Posts: 419
Threads: 159
Joined: Sep 2006
Reputation:
11
Ave Civitas,
This is related to the question concerning the Taifali.
I am, as I explained, researching a portion of my novel that concerns with the Danubian Goths.
Their neighbors (in what is now western Hungary) were the Sarmatians.
The Sarmatians were a horse people, however, they had a subservient tribe who called themselves the Limigantes who were their infantry.
Does anyone have information concerning the Limigantes or have sources they can point me toward?
In particular, I would like to know their language (was it different from the Germanic Sarmatian language?) -- About their clothing and weapons. -- About their tactics on the field. -- How were they employed when fighting with the Sarmatians?
Thanks again. you guys are, as always a great source of information.
me.
AKA Tom Chelmowski
Historiae Eruditere (if that is proper Latin)
Posts: 15,116
Threads: 415
Joined: Mar 2002
Reputation:
77
I'm not sure if the name was original, since the word 'limes' (border) is part of it. They may have been a confederation of tribes like the Goths and Franks. The Amicenses were a sub-tribe of the Limigantes, anyway.
Their territory was limited by the Danube and Theiss rivers.
Constantius II subdued the Limigantes in 358 (AM XVII.13.5-11)
Posts: 60
Threads: 2
Joined: Feb 2007
Reputation:
0
True; "limigantes" in Ammianus doesn't refer to a single tribe, but generically indicates subject, losing groups among Sarmatians (AM XVII,12.18 , XIX,11.1 , XXIX,6.15), "servae sarmatae" as opposed to "liberi sarmatae" - under this point of view, this has many similitudes with the case of Atacotti we were talking about in another topic.
The successful uprising of Limigantes against leading Sarmatians groups, and their problematic closeness to the limes, brought, as Robert points out, to their forced deportation by Constantius II (in this , Romans were supported by a contingent of mounted Taifali, Ammianus says) farther from the limes (even though Limigantes had offered to pay a tribute and to supply recruits in order to avoid that), and to serious further problems with the same Roman emperor when they came back.
Vale
Posts: 345
Threads: 48
Joined: Sep 2005
Reputation:
0
Harmatta (study in the history and language of Sarmatians) thinks the limigantes (Acimicenses and Pincenses) are the old jazyges became vassals of the Argaragantes (a relationship like that of Scythes royal and the other scythes), the old Roxolani displaced from the Dacia by the Goths. THis is an idea difficult to demonstrate: all the sarmatian old tribal titles to north of Danube disappear in IV century a.d.; the goth pressure on the tribes ( reason of Costantine campaign of 332 ) probably change completely the situation.
Good book: "Les Sarmates", Lebedynsky
"Each historical fact needs to be considered, insofar as possible, no with hindsight and following abstract universal principles, but in the context of own proper age and environment" Aldo A. Settia
a.k.a Davide Dall\'Angelo
SISMA- Società Italiana per gli Studi Militari Antichi
Posts: 345
Threads: 48
Joined: Sep 2005
Reputation:
0
Addendum:
For complete the concept LIMES= Limigantes exposed by C.Nero: the Acimicentes are before Acumincum, the Picentes before Pincus.
"Each historical fact needs to be considered, insofar as possible, no with hindsight and following abstract universal principles, but in the context of own proper age and environment" Aldo A. Settia
a.k.a Davide Dall\'Angelo
SISMA- Società Italiana per gli Studi Militari Antichi
Posts: 419
Threads: 159
Joined: Sep 2006
Reputation:
11
Ave Civitas,
Thank you guys for all your help. You can bet that RAT will show up in the credits when my book gets published.
Youse guys are great.
Me.
AKA Tom Chelmowski
Historiae Eruditere (if that is proper Latin)
