We can learn the ancient Germans from the writings of Roman authors, primarily from the work of Gaius Julius Caesar "Notes on the Gallic War" and the work of the historian of the 1st century. n. e. Gaius Cornelius Tacitus "On the origin, settlement and customs of the peoples of Germany", as well as from folklore and archaeological data.
Based on these, by the way, very contradictory data, scientists have established that at the beginning of our era, the Germans lived in a territory bounded from the north by the Scandinavian Peninsula, from the south by the Alps, from the west by the Rhine, from the east by the Elbe. However, the Germans gradually began to settle in different directions: the German tribe is ready from the shores of the Baltic even reached the Northern Black Sea region. Using the "treaties of federation", some Germanic tribes settled in the territory of the Roman Empire.
Despite the significant role of hunting and cattle breeding, agriculture was still the main occupation of most Germanic tribes. In the 1st century n. e. they already actively used iron, including using it for the manufacture of agricultural implements.
The religious beliefs of the Germans were pagan. They worshiped various forces of nature and made sacrifices to them.
In the II century. n. e. among the Germans, as before, the people's assembly was considered the supreme authority, but the council of elders, who prepared decisions for the people's assembly, as well as the rexes or dukes (leaders) who led the tribe during hostilities, played an increasingly important role. The power of the dukes gradually begins to be inherited, the squad becomes the backbone of this power - a professional army that ceases to engage in agriculture and lives only on war and offerings (at first voluntary, and then obligatory) of their fellow tribesmen.
Thus, the Germans begin to form a property stratification, to know, as well as a special personal relationship between the duke and the squad: the warriors served the successful leader, and he encouraged their valor with generous distributions of material values and plentiful feasts. Therefore, we can say that the Germans by the III-IV centuries. not only did the prerequisites for the formation of states arise, but the foundations were laid for those specific relations between power and subjects that would be characteristic of the era of Western European feudalism.
At this very time, the Germanic tribes were involved in a process called the Great Migration of Nations. material from the site
community relations
For a long time in historical science, the opinion prevailed that the community as a form of association of people, characterized by joint ownership of land and self-government, was characteristic of all primitive societies, including the Germanic tribes of the era of the Great Migration. However, archaeological excavations carried out in the second half of the 20th century led historians to the conclusion that the Germans had no communal relations, since they did not have any redistribution of land, no striping (alternating plots of different owners), nor any - some other features characteristic of the community. Thus, the myth about the universality of the community was dispelled, that is, about its prevalence in all pre-state
Questions and tasks.
1. What occupations were common among the Germans? how natural conditions influenced the occupation of the Germans?
The main occupations of the Germans in the Middle Ages were agriculture and cattle breeding. They were also engaged in hunting, fishing and trade (amber). They mined gold, copper, silver. Also, their occupations include raids on other territories (capture of booty and slaves).
Natural conditions that influenced the occupation of the Germans: cattle grazed in the meadows, forests interfered with the development of agriculture, frost-resistant oats and fast-ripening barley were grown in the north, and wheat was grown in the south.
2. What rights did free community members have?
The community members were personally free, had the right to bear arms and participate in the management of the tribe.
3. What role did the king and squad play in the life of the barbarian tribe?
The king is the head (leader) of the tribe. In wartime, he led the tribe and was a military leader. The true support of the leader was his squad. Their main task was to protect their tribe from enemies. The combatants also considered the war the best occupation and always strived for new campaigns and battles. In the event of victory, the leader and squad acquired both fame and rich booty.
4*. Using the text of the paragraph, illustrations and the source, compose the story "One day in the life of an ancient German."
Waking up in the morning, the German scratched his long tresses, because they never cut them, and, taking a spear, went hunting with his fellow tribesmen. The hunt was successful - they managed to drive the deer.Returning to the settlement, the German began to put his weapons in order, because. in the evening a meeting of the tribe was to take place, and according to tradition, all adult men had to appear in full combat attire.After dinner, the German devoted training with weapons with his comrades.In the evening, at the meeting, the issue of a raid on neighboring lands was decided, in which the tribe intended to capture rich booty and captives, whom the Germans profitably sold as slaves.The German, along with dozens of other tribesmen, supported the elder's proposal to raid with a loud cry and rattling of his weapons, because if successful, each warrior received his share of the booty.After the meeting, the whole tribe gathered for a meal. Having eaten plenty of meat and drunk beer, the German went to bed with thoughts about tomorrow's campaign.
We study the source.
From the work of the ancient Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus “On the Origin and Residence of the Germans” (or “Germany” for short): “All Germans have the same body structure, fierce blue eyes ...”.
What new did you learn about the Germans?
From the writings of the ancient Roman historian, we learned a lot about the ancient Germans: they were tall, strong build, they had blue eyes and red hair. They feasted often and plentifully. Their main source of income was war. They loved to fight and believed that there was no need to earn what could be obtained in battle. The Germans often hunted and devoted much of their free time to sleep and rest. The bravest warriors in Peaceful time rested, and the care of the house was entrusted to women and the elderly. Their children ran naked and dirty. The Germans often organized drinking parties, and their drunken quarrels often ended in wounds and murders.
ANCIENT GERMANS AND THEIR LANGUAGES
Chapter I. History of the ancient Germans
The first information about the Germans. The settlement of the north of Europe by Indo-European tribes took place approximately 3000-2500 BC, as evidenced by archeological data. Prior to this, the coasts of the North and Baltic Seas were inhabited by tribes, apparently of a different ethnic group. From the mixing of Indo-European aliens with them, the tribes that gave rise to the Germans originated. Their language, isolated from others Indo-European languages, was the German language-base, from which, in the process of subsequent fragmentation, new tribal languages of the Germans arose.
The prehistoric period of the existence of the Germanic tribes can only be judged from the data of archeology and ethnography, as well as from some borrowings in the languages of those tribes that in ancient times roamed in their neighborhood - the Finns, the Laplanders.
The Germans lived in the north of central Europe between the Elbe and the Oder and in the south of Scandinavia, including the Jutland peninsula. Archaeological data suggest that these territories were inhabited by Germanic tribes from the beginning of the Neolithic, that is, from the third millennium BC.
The first information about the ancient Germans is found in the writings of Greek and Roman authors. The earliest mention of them was made by the merchant Pytheas from Massilia (Marseilles), who lived in the second half of the 4th century. BC. Pytheas traveled by sea along the western coast of Europe, then along south coast North Sea. He mentions the tribes of the Guttons and Teutons, with whom he had to meet during his voyage. Description of the journey of Pytheas did not reach us, but later historians and geographers, Greek authors Polybius, Posidonius (2nd century BC), Roman historian Titus Livius (1st century BC - early 1st century) used it. century AD). They cite extracts from the writings of Pytheas, and also mention the raids of the Germanic tribes on the Hellenistic states of southeastern Europe and on southern Gaul and northern Italy at the end of the 2nd century. BC.
From the first centuries of the new era, information about the Germans becomes somewhat more detailed. The Greek historian Strabo (died in 20 BC) writes that the Germans (Suebi) roam in the forests, build huts and are engaged in cattle breeding. The Greek writer Plutarch (46 - 127 AD) describes the Germans as wild nomads who are alien to all peaceful pursuits, such as agriculture and cattle breeding; their only occupation is war. According to Plutarch, the Germanic tribes served as mercenaries in the troops of the Macedonian king Perseus at the beginning of the 2nd century. BC.
By the end of the 2nd c. BC. Germanic tribes of Cimbri appear near the northeastern outskirts of the Apennine Peninsula. According to the descriptions of ancient authors, they were tall, fair-haired, strong people, often dressed in skins or skins of animals, with wooden shields, armed with burnt stakes and stone-tipped arrows. They defeated the Roman troops and then moved west, linking up with the Teutons. For several years they won victories over the Roman armies until they were defeated by the Roman general Marius (102 - 101 BC).
In the future, the Germans do not stop raids on Rome and more and more threaten the Roman Empire.
The Germans of the era of Caesar and Tacitus. When in the middle of the 1st c. BC. Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BC) encountered Germanic tribes in Gaul, they lived in a large area of central Europe; in the west, the territory occupied by the Germanic tribes reached the Rhine, in the south - to the Danube, in the east - to the Vistula, and in the north - to the North and Baltic Seas, capturing the southern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. In his Notes on the Gallic War, Caesar describes the Germans in more detail than his predecessors. He writes about the social system, economic structure and life of the ancient Germans, and also outlines the course of military events and clashes with individual Germanic tribes. As governor of Gaul in 58 - 51, Caesar made two expeditions from there against the Germans, who tried to capture the area on the left bank of the Rhine. One expedition was organized by him against the Suebi, who had crossed to the left bank of the Rhine. In the battle with the Suebi, the Romans were victorious; Ariovistus, the leader of the Suebi, fled, crossing to the right bank of the Rhine. As a result of another expedition, Caesar expelled the Germanic tribes of the Usipetes and Tencters from the north of Gaul. Talking about clashes with German troops during these expeditions, Caesar describes in detail their military tactics, methods of attack and defense. The Germans were built for the offensive in phalanxes, by tribes. They used the cover of the forest to surprise the attack. The main way to protect against enemies was to fence off forests. This natural way was known not only by the Germans, but also by other tribes who lived in wooded areas (cf. the name Brandenburg from the Slavic Branibor; Czech. Braniti - "to protect").
A reliable source of information about the ancient Germans are the writings of Pliny the Elder (23-79). Pliny spent many years in the Roman provinces of Germania Inferior and Upper Germany, being on military service. In his "Natural History" and in other works that have come down to us far from completely, Pliny described not only military operations, but also the physical and geographical features of a large territory occupied by Germanic tribes, listed and was the first to give a classification of Germanic tribes, based mainly on , from my own experience.
The most complete information about the ancient Germans is given by Cornelius Tacitus (c. 55 - c. 120). In his work "Germany" he tells about the way of life, way of life, customs and beliefs of the Germans; in the "Histories" and "Annals" he sets out the details of the Roman-German military clashes. Tacitus was one of the greatest Roman historians. He himself had never been to Germany and used the information that he could receive as a Roman senator from generals, from secret and official reports, from travelers and participants in military campaigns; he also widely used information about the Germans in the writings of his predecessors and, first of all, in the writings of Pliny the Elder.
The era of Tacitus, as well as subsequent centuries, is filled with military clashes between the Romans and the Germans. Numerous attempts by the Roman generals to subdue the Germans failed. To prevent their advance into the territories conquered by the Romans from the Celts, Emperor Hadrian (who ruled in 117-138) erects powerful defensive structures along the Rhine and the upper reaches of the Danube, on the border between Roman and German possessions. Numerous military camps-settlements become strongholds of the Romans in this territory; subsequently, cities arose in their place, in modern titles which are preserved echoes of their former history.
In the second half of the 2nd century, after a short lull, the Germans again intensified offensive operations. In 167, the Marcomanni, in alliance with other Germanic tribes, break through the fortifications on the Danube and occupy Roman territory in northern Italy. Only in 180 did the Romans manage to push them back to the northern bank of the Danube. Until the beginning of the 3rd c. relatively peaceful relations are established between the Germans and the Romans, which contributed to significant changes in the economic and public life Germans.
The social system and life of the ancient Germans. Before the era of the Great Migration of Nations, the Germans had a tribal system. Caesar writes that the Germans settled in clans and kindred groups, i.e. tribal communities. Some modern geographical names preserved evidence of such settlement. The name of the head of the clan, formalized with the so-called patronymic suffix (patronymic suffix) -ing / -ung, as a rule, was assigned to the name of the entire clan or tribe, for example: Valisungs - the people of King Valis. The names of the places of settlement of the tribes were formed from these generic names in the form of the dative plural. So, in the FRG there is the city of Eppingen (the original meaning is “among the people of Eppo”), the city of Sigmarinen (“among the people of Sigmar”), in the GDR - Meiningen, etc. building and continued to serve as a means of forming city names in later historical eras; this is how Göttingen, Solingen, Strahlungen arose in Germany. In England, the stem ham was added to the -ing suffix (yes, ham "dwelling, estate", cf. home "house, dwelling"); from their merger, a toponymic suffix -ingham was formed: Birmingham, Nottingham, etc. On the territory of France, where there were settlements of the Franks, similar geographical names have been preserved: Carling, Epping. Later, the suffix undergoes romanization and appears in the French form -ange: Broulange, Valmerange, etc. (Toponyms with patronymic suffixes are also found in Slavic languages, for example, Borovichi, Duminichi in the RSFSR, Klimovichi, Manevichi in Belarus, etc.).
At the head of the Germanic tribes were elders - Kunings (Dvn. kunung lit. "ancestor", cf. Gothic kuni, yes. cynn, Dvn. kunni, Dsk. kyn, lat. genus, gr. genos "genus"). The supreme power belonged to the people's assembly, which was attended by all the men of the tribe in military weapons. Everyday affairs were decided by the council of the elders. In wartime, a military commander was elected (Dvn. herizogo, yes. heretoga, disl. hertogi; cf. German Herzog "duke"). He gathered around him a squad. F. Engels wrote that "it was the most developed organization of management that could have developed at all with a generic device."
In this era, patriarchal-tribal relations dominate among the Germans. At the same time, in Tacitus and in some other sources cited by F. Engels, there is information about the presence of remnants of matriarchy among the Germans. Thus, for example, among some Germans closer ties of kinship are recognized between uncle and nephew by sister than between father and son, although the son is the heir. As a hostage, a sister's nephew is more desirable to the enemy. The most reliable guarantee in hostage was represented by girls - daughters or nieces from the family of the leader of the tribe. A relic of matriarchy is the fact that the ancient Germans saw a special prophetic power in a woman, consulted with her in important matters. Women not only inspired the soldiers before the battles, but also during the battles they could influence their outcome, going towards the men who had taken flight and thus stopping them and encouraging them to fight for victory, since the German soldiers were afraid of the thought that their women tribes can be captured. Some vestiges of matriarchy can be traced in later sources, for example in Scandinavian poetry.
Before considering the very essence of the history of the ancient Germans, it is necessary to define this section of historical science.
The history of the ancient Germans is a branch of historical science that studies and tells the history of the Germanic tribes. This section covers the period from the creation of the first German states to the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
History of the ancient Germans
Origin of the ancient Germans
The ancient Germanic peoples as an ethnic group formed on the territory of Northern Europe. Their ancestors are considered to be Indo-European tribes who settled in Jutland, southern Scandinavia and in the Elbe River basin. As an independent ethnic group, Roman historians began to distinguish them, the first mention of the Germans as an independent ethnic group belong to the monuments of the first century BC. From the second century BC, the tribes of the ancient Germans begin to move south. Already in the third century AD, the Germans began to actively attack the borders of the Western Roman Empire.
When they first met the Germans, the Romans wrote about them as northern tribes distinguished by a warlike disposition. Much information about the Germanic tribes can be found in the writings of Julius Caesar. The great Roman commander, having captured Gaul, moved west, where he had to engage in battle with the Germanic tribes. Already in the first century AD, the Romans collected information about the settlement of the ancient Germans, about their structure and customs.
During the first centuries of our era, the Romans waged constant wars with the Germans, but it was not possible to completely subdue them. After failed attempts to completely capture their lands, the Romans went on the defensive and made only punitive raids.
In the third century, the ancient Germans were already threatening the existence of the empire itself. Rome gave some of its territories to the Germans, and went on the defensive in more successful territories. But a new, even greater threat from the Germans arose during the great migration of peoples, as a result of which the hordes of the Germans settled on the territory of the empire. The Germans never stopped raiding Roman villages, despite all the measures taken.
At the beginning of the fifth century, the Germans, under the command of King Alaric, captured and plundered Rome. Following this, other Germanic tribes began to move, they fiercely attacked the provinces, and Rome could not defend them, all forces were thrown to the defense of Italy. Taking advantage of this, the Germans capture Gaul, and then Spain, where they establish their first kingdom.
The ancient Germans showed themselves excellently in alliance with the Romans, defeating Attila's army on the Catalaunian fields. After this victory, the Roman emperors begin to appoint German leaders as their commanders.
It was the Germanic tribes, led by King Odoacer, who destroyed the Roman Empire, overthrowing last emperor- Romulus Augustus. On the territory of the captured empire, the Germans began to create their kingdoms - the first early feudal monarchies of Europe.
Religion of the ancient Germans
All the Germans were pagans, and their paganism was different, in different parts, it was very different from each other. However, most of the pagan deities of the ancient Germans were common, only they were called by different names. So, for example, the Scandinavians had the god Odin, and to the Western Germans this deity was represented by the name Wotan.The priests of the Germans were women, as Roman sources say, they were gray-haired. The Romans say that the pagan rituals of the Germans were extremely cruel. The throats of prisoners of war were cut, and predictions were made on the decomposed entrails of prisoners.
In women, the ancient Germans saw a special gift and also worshiped them. In their sources, the Romans confirm that each Germanic tribe could have their own unique rites and their own gods. The Germans did not build temples for the gods, but dedicated any land to them (groves, fields, etc.).
Occupations of the ancient Germans
Roman sources say that the Germans were mainly engaged in cattle breeding. They mainly raised cows and sheep. Their craft was developed insignificantly. But they had high quality furnaces, spears, shields. Only selected Germans could wear armor, that is, they could know.The clothes of the Germans were mainly made from animal skins. Worn, both men and women, capes, the richest Germans could afford pants.
To a lesser extent, the Germans were engaged in agriculture, but they had a fairly high quality tools, they were made of iron. The Germans lived in large long houses (from 10 to 30 m), next to the house there were stalls for pets.
Before the great migration of peoples, the Germans led a sedentary way of life and cultivated the land. Of their own free will, the Germanic tribes never immigrated. On their lands they grew grain crops: oats, rye, wheat, barley.
The migration of peoples forced them to flee their native territories and try their luck on the ruins of the Roman Empire.
The Germans as a people were formed in the north of Europe from Indo-European tribes who settled in Jutland, the lower Elbe and southern Scandinavia in the 1st century BC. The ancestral home of the Germans was Northern Europe, from where they began to move south. At the same time, they came into contact with the indigenous inhabitants - the Celts, who were gradually forced out. The Germans differed from the southern peoples in their tall stature, blue eyes, reddish hair color, warlike and enterprising character.
The name "Germans" is of Celtic origin. Roman authors borrowed the term from the Celts. The Germans themselves did not have their own common name for all the tribes. A detailed description of their structure and way of life is given by the ancient Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus at the end of the 1st century AD.
Germanic tribes are usually divided into three groups: North Germanic, West Germanic and East Germanic. Part of the ancient Germanic tribes - the northern Germans moved along the ocean coast to the north of Scandinavia. These are the ancestors of modern Danes, Swedes, Norwegians and Icelanders.
The most significant group is the West Germans. They were divided into three branches. One of them is the tribes that lived in the regions of the Rhine and Weser. These included the Batavians, Mattiaks, Hattians, Cherusci, and other tribes.
The second branch of the Germans included the tribes of the North Sea coast. These are Cimbri, Teutons, Frisians, Saxons, Angles, etc. The third branch of the West Germanic tribes was the cult alliance of the Germinons, which included the Suebi, Lombards, Marcomanni, Quads, Semnons and Hermundurs.
These groups of ancient Germanic tribes were in conflict with each other and this led to frequent disintegrations and new formations of tribes and unions. In the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D. e. numerous separate tribes united into large tribal unions of Alemanni, Franks, Saxons, Thuringians and Bavarians.
The main role in the economic life of the Germanic tribes of this period belonged to cattle breeding., which was especially developed in areas abounding in meadows - Northern Germany, Jutland, Scandinavia.
The Germans did not have continuous, closely built-up villages. Each family lived in a separate farm surrounded by meadows and groves. Related families constituted a separate community (mark) and jointly owned the land. Members of one or more communities came together and held public meetings. Immediately they made sacrifices to their gods, resolved issues of war or peace with their neighbors, settled lawsuits, judged criminal offenses and elected leaders and judges. Young men who had reached the age of majority received weapons in the national assembly, which they then did not part with.
Like all uneducated peoples, the ancient Germans led a harsh lifestyle., dressed in animal skins, armed with wooden shields, axes, spears and clubs, loved war and hunting, and in peacetime indulged in idleness, dice games, feasts and drinking parties. Since ancient times, their favorite drink was beer, which they brewed from barley and wheat. They loved the game of dice so much that they often lost not only all their property, but also their own freedom.
Care about household, about the fields and herds remained the share of women, the elderly and slaves. Compared with other barbarian peoples, the position of women among the Germans was the best and polygamy was not very common among them.
During the battle, women were behind the troops, they looked after the wounded, brought food to the fighters and reinforced their courage with their praises. Often the Germans who were put to flight were stopped by the cries and reproaches of their women, then they entered the battle with even greater ferocity. Most of all, they were afraid that their wives would not be captured and become slaves of the enemies.
The ancient Germans already had a division into estates: noble (adchings), free (freelings) and semi-free (classes). Military leaders, judges, dukes, counts were chosen from the noble class. Leaders during wars enriched themselves with booty, surrounded themselves with a retinue of the bravest people, and with the help of this retinue acquired supreme power in the fatherland or conquered foreign lands.
The ancient Germans developed a craft, mainly - weapons, tools, clothing, utensils. The Germans knew how to mine iron, gold, silver, copper, lead. The technology and artistic style of handicrafts has undergone significant Celtic influences. Leather dressing and woodworking, ceramics and weaving were developed.
Trade with Ancient Rome played a significant role in the life of the ancient Germanic tribes.. Ancient Rome supplied the Germans with ceramics, glass, enamel, bronze vessels, gold and silver jewelry, weapons, tools, wine, expensive fabrics. Products were imported into the Roman state Agriculture and animal husbandry, livestock, hides and skins, furs, as well as amber in special demand. Many Germanic tribes had a special privilege of intermediary trade.
The basis of the political structure of the ancient Germans was the tribe. The popular assembly, in which all armed free members of the tribe participated, was the highest authority. It met from time to time and resolved the most significant issues: the election of the leader of the tribe, the analysis of complex intra-tribal conflicts, initiation into warriors, declaring war and making peace. The issue of resettlement of the tribe to new places was also decided at the meeting of the tribe.
At the head of the tribe was the leader, who was elected by the popular assembly. In ancient authors, he was designated by various terms: principes, dux, rex, which corresponds to the common German term könig - king.
Special place in political structure The ancient German society was occupied by military squads, which were formed not by tribal affiliation, but on the basis of voluntary loyalty to the leader.
Squads were created for the purpose of robbery raids, robberies and military raids into neighboring lands. Any free German who had a penchant for risk and adventure or profit, with the abilities of a military leader, could create a squad. The law of life of the squad was unquestioning obedience and devotion to the leader. It was believed that getting out of the battle in which the leader fell alive was dishonor and shame for life.
The first major military clash between the Germanic tribes and Rome associated with the invasion of the Cimbri and Teutons, when in 113 BC. The Teutons defeated the Romans at Norea in Norica and, devastating everything in their path, invaded Gaul. In 102-101 years. BC. The troops of the Roman commander Gaius Marius defeated the Teutons at Aqua Sextiev, then the Cimbri at the battle of Vercelli.
In the middle of the 1st c. BC. several Germanic tribes united and joined together to conquer Gaul. Under the leadership of the king (tribal leader) Areovists, the Germanic Suebi tried to gain a foothold in Eastern Gaul, but in 58 BC. were defeated by Julius Caesar, who expelled Ariovista from Gaul, and the union of tribes broke up.
After the triumph of Caesar, the Romans repeatedly invade and wage war on German territory. An increasing number of Germanic tribes fall into the zone of military conflicts with Ancient Rome. These events are described by Gaius Julius Caesar in
Under Emperor Augustus, an attempt was made to expand the borders of the Roman Empire east of the Rhine. Drusus and Tiberius conquered the tribes in the north of modern Germany and built camps on the Elbe. In the 9th year A.D. Arminius - the leader of the Germanic tribe Cheruskov defeated the Roman legions in the Teutonic Forest and for some time restored the former border along the Rhine.
The Roman commander Germanicus avenged this defeat, but soon the Romans stopped further conquest of German territory and established border garrisons along the Cologne-Bonn-Augsburg line to Vienna (modern names).
At the end of the 1st century the border was defined - "Roman frontiers"(lat. Roman Lames) separating the population of the Roman Empire from the diverse "barbarian" Europe. The border ran along the Rhine, Danube and Limes, which connected these two rivers. It was a fortified strip with fortifications, along which troops were quartered.
Part of this line from the Rhine to the Danube, 550 km long, still exists and, as an outstanding monument of ancient fortifications, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.
But let's go back to the distant past to the ancient Germanic tribes that united when they started wars with the Romans. Thus, several strong peoples gradually formed - the Franks on the lower reaches of the Rhine, the Alemanni south of the Franks, the Saxons in Northern Germany, then the Lombards, Vandals, Burgundians and others.
the easternmost the German people there were Goths, which were divided into Ostrogoths and Visigoths - eastern and western. They conquered the neighboring peoples of the Slavs and Finns, and during the reign of their king Germanaric they dominated from the Lower Danube to the very banks of the Don. But the Goths were forced out from there by the wild people who came from behind the Don and the Volga - the Huns. The invasion of the latter was the beginning Great Migration of Nations.
Thus, in variegation and diversity historical events and the apparent chaotic nature of intertribal unions and conflicts between them, treaties and clashes between the Germans and Rome, the historical foundation of those subsequent processes that formed the essence of the Great Migration →