--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tgpedersen" <tgpedersen@...> wrote:
>
>
> > > > I suggest that Ariovistus was active in Southern Germany at
> > > > the time, colonizing it(?).
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > GK: The known facts have him colonizing Sequaniland.
>
> The Boii
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boii
> at that time lived in Bohemia or possibly in Bavaria (Baiovarii).
> They attacked Noricum. They left Helvetia with the Helvetians.
> Ariovistus married the sister of king Voccio of Noricum.
> The 'Harigasti' helmet was buried in Noricum.
> The Helvetii was constantly at war with the 'Germani', sometimes on
> their, sometimes on their own territory.
> Now tell me again that in all this turmoil, Ariovistus wasn't
> involved?
> How would he have gotten to Noricum territory without being
> embroiled in this war between Boii and Norici and Helvetii and
> nameless Germani?
>
> I think Caesar had Ariovistus in mind all the time, since first
> styling him friend of the Roman People. As far as he was concerned,
> the Rhine was Ariovistus' Rubicon.
>
> BTW the long inactivity on Ariovistus' part before the debacle is
> reminiscent of Gildas' account of the hired Sxons in Britain or the
> events up to Odoacer's deposing the last Roman emperor: the Germani
> expect to be fed, and if they're not, there's trouble. Possibly the
> Sequani were trying to tell Ariovistus' people their services were
> not required any more by starving them out.
Hm. New information.
http://www.livius.org/ap-ark/appian/appian_gallic_3.html
Appian's History of Rome
apud
Constantine Porphyrogenitus, The Embassies
§14 [59 BCE] Ariovistus, the king of the Germans beyond the Rhine, had
crossed to this side before Caesar's arrival and made war against the
Aedui, who were friends of the Romans. But when the Romans commanded
him to desist, he had obeyed and moved away from Aedui and had desired
to be accounted a friend of the Roman people also, and this was
granted, Caesar being consul and voting for it.
§15 [58 BCE] Ariovistus, the king of the Germans, who had been voted a
friend of the Roman people, came to Caesar to have a colloquy. After
they had separated he wished to have another. Caesar refused it, but
sent some of the leading men of the Gauls to meet him. Ariovistus cast
them in chains, wherefore Caesar threatened him and made war on him,
but fear fell upon the army on account of the military reputation of
the Germans.
DBG 5, 24
'And there was formerly a time when the Gauls excelled the Germans
in prowess, and waged war on them offensively, and, on account of the
great number of their people and the insufficiency of their land, sent
colonies over the Rhine. Accordingly, the Volcae Tectosages seized on
those parts of Germany which are the most fruitful [and lie] around
the Hercynian forest (which, I perceive, was known by report to
Eratosthenes and some other Greeks, and which they call Orcynia) and
settled there. Which nation to this time retains its position in those
settlements, and has a very high character for justice and military
merit: now also they continue in the same scarcity, indigence,
hardihood, as the Germans, and use the same food and dress; but their
proximity to the Province and knowledge of commodities from countries
beyond the sea supplies to the
Gauls many things tending to luxury as well as civilization.
Accustomed by degrees to be overmatched and worsted in many
engagements, they do not even compare themselves to the Germans in
prowess.'
Torsten