alia. Little known, Hérules appears as minor people but was often announced in the Gothic raids and in particular on the Black Sea, where they are discovered a vocation of pirates quickly.
late Antiquity
They are mentioned for the first time in the Roman sources at the 3rd century when in 268 and 269, they take part in a barbarian coalition which joins together the Peucins and the Carpe S, small tribes Germanic, but also of the Gépides, and especially of Goths. The army gathered, which would have counted more than 300.000 warriors (figure certainly exaggerated by the chroniclers Roman and Greek), tackles the forces of the emperor Claude II the Gothic on the the Danube.In IIIe century, another Germanic people, the Lombards, then established in Pannonia and which make irruption in Occident only in 568, are allied or are vassal of Hérules.
Thereafter, it is mentioned them at the time of the Great invasions, starting from second half of the 4th century.
Early middle ages
At the 5th century, the latter have a pretense of kingdom along the Danube, although being undoubtedly very few: it is probably from there that share the armed band whose Odoacre, in addition one as of their already established in Italy, takes the head. This last fire Pavia, plunders Rome and deposits the emperor Romulus Augustule, being made proclaim “King d' Italie” (476). This episode is especially known to be interpreted by the Historiographie as the official fall of the Roman Empire of Occident.All Hérules do not seem however, to be itself established on the Danube between IIIe century and Ve century. A detachment hérule is indeed attested during the years 400/407 in cruel armed bands, at the sides of Frisons and Saxons, which makes Piraterie in the North Sea and the coasts of the Manche. These put at evil coastal defenses Roman Empire (coastal military march of Armorique or Litus armoricus ) and establish post offices advances of observation or small establishments of settlement until on the Atlantic coast. Thus they went until in Spain, and that in 456, approximately 500 pirates hérules were announced on the Cantabric coasts and of Galicia, embarked on 8 ships. Some even, were fixed on the Spanish coast and continued piracy.
After year 476, other Hérules are used in the army as Théodoric Large the, being integrated into the Ostrogoths that the emperor of the East, Zénon, charged with recovering Italy, then with the hands of the Mercenaire S barbarians of Odoacre.
Towards 491, Théodoric, victorious of the Vandals valley of the contacts with Hérules Danubian to secure pressure of the Alamans.
Odoacre as for him is reversed by Théodoric in 493 and its armed band is driven out of Italy, whereas the king goth founds the kingdom of Ravenne. Hérules, returned on the Danube under the control of their king Rodulf, were severely beaten in 510 by Lombards: many enter-them turned over to Scandinavia.
In 550, the presence of approximately 3000 mercenaries hérules is still attested along the Danubian line of defense or files Danubian, with Sirmium and Singidunum, but those had been established there towards 510. Also let us not forget that quotas hérules were used Byzance in its war against the Vandals as Africa in 533 and 534, like in Italy under the control of the old eunuque general (and dwarf) Narsès, against Ostrogoths, starting from 551. They disappeared as people distinct before the middle from the 7th century, those of North amalgamating with Frisons and Saxon, some turning over even in their fatherland of origin, to Scandinavia, which they had however left of the centuries earlier (what shows well the attachment in the even remote beginnings and perhaps the survival of close links with the Scandinavian populations), others amalgamating with Ostrogoths and Lombards.
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