The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.
As fighting increased, the government could no longer enlist and pay Romans as soldiers. It began using Germanic warriors in the army. The Roman government used the Germanic warriors as auxiliaries just as they used other foreign troops. The Germanic troops proved loyal and dedicated even after the Varus disaster. Because of their large size, the German troops made effective ceremonial guards. The German guard was the personal body guard corps of the Roman emperors and their families.
What we know today as Holland was called Batavia in Roman times. The Batavians were allies of the Romans and helped them in their conquest of Britain and of the Germanic tribes. Due to a misunderstanding, they revolted against the Romans and a war was fought which the Romans won, in 69 AD. From that time, (69 AD) the Roman army took over the area and the Batavians became Romanized. Batavia was a key area which protected the northern Roman border from the hostile Germanic tribes.
As the empire expanded, there were not enough Italians (citizens) to fill the ranks of the army so the Romans hired auxiliaries from the various provinces. Most times the client kings were required to supply a certain number of troops to the army. This worked out well for the Romans as certain provincials "specialized" in areas where the Romans did not excel. Examples of this would be the Batavians, known for their horsemanship. There were also slingers and archers among the auxiliaries. The majority of the Roman cavalry consisted of auxiliaries led by a Roman officer.
Ammianus Marcellinus' gave a detailed account of the events which led to the Battle of Adrianople, but the account of the actual battle is vague and far from clear. There is more of an emphasis on the heat of the battle rather than clear details of how the battle unfolded. The main thing in the account was that it seemed that dust and fire were significant. Much of what is written about the battle is the product of deductions and attempts at reconstruction by modern historians. Ammianus' account did not even give the size and composition of the Roman army engaged in the battle. He mentions that when the Romans were being routed the emperor Valens sought the protection of legions of lanciarii (legions armed with lances) and mattiarii. The latter is an obscure type of legion and it is not clear whether they were armed short-shaft weighted darts or maces or whether they were imperial or auxiliary (allied) forces. He also mentioned a reserve battalion of Batavians (aa allied Germanic people for the lower Rhine area) and the names of some of the military commanders. He saw a contemporary estimate of 10,000 Gothic troops as an underestimate. It is now generally agreed that the lack of clarity in Ammianus' account of the battle, the fact that it came at the end of his Histories and that there are no detailed accounts of the history of the next century led earlier modern historians to exaggerate the impact of this Roman defeat and its long term implications for the Roman Empire. Ammianus noted that the Gothic cavalry played an important role in the battle. This led to Charles Oman, an early 20th century historian, arguing that the cavalry were the majority of the Gothic force, that the Gothic cavalry defeated the Roman infantry and this battle marked the beginning of the dominance of cavalry over infantry for the next thousand years, ushering in the age of the Medieval knight. This has now been disputed. Some historians argue that the infantry was the larger part of the Gothic force and that the battle did not change the role of the cavalry in battle. They also point out that the Romans developed a cavalry rapid deployment force a century earlier and that the cavalry had been becoming more important in the regular units as well.
-Germanic peoples (Frisians, Batavians, Saxons, etc) -Romans -Franks -Holy Roman Empire -Spanish -Independance -> Dutch Republic 1581
the ancient dutch were the germanic tribes that came from scandinavia such as the chamavi,frisians,batavians,sicambri etc....they worshipped thor,odin,frea and the other dieties of norse mythology
The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.The Romans made use of auxiliaries to both increase the size of their armies and to provide specialized military skills that the Romans needed. For example, the Batavians were great swimmers and horsemen so the Romans incorporated them into their army especially in areas where there were unbridged rivers as in the area of Germany. The Batavians would swim (with their armor and horses) across the river, give any enemy they encountered a hard time, and give the Roman infantry time to build a bridge. Archers and slingers were used in circumstances where they were needed. Most of the auxiliaries were levied from client kings or provinces and upon discharge from the army usually received Roman citizenship.
As fighting increased, the government could no longer enlist and pay Romans as soldiers. It began using Germanic warriors in the army. The Roman government used the Germanic warriors as auxiliaries just as they used other foreign troops. The Germanic troops proved loyal and dedicated even after the Varus disaster. Because of their large size, the German troops made effective ceremonial guards. The German guard was the personal body guard corps of the Roman emperors and their families.
What we know today as Holland was called Batavia in Roman times. The Batavians were allies of the Romans and helped them in their conquest of Britain and of the Germanic tribes. Due to a misunderstanding, they revolted against the Romans and a war was fought which the Romans won, in 69 AD. From that time, (69 AD) the Roman army took over the area and the Batavians became Romanized. Batavia was a key area which protected the northern Roman border from the hostile Germanic tribes.
As the empire expanded, there were not enough Italians (citizens) to fill the ranks of the army so the Romans hired auxiliaries from the various provinces. Most times the client kings were required to supply a certain number of troops to the army. This worked out well for the Romans as certain provincials "specialized" in areas where the Romans did not excel. Examples of this would be the Batavians, known for their horsemanship. There were also slingers and archers among the auxiliaries. The majority of the Roman cavalry consisted of auxiliaries led by a Roman officer.
They were the socii or foederati (allies). They were conquered peoples who made or were forced to make military alliances with Rome and supplied troops. These were the auxiliaries, troops which supported the Roman legions and supplied the bulk of the cavalry. The auxiliaries were paid less than the Roman legionaries. Over time the Romans also relied on foederati from outside the empire. In northern Gaul, military units of the Batavians, a branch of the Franks from Holland, fought with the Romans. In the late empire the Romans substantially relied on Germanic foederati, particularly Visigoths who had been allowed to settle in the empire by emperor Valens. Some of the Germanic peoples who invaded the western empire, such as the Burgundians and the Vandals, were temporarily Roman foederati. These kinds of foederati were paid in the form of tributes paid to their leaders, rather than pay for the soldiers. There were also Germanics which joined the Roman army and received an auxiliary's wage.
Ammianus Marcellinus' gave a detailed account of the events which led to the Battle of Adrianople, but the account of the actual battle is vague and far from clear. There is more of an emphasis on the heat of the battle rather than clear details of how the battle unfolded. The main thing in the account was that it seemed that dust and fire were significant. Much of what is written about the battle is the product of deductions and attempts at reconstruction by modern historians. Ammianus' account did not even give the size and composition of the Roman army engaged in the battle. He mentions that when the Romans were being routed the emperor Valens sought the protection of legions of lanciarii (legions armed with lances) and mattiarii. The latter is an obscure type of legion and it is not clear whether they were armed short-shaft weighted darts or maces or whether they were imperial or auxiliary (allied) forces. He also mentioned a reserve battalion of Batavians (aa allied Germanic people for the lower Rhine area) and the names of some of the military commanders. He saw a contemporary estimate of 10,000 Gothic troops as an underestimate. It is now generally agreed that the lack of clarity in Ammianus' account of the battle, the fact that it came at the end of his Histories and that there are no detailed accounts of the history of the next century led earlier modern historians to exaggerate the impact of this Roman defeat and its long term implications for the Roman Empire. Ammianus noted that the Gothic cavalry played an important role in the battle. This led to Charles Oman, an early 20th century historian, arguing that the cavalry were the majority of the Gothic force, that the Gothic cavalry defeated the Roman infantry and this battle marked the beginning of the dominance of cavalry over infantry for the next thousand years, ushering in the age of the Medieval knight. This has now been disputed. Some historians argue that the infantry was the larger part of the Gothic force and that the battle did not change the role of the cavalry in battle. They also point out that the Romans developed a cavalry rapid deployment force a century earlier and that the cavalry had been becoming more important in the regular units as well.