European Kingdoms

Frisii / Friso (Germanic)

Indo-Europeans - Germanic Tribes (Intro) Anatolian Tribes Balkans Tribes Baltic Tribes Celtic Tribes Germanic Tribes Italic Tribes Indo-Iranian/Aryan Tribes Slavic Tribes Tocharians (Intro)

The Germanic tribes seem to have originated in a homeland in southern Scandinavia (Sweden and Norway, with the Jutland area of northern Denmark, along with a very narrow strip of Baltic coastline). They had been settled here for over two thousand years following the Indo-European migrations. The Germanic ethnic group began as a division of the western edge of late proto-Indo-European dialects around 3300 BC, splitting away from a general westwards migration to head towards the southern coastline of the Baltic Sea. By the time the Germanic tribes were becoming key players in the politics of Western Europe in the last two centuries BC, the previously dominant Celts were on the verge of being conquered and dominated by Rome. They had already been pushed out of northern and Central Europe by a mass of Germanic tribes which were steadily carving out a new homeland.

The Frisii of the first centuries BC and AD formed a relatively large Germanic tribe, one that was comparable to the Chauci in number. By this time they were located in the Low Countries, on coastal areas of the modern Netherlands, between the lower Rhine and the modern German border. To the south were the Batavi and Canninefates, to the east were the Chamavi, while the Campsiani and Chauci lay to the north, along the coastline.

The Frisians were noted by Procopius as the Frissones.

(Additional information by Edward Dawson, and from The Oxford History of England: Anglo-Saxon England, Sir Frank Stenton.)

304 - 264 BC

De facto king.

264 - ? BC

113 BC

A large-scale incursion of the sea into Jutland around the period between 120-114 BC is known as the Cimbrian Flood. It permanently alters the shape of the coastline and drastically affects the way people live in the region. It is probably this event which affects the Cimbri and Teutones. These two peoples migrate en mass from their homeland, heading southwards towards Italy. Along the way they pick up the Celto-Germanic Helvetii peoples (in territory which later becomes Franconia), and possibly spark a secondary migration of Belgic peoples from the Netherlands and northern Gaul into south-eastern Britain.

? - 70 BC

70 BC - AD 11

c.60 BC

Folk Mother appointed by Adel IV.

12 - 9 BC

Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, stepson of Emperor Augustus, is appointed governor of the Rhine region of Gaul. He launches the first major Roman campaigns across the Rhine and begins the conquest of Germania. He starts with a successful campaign that subjugates the Sicambri. Later in the same year he leads a naval expedition along the North Sea coast, conquering the Batavi and the Frisii, and defeating the Chauci near the mouth of the Weser. Luckily for them, the receding tide traps his vessels and he is forced to withdraw and avoid further conflict. In 11 BC, he conquers the Bructeri, Usipetes and Marsi, extending Roman control into the Upper Weser. In 10 BC, he launches a campaign against the Chatti and the resurgent Sicambri, subjugating both. The following year he conquers the Mattiaci, while also defeating the Marcomanni and Cherusci, the latter being taken care of near the Elbe. He is killed in a fall from his horse during his fourth campaign, and his death deprives Rome of one its best generals.

AD 11 - 15

15 - 28

28

The Frisii on the Lower Rhine are driven to revolt against the Roman empire by excessively zealous tax collection.

28 - 47

47

The Chauci and Frisii are to be found under the command of Gannascus of the Canninefates. Together, they raid the coastline of Gallia Belgica, although the Chauci have been doing this for some years already. The Chauci also penetrate territory in Gallia Belgica that in 80-83 is reformed into the Roman province of Germania Inferior (it now forms parts of the southern Netherlands). The newly-appointed Roman military commander, Corbulo, engages the attackers in battle and defeats them. He also places triremes on the Rhine and takes on the Chauci vessels, successfully destroying those too. Gannascus is driven out of Gallia Belgica and the Frisii are occupied by force and classified a client state. Under the pretence of holding negotiations with Gannascus, the Romans assassinate him. This dishonourable act causes outrage among the Chauci, and Emperor Claudius orders a withdrawal of Roman forces to the Rhine in order to ease tensions.

47 - 58

Client king.

47 - 58

Client king.

58

Anti-Roman usurper.

58

Frisia is re-classified as an allied state of the Roman empire. It is around this time that the Chauci tribe expand westwards as far as the River Ems. To achieve this expansion they expel the neighbouring tribe of the Ampsivarii and subsequently find themselves bordered to the west by the Frisii.