See also: She-cat

The Chattes (Latin chatti ) are old Germanic people, which were established at the beginning of the Christian era in the area of the higher course of the Weser and the Eder. They will give rise to current the Hesse (Hattes or Hesse) and to the franconie with the top of the Hand. They was frightening infantrymen. The Bataves would be a branch resulting from the She-cats.

History

The She-cats are quoted by Pline Old the, towards 75, like members of a common ethnic federation with the Suèves and Chérusques. Except the name of this one - the Herminones - one is unaware of about all that relates to it: the nature even of this alliance remains obscure. It is also known that the Batavians formed originally part of the She-cats, like Mattiaques (Tacit, Germania ), but the latter turned rather quickly to Rome rather than towards the people remained “free” of Germanic interior.

Little before the beginning of our era, the She-cats took part in the insurrection carried out by Arminius which led to the loss of the Roman legions of Varus, at the time of the Bataille of Teutoburg (9): the She-cats count thus among the main actors of the end of the Roman expansion beyond the the Rhine.

Following this episode and during the first century of our era, the Rhenish files was established in the south of their territories, not without several clashes taking place before.

Their capital, Mattium , in the Hesse, was burnt at the time of the transrhenan countryside of Germanicus († in 19).

Towards 37, the She-cats, which achieved their plunderings to the territory of the Ubiens, from where Agrippine was originating, were the subject of a Roman punitive campaign carried out by Lucius Pomponius: at the time of this one, the general released from the Romans who had been captured and put in slavery at the time of Varus (Tacit, Annales ). The She-cats were constrained to negotiate peace and had to send hostages to Rome: among the latter the girl of the chief of the She-cats was to be, Catumerus, whose son became in his turn king of Chérusques (Tacit, COp cit. XI, 16).

In 70, a revolt was carried out, at the beginning to support another candidate with imperial dignity, by the Batavian Civilis, which was officer and Roman citizen. This revolt took then a turn anti-Roman when the originally constant candidate was killed (Vitellius).

Established in the Empire, Civilis then did not hesitate to go to seek of the assistance for the occasion at the She-cats, on the other side of the Rhine. It was finally overcome by the remained troops faithful to the new Emperor.

The emperor Domitien (81 - 96 after J. - C.) still faced the She-cats among other people of Germanic interior (Suétone).

According to Ferdinand Lot, it is probable that with the Ve century they were established on the lower course of the the Moselle and that they colonized is department of the the Moselle. (The valley of the Moselle is occupied by the franques tribes in 454,).

The area of origin of the She-cats started to convert with Christianity at the beginning of VIIIe century of our era, under the action of the missionary Saint Boniface. This last made cut down a oak crowned their pertaining in 723, close to Fritzlar.

The name of the Hesse finds its etymology in the name of the She-cats.

Cultural data

Tacit, in its Yearly , us informs on a confrontation which has occurred between the She-cats and Hermundures: it mentions whereas the first lent a character crowned to the rivers and the forests where salt is produced and which they could dedicate their warriors to Mars before the combat, which involved setting-with-death if they were the losers of the battle.

Lastly, in the Germanic , it teaches us that the She-cats were let push the beard and the hair and carried an iron ring as a mark of infamy until they killed their first adversary with the combat.

See too

Bonds

  • the German ones at the time Roman: index of the references in the Latin sources.

Random links:Cut Grey | Serves | Megaman Battle Network 2 | RFC Huy | Jean de Conflans (marshal)