Germanic names

[authun]

Nada. Of the Roman troops and cavalry stationed in Britain for the last two centuries before the withdrawal, I would say that 90 percent were Germans from one tribe or another; and the island certainly had its share of so-called "Sarmatians" as well. I am referring to the Equites Taifali, all East Germans and Alans... and even the original tribe of Taifali (attached to the Tyrfingi Goths for two centuries) were Gothic-speaking Alans.

Your namesake Kenneth Campbell showed the link between Tealby in Lincolnshire and the Taifali but we have no dates and don't know the numbers involved.

It's true that the romans recruited auxilliaries from many germanic tribes but it's hard to see what, if any, cultural influence they had. How many wore germanic equipment and how many were issued with roman equipment?

Myres writes a great deal about Laeti, peoples who were given land in return for service in times of need and they are more likely to have had an influence as they were more likely to have continued their customs and practices, but they have been very hard to pick up in the archaeology. We know about some of these groups from contemporary sources. For example Zosiumus wrote that Probus defeated an alemannic insurection around the Rhine 276 - 279 and that they were sent to Britain along with their leader Igillus "where they settled, and were subsequently very serviceable to the emperor when any insurrection broke out."

Ammianus Marcellinus wrote that Valentinian sent the Alamannic Fraomarius of the Bucinobantes, along with other Alamannic troops commanded by Bitheridius and Hortarius, to Britain in 372 and Chrocus, described as an "Alamannorum rege," by Aurelius Victor, played a key role in the accession of Constantine at York. Doubtless he was supported by many of his own men. But all we find in the archaeology is one alamannic brooch in East Yorkshire. Moreover, given that these movements of Alamannic peoples are recorded, one would imagine that any settlement of Gothic peoples would too be recorded.

best

Harry A