Romans and Vikings?

[Titus Marius Secundus]

Hello, now this might be a completely stupid question, but I am interested in the answer or the correctness! Someone said to me, and went on about how the Vikings kicked the Roman's a$$e$....is this even possibly true? Historically and possibly?!


Sam

[jkaler48]

The Varangian Guards were Viking mercenaries who operated far beyond their native shores as an elite force within the Byzantine Armies so if you allow the Byzantine Army was the Army of the eastern roman empire then yes possible.

[authun]

Unless he has some convoluted definition of viking or roman, the answer is no, they are different periods. Alternatively, he may simply be confusing northern european barbarians with vikings and thinking of the Teutoburgerwald defeat. Again, they are not 'vikings'. You'd have to ask him what his understanding of the terms is as it sounds as if he has something specific in mind but is using the wrong labels.

best
authun

[Titus Marius Secundus]

He was surely talking about Vikings that pillaged and burned and stole etc, and crossed oceans in little boaties :lol: I just couldn't depend Roma's reputation as I don't know for sure if they were around that time. I think he even said they beat the Saxons, which I am sure they were around at the time of the Romans....
Anyway, I'm sure he was just confusing me with his lack of knowledge on when exactly the Vikings were around..I was thinking they were at large around 800 AD. Not sure, that's why I ask.

Sam

[Epictetus]

Yes, it depends upon definitions. If you consider the Rus as Vikings and the Byzantines as Romans, they had a bit of a conflict in the ninth century. The Rus even put Constantinople under seige. They never took the city but caused some other problems. I thínk they sacked some monastaries.

[Decebalus]

There have been connections between Scandinavia and the Roman Empire in the 1st to 5th Centuries at least, mostly via the continental Germanic tribes but also in direct contacts.
For example (Southern)Scandinavian mercenaries are known to have been fighting for and against Rome in the Marcomannic wars.
In the historian's terminology it would be wrong to call them Vikings as they got this name after their raids in the late 8th Century.
In the Roman era they're simply called northern Germanics, but - of course - you can call them the ancestors of the later Vikings.

Greets

[Robert Vermaat]

Someone said to me, and went on about how the Vikings kicked the Roman's a$$e$....is this even possibly true? Historically and possibly?!

Only if you are referring to an incident in which fans from a certain ice-hockey team were involved in an act of cruelty towards some long-eared beasts of burden in the city of Rome. :roll:

If the 9th-c. Viking were meant instead, that would be an anarchronistic name if the Roman empire was meant as well: you could also talk about such a conflict and say the Norwegians defeated the Italians.

Didn't happen.

[Crispianus]

On Balance I'd have to no, but then again you may consider that any sea born raiders intent on plunder, pillage and rapine are in essence "Vikings" as is generally meant today... I strongly suspect that WicingaAS or VikingrON simply meant "Man of the Salt"(or Brine)....
Just my thoughts not written in Stone... :wink:

[diegis]

Vikings wasnt actualy just pirates and adventurers who didnt far well at home, so they try to make a name outside their areas?

More on topic, no, the classic Romans (ancient ones) didnt fight Vikings, as "classic" Vikings didnt exist yet.

But, as some others said, Medieval Romans from Eastern Roman Empire (even if they was more like Greek part of the ancient Roman Empire, and not as powerful) had some meetings with Vikings

[Titus Marius Secundus]

ahh I see, late Romans, Byzantine, cool. Well, hm, Idk..he might have been right to some point, but they certainly didn't kick their asses! He was being overly dramatic in the least, embarrassing infront of my dad! Uggh, making the Romans look bad!
KILL HIM!

Thanks, you may discuss further, I'll be reading up on it.

Sam

[Dan Howard]

Sounds like a job for Deadliest Warrior