Re: Torsten's theory reviewed

>
> ****GK: Caesar's view of the Suebi, as mentioned
> above, certainly differs from Hachmann's, but also
> from Tacitus. Caesar considers the Suebi " by far the
> largest and the most warlike nation of all the
> Germans. They are said to possess a hundred cantons"
> (De Bello Gallico, IV, 1).

Confederation.

> He locates them just east
> of the Ubii, Sigambri, Usipetes, Tencteri. In other
> words, they begin (in 55 BCE) in the area where
> archaeology has discovered the "colonizing" Przeworsk
> culture elements (the Lippe/Leine area). These are the
> most dangerous and active "Suebi" of that particular
> year. He is vaguer about their eastern boundaries. He
> does make a most interesting comment in DBG IV.3: "on
> one side of the Suevi the lands are said to lie
> desolate for about six hundred miles. On the other
> side they border on the Ubii". I would argue that this
> "six hundred miles" (the extent need not be that
> precise) refers to the vacated haunts of the Western
> Przeworkers, since the territory in between, from the
> Leine to the Elbe and beyond retained its population.
> I would further argue that, since Caesar distinguished
> "Suebi" from "Marcomanni" (DBG I, 51) it is the
> Przeworkers who, to him, were the prime identifying
> "Suebi" at that time.

They might both have been Przeworskers.

> But the Jastorfers, Lippe/Leine
> Celtisized elements

Minor correction. The Celts of (the later) Central and Southern Germania
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Celts_800-400BC.PNG
were no less Celtic than those of France. Inasmuch as they were
Celticized, so were the Gauls, and it happened at the same time.
As a matter of fact, I think the word Germani, which otherwise in
Latin in ethnic contexts means "true, real" (as opposed to pseudo- or
para-), was used at first of the Celts east of the Rhine, ie. 'Celti
Germani' "the true Celts".

> and ElbGermani who cooperated with
> Ariovistus and his successors were also "Suebi"
> (territorially speaking).

Became. Confederation.

> The concept was extended
> still further by Tacitus. I would therefore slightly
> amend my earlier comments, while continuing to claim
> that Hachmann's views are too restrictive.****
>

Confederation. ;-)


Torsten