Germania Inferior

  • Germania Inferior was a Roman Province located in modern Benelux and Germany with the capital at Cologne.
  • The Province lay to the west of the River Rhine on the Northern Rhine corridor.

1. History

  • Pre-Roman history:
  • Acquisition by Rome:
    • 57 BCE Julius Caesar crossed the Rhine during the Gallic Wars and eliminated several tribes including the Menapii and the Eburones.
  • Timeline of this Province:
  • Under The Republic:
    • 50 BCE Part of Gallia Belgica with Roman settlements, until it became a separate Province in 83 CE.
  • After Augustus reconstituted the Republic into an Empire (27 BCE):
    • 17 BCE After Gallia Belgica was invaded by the Sugambri, the Rhine corridor was militarised by moving the Legions into bases on the River Rhine.
    • With the Rhine as the Frontier, eight Legions were concentrated at Mainz, Cologne, Neuss and Xanten, next to or near the four permanent Roman bridges at Mainz, Koblenz, Cologne and Xanten.
    • The Rhine was then divided into two military groupings:
      • The Army of the lower Rhine (Germania Inferior).
      • The Army of the middle Rhine (Germania Superior).
    • They were to act as a forward base for the future occupation of Germania, east of the Rhine between 12 BCE-9 CE.
    • 12 BCE Augustus ordered Generals Tiberius and Drusus the Elder to invade Germania.
    • 6 CE By this date they had occupied the area between the Rhine and the Elbe.
    • 9 CE However after the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (9 CE) and the loss of three Legions, Rome gave up trying to occupy Germania, and the Rhine military zones eventually became separate Provinces.
    • 69-70 CE The Batavian Revolt under Civilis, where the 2 Legions stationed at Xanten (Castra Vetera) were taken prisoner. The Revolt was only suppressed when the Danube legions were moved into the Province.
    • 80-83 CE It was officially made into a separate Roman Province called Germania Inferior.
    • 173 CE The Western Scheldt along with Therouanne (Nervian Capital) and Arras (Atrebatian Capital) was sacked by the Chauci, who bypassed the fortifications of Germania Inferior.
    • 193-211 CE Under Septimius Severus, all the Rhine Forts were reconstructed.
    • 240’s CE In this decade, the Forts were all attacked and sacked, but afterwards were quickly rebuilt.
    • 256-258 CE The Franks raided Germania Inferior, and reached Trier which they sacked. Only Cologne withstood the onslaught, while the other forts were all razed to the ground.
    • 260-274 CE Gallic Empire
      • The Gallic Empire broke away under the Governor of Germania Inferior, Postumus. He defeated the Franks and the Alemanni, but allowed the defeated warriors to live in Germania Inferior. He also probably paid off the Thuringi, in whose territory have been found hundreds of Gold coins showing portraits of Postumus.
      • Postumus changed the Limes Germanicus to a ‘Defense in Depth’ system, later adopted along the Rhine and Danube in the 4th century CE.
      • This involved positioning Cavalry Units deep behind the line of Rhine Forts. These were ready to intercept and crush the lightning attacks by the Germanic Tribes, who previously had operated a ‘Hit and Run’ tactic, where they bypassed the Forts with brief looting raids deep into the countryside, often returning unchallenged.
      • As a result, the Gallic Empire saw virtually no Germanic invasions.
    • 274 CE Aurelian crossed the Alps and destroyed the Gallic Empire in a devastating Civil War. He became ‘Restitutor Orbis’ Rebuilder of the World. Unfortunately, insufficient soldiers were left to man the Rhine Frontier.
    • The Franks and Alemanni attacked and sacked all the Rhine Forts and the cities deeper inland.
    • 292 CE Constantius I Chlorus was sent to reconquer Germania Inferior and he recaptured the Fleet at Boulogne. In 296 CE he finally re-invaded Britannia and took it from the usurper Allectus.
  • After Diocletian’s Reforms (297 CE):
    • Under the Tetrarchy the Province was ruled from the western capital at Trier.
    • 304 CE End of the Wars along the Rhine and Danube.
    • 355 CE The Franks and Alemanni invaded Gaul, but were repulsed by the Caesar of Gaul, Julian, who later became Emperor between 361-63 CE.
  • After the death of Theodosius (395 CE), and the final split into Eastern Empire and Western Empire:
  • Famous Persons from this Province:
  • Chief archeological Finds:
  • Museums:
  • Historic Battle Sites:
  • Main Historical Sources for this Province:

2. Geography

3. Political Organisation

4. Military Organisation

  • Defensive Works:
    • Limes Germanicus: The Rhine Frontier Defense System consisting of Forts, Walls and Towers.
  • Main Threats:
    • Frontier province continually under attack from the Germanic Tribes across the Rhine.

5. Economy

  • Germania Inferior was populated mainly by the Roman Military and therefore was a Tax Importing Region, receiving exports from other Provinces to support the Troops.
  • Chief Exports:
    • Eau de Cologne
      • An early Perfume from Cologne. A perfume salesman named Sextus Haparonius Justinus has been recorded, and many Roman perfume phials have been found.
    • Amber, Horses, Germanic slaves,
  • Agriculture and Fishing:
    • Cattle and Grain, Salt from the Morini and Menapians
  • Manufacturing:
    • Goods made of Tin, Iron, Women’s hair for Catapults and wigs, Cloth from the Nervians
  • Mines:
  • Mints:

6. Transport

7. Relationship with Rome

  • Frontier Zone with Germany and constantly at War throughout the entire Period of Occupation.

8. History of Christianity in this Province

  • Serviatus, Bishop of Tongeren (d. 384 CE)
  • Maternus, Bishop of Cologne, attended the Council of Arles in 313 CE.

9. Roman Authors describing this Province

 

Germania Inferior

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