Ampsivariens

The Ampsivariens , Ansivariens or Ansibariens are German people , attached to the Francs as from the 3rd century.

They are established, in the North-West of the Germanie, in the west of the Ems, river which is thrown in the the North Sea. Their Latin name means the men of Ems . According to what we know of the site of the other Germanic tribes, they were rather placed on the lower course of the river. Two cities currently bear their name: Emden (in Germany) and Emmen (in the Netherlands).

They appear at the time of César.

In Tacit

They are still mentioned by Tacite. At this time, they refuse to support Arminius in its attack surprised against the three Roman legions (see Bataille of Teutobourg), in 9 a. J. - C. when they try to settle in the Roman Empire in the middle of 1st century a. J. - C. the alliance of the people led by Arminius thereafter formed the powerful confederation of the Francs.

Thereafter, the Chauques attack them (towards 58) and their grounds of the bas-Ems drive out them. Obliged to flee, they are accommodated by various tribes of the west of the Germanic one. At that time, the Roman army made the vacuum on the low-Rhine, which became a No man' S Land between the Germanic one and the Roman province of Belgium. The emperors had decided to stop the imperial expansion, and to protect the asset.

The Frisons believe that the Roman inaction hiding place a future campaign, they occupy part of the grounds along the Rhine. Rome their request to evacuate them: in front of their refusal, Roman cavalry in hunting.

Ampsivariens propose then for these grounds. Their chief Boiocalus served already Rome while refusing to help Arminius, and was considered in a friendly way by Rome. Their request is rejected, without Tacite giving explicit reason of it.

However, Rome semi-officially indicated to Boiocalus that these grounds would be finally conceded to them. The counterpart is not clear: a separated peace, or a tender in Rome. Into both cases, Boiocalus rejects the offer, Rome then regards it as a traitor. Ampsivariens then conclude a defensive alliance with the Tenctères and the Bructères, two other tribes which became franques thereafter, but this alliance is too weak and arrives too late. The Romans penetrate on the grounds of Tenctères and try to exterminate them. Ampsivariens do not support any of their allies at the critical time, and while the Romans withdraw themselves, they remain alone, not having on taking party at the decisive time.

They go up then the Rhine, accommodated sometimes well, sometimes pushed back, until all the warriors are killed. The survivors are distributed like spoils (i.e. reduced in Esclavage. They disappear about, Ptolémée does not quote them among the German people.

At the Lower Empire

Their name appears however in a work of a historian of the German people, Sulpice Alexandre, of which nothing reached us besides some quotations in Gregoire de Tours. In those, Ampsivariens appear a few centuries after their last evocation in Tacite, unless the quotations are incorrect, or that Sulpice was mistaken. In the quotations, a Roman general of franque family, Arbogast (death in 394), crosses the Rhine to tackle the Francs and devastates the possessions of Bructères and the Chamaves. An army of Chattes and Ampsivariens ordered by Marcomer appears suddenly on a hill, which frightens the Romans. These particular circumstances evoke a group accommodated by the She-cats which would have preserved its identity during several centuries.

Little time after the death of Arbogast, the emperor Honorius devotes little time to the Francs, the Italy being invaded by the Goths. It is the emperor who answers the Bretons which require of him of the assistance against the invasions of the Angles and the Saxons to defend themselves, of their better. In the Notitia dignitatum , which lists the Roman units and their symbols, a whole list of Francs people are indicated like auxiliary Troupes. Of Ampsivariens appear there.

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