Representations of barbarians form 5th century

[Atawulf]

Hi, I'm looking for artistic representations (mosaic, sculpture, painting) or literary descrptions of germanic barbarians from 5th century. If someone can help me
Thanks.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Sidonius Apollinaris on the Franks:

5.240: Their eyes are faint and
pale, with a glimmer of greyish blue. Their faces
are shaven all round, and instead of beards they
have thin moustaches which they run through with
a comb. Close-fitting garments confine the tall
limbs of the men; they are drawn up high so as
to expose the knees, and a broad belt supports their
narrow middle. It is their sport to send axes hurtling
through the vast void and know beforehand
where the blow will fall, to whirl their shields, to
outstrip with leaps and bounds the spears they
have hurled and reach the enemy first. Even
in boyhood's years the love of fighting is fullgrown.
Should they chance to be sore pressed by
numbers or by the luck of the ground, death may
overwhelm them, but not fear ; unconquerable they
stand their ground, and their courage well-nigh outlives
their lives.

I have more, give me a bit. I also think I have images.

[AlexV]

<< Kleindung und Grabausstattung barbarischer Eliten im 5. Jahrhundert>>,
Christoph Eger, Germania-89, 2011

P217: there is a mosaic from Carthage about a barbarian cavalryman.




"Dress and grave inventories of the barbarian elite in the Vth century AD."
The "traditional" ethnic interpretztion of Vth century burials with grave goods was recently rejected and a new interpretation of barbarian attire was developped.
Thiw, however, creates serious difficulties for the evaluation of virtually all object-types as well as ways of dress leaves much to be desired.
The final explanation of the investigated graves as high status burials of a new Roman military elite proves to be espacially problematic. First, the historical back-ground with regard to the varying barbarian and Roman elites is unsatisfactory, second, the archeological evidence is not perfectly congruent with the phenomenon of the elite burial.
Translated by "C.M-S".



See also the desciption of a Franksih prince and elite in 489, at Chalons: Siismer's mariage with a Burgundian princess, by S.Apollinaris.

[Atawulf]

Sidonius Apollinaris on the Franks:

5.240: Their eyes are faint and
pale, with a glimmer of greyish blue. Their faces
are shaven all round, and instead of beards they
have thin moustaches which they run through with
a comb. Close-fitting garments confine the tall
limbs of the men; they are drawn up high so as
to expose the knees, and a broad belt supports their
narrow middle. It is their sport to send axes hurtling
through the vast void and know beforehand
where the blow will fall, to whirl their shields, to
outstrip with leaps and bounds the spears they
have hurled and reach the enemy first. Even
in boyhood's years the love of fighting is fullgrown.
Should they chance to be sore pressed by
numbers or by the luck of the ground, death may
overwhelm them, but not fear ; unconquerable they
stand their ground, and their courage well-nigh outlives
their lives.

I have more, give me a bit. I also think I have images.

Thanks a lot! I would like to see all your information. I have the two pictures from de vandals in the mosaic from north África, but I want to find more, especialy about clothing.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Well generally clothing was the same as Roman clothing (Tunica Manicata with a rectangular cloak or Paenula), and low-sided slipper-boots called Campagi were very popular.

Mosaic from Carthage of Horse and Hunter:



Mosaic from Tunisia of Vandal or Roman hunting a bird:



Some images of the 5th/6th century Kemathan Warrior:

[attachment=9951]KemathanWarrior.JPG[/attachment]

[attachment=9952]KemathenWarrior2.jpg[/attachment]

[Atawulf]

Yes, and this:


Someone knows where I can find information about the use of diferent colour stripes (embroided) in the edges of germanic tunics?
I've read about it but I want to read the original source.

[AlexV]

I frequently aksed about this to the reenactoes i've seen with. never any anwer.. (not even quoted Apollinaris descibding the franks..) i think it's more an comon usage...
One of my friend have taken an Evebo ressource to argue this. Another is saying that if it's found in queen's tombs of the VI/VIIth, must have been in men's of the V/VIth..

[AMELIANVS]

This guy is from the grave from what is now Czech republic.His tribal identity is unsure although major opinion view him as possible Herulian maybe even a king living between ca.450 -500 AD.

[Atawulf]

Untill I know the merovingians worn tunics with embroided edges, and saxons too, but I don't lnow about the rest of germanic people. About merovingians I found this some time ago:

http://housebarra.com/EP/ep07/12merdress.html

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Were the bow lathes broken or intact? The bow is Sarmatian, I can tell you that right now, because it's missing the lathes found in the handle which are characteristic of Hunnic bows.

The Sword is an Early 5th Century Gold Hilt: I've seen it and similar ones in Mik's. The Fibula is also of the typology seen in the late 4th to early-middle 5th century.

What's interesting is that although the bow isn't, the langseax is of a Hunnic style. The boots are also characteristic of horsemen's riding boots of later dates (6th century).

There's no explanation offered in the images for what item number 20 is.

The Belt bears a heavy resemblance to the 5th century Horde in Algeirs where I got my belt.

In the Early 5th Century the Heruli were only just moving into that area, and I'd be willing to be that this man is early 5th century Suebic-Culture (Vandals, Suebes, Marcomanni, Quaddi, or Alemanni) Gasinde or Gardinge or something like that (Chieftan, in other words)

[AMELIANVS]

Yes Hunnic influence is often proposed in the case of this man.I saw the original remains of his sword in the museum and here's an excellent reconstruction from smith from were I live:

[M. Val. Naso]

The Belt bears a heavy resemblance to the 5th century Horde in Algeirs where I got my belt.

Could you point me to a paper or something? Would be interested.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Yeah Patrick Barta of Templ Armory.

@Mark George Little

Tenes Horde, Mauretania Caesariensis.

Rekonstruktion d. Gurtels v. Tenes (Heurgon)

Images of the same belt parts I have here (the reproduction is bronze while the original belt was gold):
https://www.quietpress.com/Roman_Brooche...lt_Fi.html

Cambridge Article
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/dis...id=8410180

[Thomas V.]

The Belt bears a heavy resemblance to the 5th century Horde in Algeirs where I got my belt.

Could you point me to a paper or something? Would be interested.

[hide]http://orleansville.free.fr/03%20nos%20villes%20et%20villages/tenes/photos/0412tenestresor2.jpg[/hide].

According to Joaquin Aurrecoechea Fernandez, the belt from Tènès belongs to the pseudo-Hispanic type ([hide]http://www.academia.edu/1125615/1999_Late_Roman_belts_in_Hispania_._Journal_of_Roman_Military_Equipment_Studies_vol._10_1999[/hide], p. 55).

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Yep, that's my belt. The piece on the bottom right appears to be a matching baldric buckle or sword-belt buckle.