ChauciThe Chauci were a Germanic tribe situated in modern day north-western Germany and parts of nor

ChauciThe Chauci were a Germanic tribe situated in modern day north-western Germany and parts of north-eastern Netherlands. They were neighboured by the Frisii to the west, the Ampsivarii and Cherusci to the south, and the Lombardi to the east. From a cultural perspective, they were incredibly similar to the Frisii, the reason why is because the landscape was exactly the same, flat swampy coastal land without trees. Both tribes built their homes on terps, artificial hills, to protect them from the sea and both thrived on fishing and raiding. The meaning of the name Chauci is still a puzzle but there is a theory that the word Chauci is derived from the Proto-Germanic root for the word ‘spear’, 'ger. Another theory suggests that the word Chauci is derived from the Proto-Germanic word 'Hauhae’, high-comers.The first written mention of this tribe comes from one of Rome’s most succesful Roman generals, Drusus Germanicus, yes the same general who died after a fall from his horse. During 12BC, Germanicus was present north of the Rhine and subjugated the Frisii. The Chauci, being their neigbours, were next on Germanicus’ list but the Gods were with the Chauci as low tides trapped Germanicus’ ships so he was forced to retreat. The next written mention comes from another Roman general called Germanicus. Between 14-16AD Germanicus invaded Germania in order to revenge the lost battle of Teutoburgerwald. Instead of entering Germania by crossing the Rhine, he sailed around the north sea coast and invaded Germania from Frisii territory. Something quite peculiar happened during Germanicus’ campaign between him and the Chauci. The Chauci did not parttake in Arminius'alliance and were thus not a target of the Roman empire. Yet they weren’t popular amongst the Romans either because of their continuous raids on Roman vessels and settlements. I have told the story before on how Germanicus’ fleet was hit by a storm and largely destroyed. Germanicus himself however escaped with his life because the Chauci saved him. It is unknown why the Chauci decided to help the Roman army hit by a storm, was it for altruistic purposes or did they just want a better reputation in Rome? The whole event has been described by Tacitus in his annals, here is a small piece:“But soon the hail poured from a black mass of clouds, and simultaneously the waves, buffeted by conflicting gales from every quarter, began to blot out the view and impede the steering. The soldiers, struck by alarm and unfamiliar with the sea and its hazards, nullified by their obstruction or mistimed help the services of the professional sailors. Then all heaven, all ocean, passed into the power of the south wind which, drawing its strength from the sodden lands of Germania, the deep rivers, the endless train of clouds with its grimness enhanced by the rigour of the neighbouring north, caught and scattered the vessels to the open ocean or to islands either beetling with crags or perilous from sunken shoals.These were avoided with time and difficulty but, when the tide began to change and set in the same direction as the wind, it was impossible either to hold anchor or to bale out the inrushing flood. Chargers, pack-horses, baggage, even arms, were jettisoned, in order to lighten the hulls, which were leaking through the sides and overtopped by the waves.Precisely as the ocean is more tempestuous than the remaining sea, and Germania unequalled in the asperity of its climate, so did that calamity transcend others in extent and novelty, around them lying hostile shores or a tract so vast and profound that it is believed the last and landless deep. Some of the ships went down, more were stranded on remote islands where, in the absence of human life, the troops died of starvation, except for a few who supported themselves on the dead horses washed up on the same beach. Germanicus’ galley put in to the Chaucian coast alone. Throughout all those days and nights, posted on some cliff or projection of the shore, he continued to exclaim that he was guilty of the great disaster and his friends with difficulty prevented him from finding a grave in the same waters. Not a man returned from the distance without his tale of marvels, furious whirlwinds, unheard-of birds, enigmatic shapes half-human and half-bestial things seen, or things believed in a moment of terror.” - Tacitus, AnnalsIn 47AD both the Chauci and Frisii joined the pirate Gannascus of the Cananefates tribe on his proto-viking raids. The Chauci were notorious for raiding but now with an experienced former Roman soldier at their command, their raids entered a new and destructive phase. The three tribes raided the coasts of Gaul, Britannia and Belgica forcing the Romans to strengthen their defenses and deploy triremes on the Rhine river. Eventually Gannascus was asassinated by the Romans which almost led to a Roman-Germanic war. Only a few years later in 69AD the Batavi tribe revolted against the Romans together with the Frisii and Cananefates. The Chauci sent military troops to Batavi lands in order to support the revolt. Initially it was a very succesful revolt causing the destruction of two Roman legions and several forts but it was put down the following year by the Romans. Even though the Chauci were willing to save Roman lives from drowning, they continued on raiding and attacking Rome at the same time while also supplying Rome with auxilliary troops. A few years later, somewhere around 70-80AD, a Roman officer, author and philosopher by the name of Pliny the Elder, visited the lands of the Frisii and Chauci and wrote a description on the landscape and way of life:“Here a wretched race is found, inhabiting either the more elevated spots of land, or else eminences artificially constructed, and of a height to which they know by experience that the highest tides will never reach. Here they pitch their cabins and when the waves cover the surrounding country far and wide, like so many mariners on board ship are the: when, again, the tide recedes, their condition is that of so many shipwrecked men, and around their cottages they pursue the fishes as they make their escape with the receding tide.It is not their lot, like the adjoining nations, to keep any flocks for sustenance by their milk, nor even to maintain a warfare with wild beasts, every shrub, even, being banished afar. With the sedge and the rushes of the marsh they make cords, and with these they weave the nets employed in the capture of the fish; they fashion the mud, too, with their hands, and drying it by the help of the winds more than of the sun, cook their food by its aid, and so warm their entrails, frozen as they are by the northern blasts; their only drink, too, is rainwater, which they collect in holes dug at the entrance of their abodes.” - Pliny the ElderTacitus published his work 'Germania’ in 98AD and in his work he also wrote a short description on the Chauci:“The Chauci are the noblest of the Germanic races, a nation who would maintain their greatness by righteous dealing. Without ambition, without lawless violence, they live peaceful and secluded, never provoking a war or injuring others by rapine and robbery. Indeed, the crowning proof of their valor and their strength is, that they keep up their superiority without harm to others. Yet all have their weapons in readiness, and an army if necessary, with a multitude of men and horses; and even while at peace they have the same renown of valor.” - Tacitus, GermaniaAs you might have noticed, Tacitus’ words are not very accurate since the Chauci were known for their piracy so it is unclear why Tacitus described them in such a way. During the late 2nd century AD, the Chauci intensified their raids once again by destroying and pillaging several settlements across north-western Europe. These raids were so intense that the Roman empire spent the next 30 years on building better defenses. Their trail of destruction is still visible to this day as archeologists have found traces of burned settlements along the north sea coast. The Chauci were true raiders at heart and raiding provided them with supplies and food. Eventually the Saxon confederation came into existence somewhere during the 3rd century AD. The Chauci were either part of the initial tribes who formed the federation or were absorbed by them later. Over time the Chauci lost their individual identity and became known as the Saxons.Here are images of:A map showing the tribe’s locationA map showing Germanicus'expeditions (the general who got hit by a storm and was saved by the Chauci),A reconstruction of a Chauci settlement by Marco Prins,Unfortunately there is no artwork ,as far as I know, depicting the Chauci on their raids so I chose a picture of raiding vikings instead. That is the downside of vikings being so immensely popular but not the Germanic tribes that preceeded them many centuries before, -- source link

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