FRISII AND FRISIAVONES M.C. GALESTIN University of Groningen, Groningen Institute of Archaeology, Groningen, the Netherlands ABSTRACT: A study was made of the literary and epigraphical evidence referring to Frisii or Frisiavones, with the aim of assessing their relations with the Romans. The similarity of their names makes it difficult to distinguish between the two tribes. It emerges that the Frisii and Frisiavones probably were not related and lived in different territories. Both groups had contacts with the Romans, who made their names part of recorded history. Both Frisii and Frisiavones served in the Roman army and received Roman citizenship afterwards. The Frisiavones made their appearance around the middle of the first century and towards the end of the first century they formed an ethnic unit which served in Britain during the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Frisii were active in the Roman army from their first encounter in 12 BC, but their name did not become linked to an ethnic unit until the 3rd century, when several Frisian units were deployed in forts along Hadrian’s Wall. The Frisiavones had become incorporated into the Roman Empire, while the Frisii remained outside. The Frisii adopted some Roman habits but largely retained their own cultural identity. Members of both groups were present in Rome, as equites singulares, where their ethnic names are found combined with Roman names in their epitaphs. Their relations with the Roman Empire also provided new identities for Frisii and Frisiavones. KEYWORDS: Frisii, Frisiavones, Roman army, Roman Empire, ethnic identity. 1. InTRODUCTION were used by the Romans and in what contexts Frisii and Frisiavones used their own ethnic names. The arrival of the Roman army in Northwestern Europe put many peoples who lived in areas border- ing the North Sea and who had not been known from 2. FRISII AND FRISIAVONES: written sources, on the stage of history. Various tribes THE LITERARY EVIDENCE living in what is now the Netherlands, received a Roman name. These names were mentioned by classi- The most important source of our knowledge about cal authors and have been handed down to us. Among Frisii and Frisiavones is offered by classical authors. these tribes are the Frisii, the Frisiavones, and also Pliny the Elder, Tacitus, Cassius Dio, Ptolemy and the Batavi and the Cananefates. Pomponius Mela provide limited but important evi- The better-known tribes, such as the Frisians and dence. Some of them refer only briefly to the Frisians Batavians, have received ample attention from clas- while others provide more detailed information. This sicists, historians and archaeologists. Other groups, information, however, is often difficult to interpret and about whom the evidence is scarce, did not get this sometimes even contradictory. Tacitus distinguishes amount of attention, and the Frisiavones are one of between Greater and Lesser Frisians, while Pliny is them. The resemblance between the names of the the only author to mention the Frisiavones. The de- Frisii and the Frisiavones has often led to confu- scriptions of the territories inhabited by the Frisii and sion. On some occasions no distinction was made and Frisiavones vary among the authors and this has led Frisiavones were simply called Frisians. This confu- to different interpretations. The following quotes from sion may lead to wrong conclusions in studies of the the descriptions by classical authors may illustrate relations between Frisii or Frisiavones and Romans. these differences. The present article strives to end this confusion and to limit the problems with which we are confronted in PLINY (NH 4, 101) who visited the area in AD 47, is dealing with Frisii and Frisiavones. The aim is to find very precise in his description: out whether it is possible to identify the two groups, In Rheno autem ipso, prope C in longitudinem, nobi- to establish their territories and to enquire whether the lissima Batavorum insula et Cannenefatium et aliae two tribes may have been in some way related. A fur- Fri siorum, Chaucorum, Frisiavonum, Sturiorum, ther aim is to find out when and where their names Mar­­sa­­ciorum, quae sternuntur inter Helinium ac Palaeohistoria 49/50 (2007/2008), pp. 687–708 688 M.C. GALESTIN Flevum. Ita appellantur ostia in quae effusus Rhenus a vocabulum est ex modo virium. Utraeque nationes septentrione in lacus, ab occidente in amnem Mosam usque ad Oceanum Rheno praetexuntur ambiuntque se spargit, medio inter haec ore modicum nomini suo immensos insuper lacus et Romanis classibus navi- custodiens alveum. gatos. Ipsum quin etiam Oceanum illa temptavimus; “In the Rhine itself, the most notable island is that of et superesse adhuc Herculis columnas fama vulgavit, the Batavi and Cananefates, which is almost a hun- sive adiit Hercules, seu quidquid ubique magnificum dred miles in length, and others are those of the Frisii, est, in claritatem eius referre consensimus. Nec defuit Chauci, Frisiavones, Sturii and Marsacii, which lie audentia Druso Germanico, sed obstitit Oceanus in se between Helinium and Flevum. The latter give their simul atque in Herculem inquiri. Mox nemo temptavit, names to the mouths into which the Rhine divides, sanctiusque ac reverentius visum de actis deorum cre- discharging itself on the north into the lakes there and dere quam scire. on the west into the river Meuse, while at the middle “The Angrivarii and Chamavi are shut in from behind mouth between these two it keeps a small channel for by the Dulgubnii, Chasuarii and other peoples of no its own name” (text and translation: Rackham, 1942). special note, whilst in the West they are succeeded by the Frisii. The Frisii are called the ‘greater’ and the PLINY (NH 4, 106) ‘lesser’, in accordance with the actual strength of the A Scaldi incolunt extera Texuandri pluribus nomini- two peoples. Both tribes have the Rhine as their bor- bus, dein Menapi, Morini, Oromarsaci iuncti pago der right down to Ocean, and their settlements also qui Chersiacus vocatur, Britanni, Ambiani, Bellovaci, extend round vast lakes, which have been sailed by Bassi; introrsus Catoslugi, Atrebates, Nervi liberi, Roman fleets. We have even felt our way into Ocean Veromandui, Suaeuconi, Suessiones liberi, Ulmanectes by this route, and rumour has it that there are pillars liberi, Tungri, Sunuci, Frisiavones, Baetasi, Leuci of Hercules beyond. Did Hercules really go there, liberi, Treveri liberi antea, et Lingones foederati, or is it only our habit of assigning any conspicuous Remi foederati, Mediomatrici, Sequani, Raurici, Hel- achievement anywhere to that famous name? Drusus ve ti; coloniae Equestris et Raurica. Rhenum autem Germanicus was not deficient in the courage of the accolentes Germaniae gentium in eadem provin- explorer, but Ocean forbade further research into its cia Nemetes, Triboci, Vangiones, in Ubiis colonia own secrets or those of Hercules. Since then no one Agrippinensis, Guberni, Batavi et quos in insulis dix- has tried to explore. It has been judged more pious and imus Rheni. reverent to believe in what the gods have done than to “The part beginning at the Scheldt is inhabited by investigate it” (translation Mattingly, 1948). the Texuandri, who have several names, and then the Menapi, the Morini, the Oromarsaci adjacent to the CASSIUS DIO (Roman History LIV 32) lived in the canton called Chersiacus, the Bretons, the Ambia ni, 3rd century AD and wrote in Greek. He refers to the the Bellovaci and the Bassi; and more in the inte- Frisians while describing the first campaign of Drusus, rior the Catoslugi, Artrebates, Nervi (a free people), in 12 BC: Veromandui, Suaeuconi, Suessiones (free), Ulmanec- ἔς τε τὸν ὠκεανὸν διὰ τοῦ Ῥήνου καταπλεύσας τούς tes (free), Tungri, Sunici, Frisiavones, Baetasi, Leuci τε Φρισίους ᾠκειώσατο, καὶ ἐς τὴν Χαυκίδα διὰ τῆς (free), Treveri (formerly free), Lingones (federated), λίμνης ἐμβαλὼν ἐκινδύνευσε, τῶν πλοίων ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ Remi (federated), Mediomatrici, Sequani, Raurici, ὠκεανοῦ παλιρροίας ἐπὶ τοῦ ξηροῦ γενομένων. καὶ Hel veti; and the Equestrian and Rauric colonies. The τότε μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν Φρισίων πεζῇ συνεστρατευκότων races of Germany living on the banks of the Rhine αὐτῷ σωθεὶς ἀνεχώρησε (χειμὼν γὰρ ἦν). in the same province are the Nemetes, Triboci and “He sailed down the Rhine to the ocean, won over the Vangio nes, and among the Ubii the Colony of Agrippa, Frisians, and crossing the lake, invaded the country the Guberni, the Batavi and the people on the islands of the Chauci, where he ran into danger, as his ships of the Rhine” (text and translation: Rackham, 1942). were left high and dry by the ebb of the ocean. He was saved on this occasion by the Frisians, who had joined TACI T US (Germania 34) writing in the second half of his expedition with their infantry and withdrew, since the 1st century AD, refers to two groups of Frisians, it was now winter” (translation: Cary, 1917). Greater and Lesser, and explains that the difference is based on their number: PT OLEMY (Geographia 2,11,7) wrote in Greek and Angrivarios et Chamavos a tergo Dulgubnii et Chasua- lived in Alexandria at the time of the emperor Marcus rii cludunt aliaeque gentes haud perinde memoratae, a Aurelius (AD 139–180): fronte Frisii excipiunt. maioribus minoribusque Frisiis Τὴν δὲ παρωκεανῖτιν κατέχουσιν ὑπὲρ μὲν τοὺς Frisii and Frisiavones 689 Βρουκ τέρους οἱ Φρίσιοι μέχρι τοῦ Ἀμισίου ποταμοῦ, These differences and inconsistencies may be μετὰ δὲ τούτους Καῦχοι οἱ μικροὶ μέχρι τοῦ Οὐι- caused by the fact that in their description of faraway σούρ γιος ποταμοῦ· εἶτα Καῦχοι οἱ μείζους μέχρι τοῦ lands and peoples the ancient writers often used a Ἄλβιος ποταμοῦ· fixed set oftopoi . We cannot therefore take geographi- “Beyond the Bructeri, the land near the ocean was in- cal and ethnographic descriptions at their face value. habited by the Frisians up to the river Ems, beyond Nor can we interpret their descriptions as truthful re- them lived the Lesser Chaukans up to the river Weser, ports of what the authors saw at first hand or were then the Greater Chaukans up to the river Elbe” (trans- able to find out about these subjects.