Germans in the Roman army

[Jona Lendering]

Never trust the things you believe you know. For example, that in the third century, the Romans started to accept Germanic recruits into their armies. But why? And what was the real change?

The "why?" may be easy. I can think of two factors: there was manpower shortage (well-attested for Germania Inferior, where large parts of the country were abandoned) and it was better that the same warriors fought for Rome, instead of against it.

What was different? In the second century, we find Frisian soldiers on Hadrian's wall - the Frisians, however, lived outside the Empire. So what changed, really?

[Justin of the New Yorkii]

If I'm not mistaken, Caracalla gave everyone citizenship, which removed one of the biggest incentives for joining the army.

[Sascha]

Never trust the things you believe you know. For example, that in the third century, the Romans started to accept Germanic recruits into their armies. But why? And what was the real change?

Maybe now in the Legions not ony as aux or Bodygards?

[Epictetus]

The Historia Augusta quite clearly claims that Marcus Aurelius turned to the Germans because of a manpower shortage.

And since the pestilence was still raging at this time, he both zealously revived the worship of the gods and trained slaves for military service — just as had been done in the Punic war — whom he called Volunteers, after the example of the Volones. He armed gladiators also, calling them the Compliant, and turned even the bandits of Dalmatia and Dardania into soldiers. He armed the Diogmitae, besides, and even hired auxiliaries from among the Germans for service against Germans. And besides all this, he proceeded with all care to enroll legions for the Marcomannic and German war.

H.A., Marcus Aurelius, 22.6-8

Anthony Birley also cites another source for the shortage of men for this time:

The plague had also created vast gaps in the ranks of existing units. In the case of one legion, VII Claudia, stationed in Upper Moesia at Viminacium on the Danube, a record is preserved. At least twice the normal annual intake of recruits was necessary in 169. Only the number of those from this intake who survived the wars and the succeeding years, to be demobilised in 195, is known: but that is more than 240 men.

Birley, Marcus Aurelius, p. 159

[D B Campbell]

In the second century, we find Frisian soldiers on Hadrian's wall - the Frisians, however, lived outside the Empire. So what changed, really?

Martin Bang, Die Germanen im Römischen Dienst (1906) collated textual and epigraphic evidence for German recruits in the army of the Principate, which showed that German recruits tended to come from the Germanies (i.e. within the empire) or from very close to the Rhine.
[attachment=0:49z7858h]<!-- ia0 German_recruits.gif<!-- ia0 [/attachment:49z7858h]
Perhaps your source for the third century specifies more far-flung origins for Germanic recruits?

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

In the fall of Rome by Adrian Goldsworthy he writes about Germanic tribesmen, also from the non Roman part, so beyond the frontier, joining the Roman army.

He writes about warbands who join for reasons of plunder, or individuals who seek career opportunities outside the realms of their own tribes.
This may explain why we find several references to barbaric "mercenaries" who join as AvXILIA from the second century onwards.

M.VIB.M.

[christopher1]

What particular weapon did the Roman army used during that time? Just curious.

[Virilis]

What particular weapon did the Roman army used during that time? Just curious.

If you mean swords, the spatha started to replace the classical gladius from the late 2th century on...

[Ron Andrea]

Was that shift in weaponry related to the introduction of Germans into the ranks? Did the army adopt the Germanic warrior slashing style of fighting vice the closed-ranks thrusting for which the gladius would be better suited?

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

I think that when warbands were incorporated, especially as auxilia, also Germanic weapons would have been in use.

Uniformity, especially in later eras was highly likely not a standard.

Spatha, spangenhelm, large spears, anything which would have been good use would imho be used.

I do not know if an inventory of auxilia weapon finds exists in Archaeology.

M.VIB.M.