DOCSLIB.ORG

Early Germans

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Early Germans TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:48 PM Page i the Early Germans Second Edition TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:48 PM Page ii The Peoples of Europe General Editors: James Campbell and Barry Cunliffe This series is about the European tribes and peoples from their origins in prehistory to the present day. Drawing upon a wide range of archaeological and historical evidence, each volume presents a fresh and absorbing account of a group’s culture, society and usually turbulent history. Already published The Etruscans The Goths Graeme Barker and Thomas Rasmussen Peter Heather The Normans The Franks* Marjorie Chibnall Edward James The Norsemen in the Viking Age The Russians Eric Christiansen Robin Milner-Gulland The Lombards The Mongols Neil Christie David Morgan The Serbs The Armenians Sima C´ irkovic´ A. E. Redgate The Basques* The Britons Roger Collins Christopher A. Snyder The English The Huns Geoffrey Elton E. A. Thompson The Gypsies The Early Germans Second edition Second edition Angus Fraser Malcolm Todd The Bretons The Illyrians Patrick Galliou and Michael Jones John Wilkes In preparation The Sicilians The Romans David Abulafia Timothy Cornell The Irish The Scots Francis John Byrne and Michael Herity Colin Kidd The Byzantines The Picts Averil Cameron Charles Thomas The Spanish Roger Collins *Denotes title now out of print TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:48 PM Page iii the Early Germans Malcolm Todd Second Edition TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:48 PM Page iv © 1992, 2004 by Malcolm Todd BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Malcolm Todd to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. First edition published 1992 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd Second edition published 2004 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Todd, Malcolm, FSA. The early Germans / Malcolm Todd. – 2nd ed. p. cm. – (The Peoples of Europe) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-4051-1714-1 (alk. paper) 1. Germanic peoples – History. I. Title. II. Series. DD75.T62 2004 936.3 – dc22 2004055089 A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library. Set in 10 on 12 pt Sabon by SNP Best-set Typesetter Ltd., Hong Kong. Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by TJ International Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall. The publisher’s policy is to use permanent paper from mills that operate a sustainable forestry policy, and which has been manufactured from pulp processed using acid-free and elementary chlorine-free practices. Furthermore, the publisher ensures that the text paper and cover board used have met acceptable environmental accreditation standards. For further information on Blackwell Publishing, visit our website: www.blackwellpublishing.com TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:48 PM Page v In Memoriam E. A. Thompson D. A. Bullough Teachers and Friends TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:48 PM Page vi TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:48 PM Page vii Contents List of Illustrations xi Foreword to the Second Edition xiii Foreword to the First Edition xv Abbreviations xvi Introduction: Rediscovery 1 The Germani 1 Origins 8 Languages 11 Part I Germania 15 1 Land and People 17 The Land 17 Germans, Celts and the Eastern Peoples 19 2The Social Fabric 28 The Institutions of Society 28 Armament and Warfare 35 3The Germans and the Advance of Rome 44 Early Encounters 44 Roman Frontiers 53 Germans in the Service of Rome 59 TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:48 PM Page viii viii Contents 4The Living and the Dead 62 The Forms of Settlement 62 The Agricultural Economy 76 Burial of the Dead 80 5Trade and Diplomacy 84 Roman Diplomacy and the Early Germans 84 Trade with the Roman Empire 87 6 Cult, Art and Technology 103 Deities and their Sanctuaries 103 Human Sacrifice 109 Myth and Ritual 114 Christianity 118 Crafts and Craftsmanship 120 The Origins of Germanic Art 132 Part II Germanic Europe 137 7The Gothic Kingdoms 139 Gothic Origins 139 The Visigoths 142 The Ostrogoths 163 8The Suebi and Vandals 172 The Suebi 172 The Vandals 175 9Franks, Alamanni and Burgundians 179 The Franks: from Gaul to Francia 179 The Alamanni 193 The Burgundians 197 TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:48 PM Page ix Contents ix 10 The Northern Peoples 202 The Saxons and Frisians 202 Scandinavia 210 11 The Gepids and Lombards 220 The Gepids 220 The Lombards 225 12 The Thuringians and Bavarians 239 Conclusion: From Antiquity to Today 242 Sources 255 Bibliography 256 Index 261 TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:48 PM Page x TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:49 PM Page xi Illustrations 1 The western Germanic peoples, c. ad 200 7 2 The eastern Germanic peoples, c. ad 100 10 3 Bows, arrows, spears and swords from the votive finds at Nydam and Thorsbjerg 37 4 German captives on a Roman statue-base from Mainz, probably first century ad 38 5 Early Roman military bases east of the middle Rhine 49 6 The settlement at Peelo, Drenthe, the Netherlands 65 7 The settlement at Wijster, Drenthe, the Netherlands: a planned layout of the fourth century ad 68 8 The settlement at Zeijen I, Drenthe, the Netherlands: an enclosed settlement of the early Roman Iron Age 72 9 Plan of long-houses in early Germanic settlements 74 10 The settlement at Flögeln, near Cuxhaven, Germany: fourth to fifth centuries ad 75 11 Imports of early Roman bronze vessels into Germania (after J. Kunow) 90 12 Silver dish with emblem of Athena, from the hoard found near Hildesheim 92 13 Roman imports east of the Rives Vistula 94 14 Tombstone of Q. Atilius Primus, soldier and later trader, found in Slovakia north of the Danube frontier; second century ad 96 15 The corpse of a girl from Windeby 111 16 The skull of a man from Osterby with a ‘Suebian’ knot 112 17 One of the two Thorsbjerg phalerae, a Roman military ornament with additions by a Germanic craftsman 115 18 Scandinavian brooches showing the influence of Roman ornament 122 TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:49 PM Page xii xii Illustrations 19 Gold collar from Ålleberg, Sweden; fifth century ad 124 20 Gold cage-cup from the Pietroasa treasure, Romania 126 21 Motifs and inscription from one of the gold horns found at Gallehus, Denmark 128 22 Movements of the Visigoths from the Danube to Gaul 147 23 The mausoleum of Theodoric at Ravenna 169 24 The Germanic kingdoms in Gaul 182 25 The settlement at Neerhaeren-Rekem, near Maastricht, c. ad 400 189 26 The burial of Arnegunde, St Denis, Paris: a Frankish royal lady of the late sixth century 190 27 The settlement at St-Ouen-du-Brueil, Normandy, late fourth to fifth century ad 191 28 The hilltop stronghold of the Runder Berg, near Urach, southern Germany: an Alamannic noble residence of the fourth and fifth centuries 196 29 The hoard from Tureholm, Sweden 212 30 The Gudme region, ad 200–800 213 31 The fort of Eketorpsborg, Sweden 216 32 Reconstruction of the horse-gear from a richly furnished Gepid(?) burial at Apahida, Romania 222 33 Finds of Avar arrowheads on the upper Danube 224 34 A Lombard burial at Tamasi, Hungary 224 35 Lombard Italy and its neighbours 229 36 An idealized German warrior, based on material from the Thorsbjerg votive find 249 TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:49 PM Page xiii Foreword to the Second Edition A book written more than a decade ago and now appearing in a revised edition, after several reprints and four translations, requires some defence. Since the publication of the first edition in 1992 there have been many advances in the study of this extensive field. These include not only major accessions to knowledge, but also new approaches to what is already known, in part in response to radical political change in modern Europe, after 1989 in particular. Other, more intellectual forces have been at work, opening up debate on the relations between the Roman world and the northern peoples, and on the complex subject of migra- tion. Inevitably, migration in its many forms is prominent in this volume, as is the equally complex field of ethnicity, which has received much attention over recent years. Discussion of both these subjects has been to the fore over the past decade and more. Among many major con- tributions there may be mentioned those of Herwig Wolfram, Patrick Périn, Michel Kasanski, Claus von Carnap-Bornheim, Peter Heather and Ian Wood. The important Romanisierung project organized by the Römisch–Germanische Kommission has opened numerous avenues of research. Behind these advances the onward march of the reference work, Hoops’ Reallexicon has continued with general benefit. In revising the book I must acknowledge a debt to the incomparable resources of the Library of the Römisch–Germanische Kommission and the kindness of its expert staff. My debt to the staff of Blackwell Pub- lishing is as great. In particular, I must thank Tessa Harvey, Angela Cohen and Helen Lawton for all their help, advice and support, and Sandra Raphael for her expertise in copy-editing a mongrel text. February 2004 TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:49 PM Page xiv TEGPR 8/2/2004 2:49 PM Page xv Foreword to the First Edition The emergence and early history of the Germanic peoples have never been a central concern of British historians.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 1 Gallo-Roman Relations Under the Early Empire by Ryan Walsh A
    Gallo-Roman Relations under the Early Empire By Ryan Walsh A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Ancient Mediterranean Cultures Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2013 © Ryan Walsh 2013 1 Author's Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Abstract This paper examines the changing attitudes of Gallo-Romans from the time of Caesar's conquest in the 50s BCE to the start of Vespasian's reign in 70-71 CE and how Roman prejudice shaped those attitudes. I first examine the conflicted opinions of the Gauls in Caesar's time and how they eventually banded together against him but were defeated. Next, the activities of each Julio-Claudian emperor are examined to see how they impacted Gaul and what the Gallo-Roman response was. Throughout this period there is clear evidence of increased Romanisation amongst the Gauls and the prominence of the region is obvious in imperial policy. This changes with Nero's reign where Vindex's rebellion against the emperor highlights the prejudices still effecting Roman attitudes. This only becomes worse in the rebellion of Civilis the next year. After these revolts, the Gallo-Romans appear to retreat from imperial offices and stick to local affairs, likely as a direct response to Rome's rejection of them.
    [Show full text]
  • Resettlement Into Roman Territory Across the Rhine and the Danube Under the Early Empire (To the Marcomannic Wars)*
    Eos C 2013 / fasciculus extra ordinem editus electronicus ISSN 0012-7825 RESETTLEMENT INTO ROMAN TERRITORY ACROSS THE RHINE AND THE DANUBE UNDER THE EARLY EMPIRE (TO THE MARCOMANNIC WARS)* By LESZEK MROZEWICZ The purpose of this paper is to investigate the resettling of tribes from across the Rhine and the Danube onto their Roman side as part of the Roman limes policy, an important factor making the frontier easier to defend and one way of treating the population settled in the vicinity of the Empire’s borders. The temporal framework set in the title follows from both the state of preser- vation of sources attesting resettling operations as regards the first two hundred years of the Empire, the turn of the eras and the time of the Marcomannic Wars, and from the stark difference in the nature of those resettlements between the times of the Julio-Claudian emperors on the one hand, and of Marcus Aurelius on the other. Such, too, is the thesis of the article: that the resettlements of the period of the Marcomannic Wars were a sign heralding the resettlements that would come in late antiquity1, forced by peoples pressing against the river line, and eventu- ally taking place completely out of Rome’s control. Under the Julio-Claudian dynasty, on the other hand, the Romans were in total control of the situation and transferring whole tribes into the territory of the Empire was symptomatic of their active border policies. There is one more reason to list, compare and analyse Roman resettlement operations: for the early Empire period, the literature on the subject is very much dominated by studies into individual tribe transfers, and works whose range en- * Originally published in Polish in “Eos” LXXV 1987, fasc.
    [Show full text]
  • ABSTRACT Savannah Dehart. BRACTEATES AS INDICATORS OF
    ABSTRACT Savannah DeHart. BRACTEATES AS INDICATORS OF NORTHERN PAGAN RELIGIOSITY IN THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES. (Under the direction of Michael J. Enright) Department of History, May 2012. This thesis investigates the religiosity of some Germanic peoples of the Migration period (approximately AD 300-800) and seeks to overcome some difficulties in the related source material. The written sources which describe pagan elements of this period - such as Tacitus’ Germania, Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People, and Paul the Deacon’s History of the Lombards - are problematic because they were composed by Roman or Christian authors whose primary goals were not to preserve the traditions of pagans. Literary sources of the High Middle Ages (approximately AD 1000-1400) - such as The Poetic Edda, Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda , and Icelandic Family Sagas - can only offer a clearer picture of Old Norse religiosity alone. The problem is that the beliefs described by these late sources cannot accurately reflect religious conditions of the Early Middle Ages. Too much time has elapsed and too many changes have occurred. If literary sources are unavailing, however, archaeology can offer a way out of the dilemma. Rightly interpreted, archaeological evidence can be used in conjunction with literary sources to demonstrate considerable continuity in precisely this area of religiosity. Some of the most relevant material objects (often overlooked by scholars) are bracteates. These coin-like amulets are stamped with designs that appear to reflect motifs from Old Norse myths, yet their find contexts, including the inhumation graves of women and hoards, demonstrate that they were used during the Migration period of half a millennium earlier.
    [Show full text]
  • Hunnic Warfare in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries C.E.: Archery and the Collapse of the Western Roman Empire
    HUNNIC WARFARE IN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH CENTURIES C.E.: ARCHERY AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Science. TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, Ontario, Canada © Copyright by Laura E. Fyfe 2016 Anthropology M.A. Graduate Program January 2017 ABSTRACT Hunnic Warfare in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries C.E.: Archery and the Collapse of the Western Roman Empire Laura E. Fyfe The Huns are one of the most misunderstood and mythologized barbarian invaders encountered by the Roman Empire. They were described by their contemporaries as savage nomadic warriors with superior archery skills, and it is this image that has been written into the history of the fall of the Western Roman Empire and influenced studies of Late Antiquity through countless generations of scholarship. This study examines evidence of Hunnic archery, questions the acceptance and significance of the “Hunnic archer” image, and situates Hunnic archery within the context of the fall of the Western Roman Empire. To achieve a more accurate picture of the importance of archery in Hunnic warfare and society, this study undertakes a mortuary analysis of burial sites associated with the Huns in Europe, a tactical and logistical study of mounted archery and Late Roman and Hunnic military engagements, and an analysis of the primary and secondary literature. Keywords: Archer, Archery, Army, Arrow, Barbarian, Bow, Burial Assemblages, Byzantine, Collapse, Composite Bow, Frontier, Hun, Logistics, Migration Period, Roman, Roman Empire, Tactics, Weapons Graves ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Dynamics of Religious Ritual: Migration and Adaptation in Early Medieval Britain
    Dynamics of Religious Ritual: Migration and Adaptation in Early Medieval Britain A Dissertation SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY Brooke Elizabeth Creager IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Peter S. Wells August 2019 Brooke Elizabeth Creager 2019 © For my Mom, I could never have done this without you. And for my Grandfather, thank you for showing me the world and never letting me doubt I can do anything. Thank you. i Abstract: How do migrations impact religious practice? In early Anglo-Saxon England, the practice of post-Roman Christianity adapted after the Anglo-Saxon migration. The contemporary texts all agree that Christianity continued to be practiced into the fifth and sixth centuries but the archaeological record reflects a predominantly Anglo-Saxon culture. My research compiles the evidence for post-Roman Christian practice on the east coast of England from cemeteries and Roman churches to determine the extent of religious change after the migration. Using the case study of post-Roman religion, the themes religion, migration, and the role of the individual are used to determine how a minority religion is practiced during periods of change within a new culturally dominant society. ii Table of Contents Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………...ii List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………………iv Preface …………………………………………………………………………………….1 I. Religion 1. Archaeological Theory of Religion ...………………………………………………...3 II. Migration 2. Migration Theory and the Anglo-Saxon Migration ...……………………………….42 3. Continental Ritual Practice before the Migration, 100 BC – AD 400 ………………91 III. Southeastern England, before, during and after the Migration 4. Contemporary Accounts of Religion in the Fifth and Sixth Centuries……………..116 5.
    [Show full text]
  • Germania TEG1 8/2/2004 2:52 PM Page 16 TEG1 8/2/2004 2:52 PM Page 17
    TEG1 8/2/2004 2:52 PM Page 15 Part I Germania TEG1 8/2/2004 2:52 PM Page 16 TEG1 8/2/2004 2:52 PM Page 17 1 Land and People The Land The heartland of the immense area of northern Europe occupied by the early Germanic peoples was the great expanse of lowland which extends from the Netherlands to western Russia. There are no heights here over 300 metres and most of the land rises no higher than 100 metres. But there is considerable variety in relief and soil conditions. Several areas, like the Lüneburg Heath and the hills of Schleswig-Holstein, are diverse in both relief and landscape. There was until recent times a good deal of marshy ground in the northern parts of the great plain, and a broad belt of coastal marshland girds it on its northern flank. Several major rivers drain the plain, the Ems, Weser and Elbe flowing into the North Sea, the Oder and the Vistula into the Baltic. Their broad valleys offered attrac- tive areas for early settlement, as well as corridors of communication from south to north. The surface deposits on the lowland largely result from successive periods of glaciation. A major influence on relief are the ground moraines, comprising a stiff boulder clay which produces gently undu- lating plains or a terrain of small, steep-sided hills and hollows, the latter often containing small lakes and marshes, as in the area around Berlin. Other features of the relief are the hills left behind by terminal glacial moraines, the sinuous lakes which are the remains of melt-water, and the embayments created by the sea intruding behind a moraine.
    [Show full text]
  • Cgpt1; MAGNA GERMANIA; CLAUDIUS PTOLEMY BOOK 2, CHAPTER 10; FACT OR FICTION
    cgPt1; MAGNA GERMANIA; CLAUDIUS PTOLEMY BOOK 2, CHAPTER 10; FACT OR FICTION SYNOPSIS The locations of some +8000 settlements and geographical features are included within the text of Claudius Ptolemy‟s „Geographia‟. To control the text and ensure readers understood the methodology there-in utilised it is evident that Claudius Ptolemy determined a strict order and utilisation of the information he wished to disseminate. That strict methodology is maintained through the first 9 chapters of Book 2, but the 10th chapter breaks all of the rules that had been established. Chapters 11 to 15 then return to the established pattern. Magna Germania was basically unknown territory and in such a situation Claudius Ptolemy was able to ignore any necessity to guess thus leaving an empty landscape as is evinced in Book 3, chapter 5, Sarmatian Europe. Why in an unknown land there are 94 settlements indicated in Germania when the 3 provinces of Gallia have only a total of 114 settlements, is a mystery? And, why does Claudius Ptolemy not attribute a single settlement to a tribal group? It appears there are other factors at play, which require to be investigated. BASIC PTOLEMY When analysing a map drawn from the data provided by Claudius Ptolemy it is first necessary to ensure that it is segregated into categories. Those are; 1) reliable information i.e. probably provided via the Roman Army Cosmographers and Geometres; 2) the former information confirmed or augmented by various itineraries or from Bematists; 3) the possibility of latitudinal measurements from various settlements (gnomon ratios); 4) basic travellers tales with confirmed distances „a pied‟; 5) basic sailing distances along coastlines and those which can be matched to land distances; 6) guesses made by travellers who did not actually record the days travelled but only the length of time for the overall journey; 7) obscure references from ancient texts which cannot be corroborated.
    [Show full text]
  • A Companion to Nineteenth- Century Britain
    A COMPANION TO NINETEENTH- CENTURY BRITAIN Edited by Chris Williams A Companion to Nineteenth-Century Britain A COMPANION TO NINETEENTH- CENTURY BRITAIN Edited by Chris Williams © 2004 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 108, Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton South, Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Chris Williams to be identified as the Author of the Editorial Material in this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. First published 2004 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A companion to nineteenth-century Britain / edited by Chris Williams. p. cm. – (Blackwell companions to British history) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-631-22579-X (alk. paper) 1. Great Britain – History – 19th century – Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Great Britain – Civilization – 19th century – Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Williams, Chris, 1963– II. Title. III. Series. DA530.C76 2004 941.081 – dc22 2003021511 A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library. Set in 10 on 12 pt Galliard by SNP Best-set Typesetter Ltd., Hong Kong Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by TJ International For further information on Blackwell Publishing, visit our website: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com BLACKWELL COMPANIONS TO BRITISH HISTORY Published in association with The Historical Association This series provides sophisticated and authoritative overviews of the scholarship that has shaped our current understanding of British history.
    [Show full text]
  • Bullard Eva 2013 MA.Pdf
    Marcomannia in the making. by Eva Bullard BA, University of Victoria, 2008 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Greek and Roman Studies Eva Bullard 2013 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee Marcomannia in the making by Eva Bullard BA, University of Victoria, 2008 Supervisory Committee Dr. John P. Oleson, Department of Greek and Roman Studies Supervisor Dr. Gregory D. Rowe, Department of Greek and Roman Studies Departmental Member iii Abstract Supervisory Committee John P. Oleson, Department of Greek and Roman Studies Supervisor Dr. Gregory D. Rowe, Department of Greek and Roman Studies Departmental Member During the last stages of the Marcommani Wars in the late second century A.D., Roman literary sources recorded that the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was planning to annex the Germanic territory of the Marcomannic and Quadic tribes. This work will propose that Marcus Aurelius was going to create a province called Marcomannia. The thesis will be supported by archaeological data originating from excavations in the Roman installation at Mušov, Moravia, Czech Republic. The investigation will examine the history of the non-Roman region beyond the northern Danubian frontier, the character of Roman occupation and creation of other Roman provinces on the Danube, and consult primary sources and modern research on the topic of Roman expansion and empire building during the principate. iv Table of Contents Supervisory Committee .....................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Rhine: Germany's River, Not Germany's Boundary
    Source: E.M. Arndt, Deutschlands Fluss, aber nicht Deutschlands Gränze, English trl. UvA Talen / SPIN. the French was as bad as it was foolish. One would have The Rhine: Germany’s river, not Germany’s thought that ten years, indeed twenty years, of blindness and misfortune might have sent a little light into their dark minds boundary and brought the errants back into line, especially since the French had long ago overturned their own proof, but far from it. There are still many who behave, indeed who exhaust Ernst Moritz Arndt themselves in deductions and proofs, as if the Rhine as the border between France and Germany is something indispu- table and settled. So effective is constant repetition, and so little are most Germans – who pride themselves on their ‘The Rhine is France’s natural boundary’ is what Sully proved profundity in thought and speech – accustomed to thinking. 1600 and 1610; ‘the Rhine is France’s natural boundary,’ The empty echoing of foreign opinions, especially the proclaimed Richelieu in 1625 and 1635; ‘the Rhine is France’s echoing of French hocus-pocus and sophistries, has sadly natural boundary,’ declared Count d’Avaux in the 1640s at become too much of a fashion on this side of the Rhine, in Münster, in the holy places where Hermann the Cheruscan had the country where thoroughness and depth of thought is once made a dufferent typeof declaration to the Romans; ‘the supposed to reside. Given this state of affairs, especially this Rhine is France’s natural boundary,’ resounded from 1670 to sad state of German minds and hearts, I consider it not super- 1700 in Louvois’ and Colbert’s speeches in Louis XIV’s council fluous to present our ancient, magnificent and holy River of state, and the court poets Boileau and Racine sang it in the Rhine, what it was, is and will be, to the good German antechamber; ‘the Rhine is France’s natural boundary’ cried the people, who are confused by too many political prattlers and monsters on the Seine from 1790 to 1800.
    [Show full text]
  • CHAPTER SEVENTEEN History of the German Language 1 Indo
    CHAPTER SEVENTEEN History of the German Language 1 Indo-European and Germanic Background Indo-European Background It has already been mentioned in this course that German and English are related languages. Two languages can be related to each other in much the same way that two people can be related to each other. If two people share a common ancestor, say their mother or their great-grandfather, then they are genetically related. Similarly, German and English are genetically related because they share a common ancestor, a language which was spoken in what is now northern Germany sometime before the Angles and the Saxons migrated to England. We do not have written records of this language, unfortunately, but we have a good idea of what it must have looked and sounded like. We have arrived at our conclusions as to what it looked and sounded like by comparing the sounds of words and morphemes in earlier written stages of English and German (and Dutch) and in modern-day English and German dialects. As a result of the comparisons we are able to reconstruct what the original language, called a proto-language, must have been like. This particular proto-language is usually referred to as Proto-West Germanic. The method of reconstruction based on comparison is called the comparative method. If faced with two languages the comparative method can tell us one of three things: 1) the two languages are related in that both are descended from a common ancestor, e.g. German and English, 2) the two are related in that one is the ancestor of the other, e.g.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluación Para El Acceso a La Universidad
    Evaluación para el Acceso a la Universidad Convocatoria de 2017 Materia: LATÍN II Instrucciones: El alumno debe elegir una propuesta. En la propuesta seleccionada, el alumno debe traducir el texto latino (hasta 4 puntos) y contestar a las tres cuestiones. Se valorarán la ortografía y la coherencia de las respuestas. Para la traducción puede usarse un diccionario latino-español con el apéndice gramatical. Todas las preguntas se deben responder en el cuadernillo, el alumno se queda con la hoja de examen. PROPUESTA A 1. Traducción del siguiente texto: (4 puntos: 1 hasta “Tencteri”,1’5 hasta “sustinuerunt”,1,5 hasta el final. ) Usipetes y tencteros llegan al río Rin después de errar durante tres años, forzados por los suevos. In eādem causā1 fuerunt Usipetes et Tencteri2, quos supra diximus, qui complures annos3 Sueborum4 vim 5 sustinuerunt, ad extremum6 tamen, agris expulsi et multis locis Germaniae7 triennium8 vagati, ad Rhenum9 pervenerunt. (De Bello Gallico IV, IV) 1-causa : “situación”. 2-Usipetes, -um/ Tencteri, -orum : usipetes y tencteros, pueblos germánicos. 3-complures annos: “durante muchos años”. 4- Suebi,-orum: suevos, pueblo germánico. 5- vis, vis :” violencia” .6- ad extremum: locución adverbial, “al fin”.7- Germania, -ae : Germania. 8-triennium, -i: trienio, tres años. 9- Rhenus, -i : el río Rin. 2. Análisis morfosintáctico del siguiente texto: (2 puntos) a- Analiza sintácticamente el siguiente texto: (1) In eādem causā fuerunt Usipetes et Tencteri, quos supra diximus, qui complures annos Sueborum vim sustinuerunt. b- Enuncia las palabras en negrilla indicando, además del enunciado, género, nº, caso1, si no es verbo; si es verbo, además del enunciado de los tres temas, persona, nº y tiempo.(1) 1-caso en el que la palabra está en este texto.
    [Show full text]