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48-590: South of the river live the North Frisians . The name of the river is first attested as such in 1648 as Wieday and in 1781 as Widaae and Hvidaae . However, the river gave its name to a Propstei (church or monastery led by a provost ) which held North Friesland and whose name is attested in 1240 in the form de Withæ a and 1352 as in ... Withaa . It also produced the district name Wiedingharde (North Friesland, Duchy of Schleswig ), first attested in 1511 as Wyding herde , meaning "administrative district of

96-563: A laeti community land might specify a once-and-for-all contribution of recruits. Or a fixed number of recruits required each year. A possible parallel is the treaty with Rome of the Batavi tribe of Germania Inferior in the 1st century. It has been calculated that in the Julio-Claudian era, as many as half of all Batavi males reaching military age were enlisted in the Roman auxilia . There

144-695: A number of subgroups of German tribes from the eastern bank of the Rhine were transferred, at their own request, to the Roman-controlled western bank, e.g. the Cugerni , a subgroup of the Sugambri tribe, and the Ubii . In 69, the emperor Otho is reported to have settled communities of Mauri from North Africa in the province of Hispania Baetica (modern Andalusia, Spain). Given the attestation of several auxiliary regiments with

192-470: A part of the Netherlands ever since. The eastern periphery of Frisia would become part of various German states (later Germany) and Denmark. An old tradition existed in the region of exploitation of peatlands. Though it is impossible to know exact numbers and migration patterns, research has indicated that many Frisians were part of the wave of ethnic groups to colonise areas of present-day England alongside

240-674: A series of wars , which (with a series of lengthy interruptions) ended in 1422 with the Hollandic conquest of Western Frisia and with the establishment of a more powerful noble class in Central and Eastern Frisia. In 1524, Frisia became part of the Seventeen Provinces and in 1568 joined the Dutch revolt against Philip II , king of Spain, heir of the Burgundian territories; Central Frisia has remained

288-488: Is a decree of 400 AD in the Codex Theodosianus which authorises a magister militum praesentalis to enlist Alamanni and Sarmatian laeti , together with other groups such as the sons of veterans. This probably implies that laeti were seen as part of the general pool of recruits. In this case, the praefecti laetorum/gentilium may have been purely administrative roles, especially charged with ensuring

336-495: Is also a mention of a regular regiment called Laeti in the clash between emperors Constantius II and Julian in 361; and a regiment called Felices Laetorum in 6th century Italy. The units ala I Sarmatarum and numerus Hnaufridi attested in 3rd century Britain may have been formed of laeti . But Elton and Goldsworthy argue that laeti were normally drafted into existing military units, and only rarely formed their own. The main support for this view

384-473: Is also doubt about whether the terms governing laeti were distinct from those applying to gentiles ("natives") or dediticii ("surrendered barbarians") or tributarii (peoples obliged to pay tribute). It is possible that these names were used interchangeably, or at least overlapped considerably. On the other hand, they may refer to juridically distinct types of community, with distinct sets of obligations and privileges for each type. Most likely,

432-592: Is considerable dispute about whether recruits from laeti settlements formed their own distinct military units or were simply part of the general pool of army recruits. The traditional view of scholars is that the praefecti laetorum or gentilium mentioned in the Notitia were each in command of a regiment composed of the laeti ascribed to them. Some regiments of laeti certainly existed. The praesentales armies in both East and West contained scholae (elite cavalry units) of gentiles . There

480-532: Is described as assimilated and most people of Frisian descent do not consider themselves Frisian. In regards of the Frisian language, very few may speak it as first language but it was traditionally spoken in several polder hamlets near the border with Germany. One estimate puts the Frisian population in Denmark somewhere between 2,000 and 5,000. This number, however, might be grossly exaggerated. Frisian identity in Denmark

528-562: Is problematic; most likely the text is corrupt. However, it has been suggested that these names may relate to Roman people displaced from their home areas. Title XLII of the Western part contains two lists of laeti prefects, one for the praefecti laetorum in Gaul, and one for the praefecti gentilium Sarmatarum (prefects of Sarmatian gentiles , i.e. "natives") in Italy and Gaul, all under

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576-472: Is spoken by around 350,000 native speakers in Friesland, and as many as 470,000 when including speakers in neighbouring Groningen province. West Frisian is not listed as threatened, although research published by Radboud University in 2016 has challenged that assumption. Today, there exists a tripartite division of North , East and West Frisians ; this was caused by Frisia 's continual loss of territory in

624-588: The Anglo-Frisian family. Old Frisian is the most closely related language to Old English and the modern Frisian dialects are in turn the closest related languages to contemporary English that do not themselves derive from Old English (although the modern Frisian and English are not mutually intelligible). The Frisian language group is divided into three mutually unintelligible languages: Of these three languages both Saterland Frisian (2,000 speakers) and North Frisian (10,000 speakers) are endangered. West Frisian

672-606: The Marcomannic Wars (although Marcus Aurelius later expelled those settled in the peninsula after one group mutinied and briefly seized Ravenna , the base of the Adriatic fleet ). These settlers may have been the original laeti . Indeed, there is evidence that the practice of settling communities of barbari inside the Empire stretches as far back as the founder-emperor Augustus himself (ruled 42 BC – 14 AD): during his time,

720-633: The Middle Ages . The West Frisians, in general, do not see themselves as part of a larger group of Frisians, and, according to a 1970 poll, identify themselves more with the Dutch than with the East or North Frisians . Laeti Laeti ( / ˈ l ɛ t aɪ / ), the plural form of laetus ( / ˈ l iː t ə s / ), was a term used in the late Roman Empire to denote communities of barbari (" barbarians "), i.e. foreigners, or people from outside

768-696: The Raetian provinces). These Marcomanni were probably laeti also and may be the descendants of tribespeople settled in the area in the 2nd century by Marcus Aurelius. Alternatively (or additionally), they may have been descended from Germans settled in Pannonia following Gallienus 's treaty with King Attalus of the Marcomanni in AD 258 or 259. The Notitia thus contains 34 entries concerning laeti . But some entries relate to several settlements, not just one, e.g.

816-540: The Roman invasion of Britain . They are not mentioned again until c. 296, when they were deported into Roman territory as laeti (i.e., Roman-era serfs ; see Binchester Roman Fort and Cuneus Frisionum ). The discovery of a type of earthenware unique to fourth century Frisia , called terp Tritzum , shows that an unknown number of them were resettled in Flanders and Kent , probably as laeti under Roman coercion. From

864-530: The coastal regions of the Netherlands, north-western Germany and southern Denmark, and during the Early Middle Ages in the north-western coastal zone of Flanders , Belgium. They inhabit an area known as Frisia and are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia (which was a part of Denmark until 1864). There are several theories about

912-583: The ethnonym Wiþmyrgingas , which appears in the Old English poem Widsith . 54°56′N 8°54′E  /  54.933°N 8.900°E  / 54.933; 8.900 This article related to a river in Denmark is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in Schleswig-Holstein is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Frisians The Frisians are an ethnic group indigenous to

960-826: The "barbarisation" theory of the fall of the Roman empire. This view ultimately originates from Edward Gibbon 's magnum opus , the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire . According to this view, a critical factor in the disintegration of the western Roman empire in the 5th century was the Romans' ever-increasing reliance on barbarian recruits to man (and lead) their armies, while they themselves became soft and averse to military service. The barbarian recruits had no fundamental loyalty to Rome and repeatedly betrayed Rome's interests. This view does not distinguish between laeti , foederati and mercenaries. This view has remained in history writing since

1008-462: The ' Frisian freedom ', a period in which feudalism and serfdom (as well as central or judicial administration ) did not exist, and in which the Frisian lands only owed their allegiance to the Holy Roman Emperor . During the 13th century, however, the counts of Holland became increasingly powerful and, starting in 1272, sought to reassert themselves as rightful lords of the Frisian lands in

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1056-752: The Angles, Saxons and Jutes , starting from around the fifth century when Frisians arrived along the coastline of Kent. Frisians principally settled in modern-day Kent, East Anglia , the East Midlands , North East England , and Yorkshire . Across these areas, evidence of their settlement includes place names of Frisian origin, such as Frizinghall in Bradford and Frieston in Lincolnshire. Similarities in dialect between Great Yarmouth and Friesland have been noted, originating from trade between these areas during

1104-601: The Danubian Legions for Septimius Severus and eventually took 15 thousand Danubians to the Praetorian Guards in Rome. The Severan dynasty lasted for 42 years, during which Danubians served as Praetorian Guards . The precise constitutions which regulated laeti settlements are obscure. It is possible that their constitutions were standard, or alternatively that the terms varied with each individual settlement. There

1152-522: The Empire, permitted to settle on, and granted land in, imperial territory on condition that they provide recruits for the Roman military. The term laetus is of uncertain origin. It means "lucky" or "happy" in Latin , but may derive from a non-Latin word. It may derive from a Germanic word meaning "serf" or "half-free colonist". Other authorities suggest the term was of Celtic or Iranian origin. The laeti may have been groups of migrants drawn from

1200-466: The Frisian populace to Christianity , in which Saint Willibrord largely succeeded. Some time after the death of Charlemagne , the Frisian territories were in theory under the control of the Count of Holland , but in practice the Hollandic counts, starting with Count Arnulf in 993, were unable to assert themselves as the sovereign lords of Frisia. The resulting stalemate resulted in a period of time called

1248-673: The Frisii because they 'cut the land': digging ditches and dykes to irrigate the wet marshlands where they lived. Compare fresar el paisaje in the Romance language Spanish . Another theory is the name derives from frisselje (to braid, thus referring to braided hair). The Frisian languages are spoken by more than 500,000 people; West Frisian is officially recognised in the Netherlands (in Friesland ), and North Frisian and Saterland Frisian are recognised as regional languages in Germany. Prior to

1296-744: The Later Middle Ages Frisians farmers settled around Tøndermarsken west of Tønder . The evidence for this are the dwelling mounds or terps ( værfter ) in the area that are built after the same method as the ones alongside the Wadden Sea further south. Colonists from the south also settled down in Misthusum in the Ballum marshes near Skærbæk during the 12th of 13th century. According to documents around 1400 at least some of them were considered as "Hollanders". In modern times, Frisian culture in Denmark

1344-660: The Middle Ages. Frisians are also known to have founded the Freston area of Ipswich . In Scotland, historians have noted that colonies of Angles and Frisians settled as far north as the River Forth . This corresponds to those areas of Scotland which historically constituted part of Northumbria . The earliest traces of Frisians in modern-day Denmark date back from the 8th century, when Frisian traders and craftsmen settled down in Ribe . In

1392-551: The Sarmatian settlements in Apulia and Calabria. Furthermore, more than two pages of entries appear to be missing. The number of settlements may thus have been in the hundreds, in the western half of the empire alone. The Notitia lists of laeti settlements, incomplete as they are, show their considerable proliferation over the fourth century. This, together with the large numbers of military units with barbarian names, gave rise to

1440-458: The ancient Frisii. It is these 'new Frisians' who are largely the ancestors of the medieval and modern Frisians. By the end of the sixth century, Frisian territory had expanded westward to the North Sea coast and, in the seventh century, southward down to Dorestad . This farthest extent of Frisian territory is sometimes referred to as Frisia Magna . Early Frisia was ruled by a High King , with

1488-664: The appearance of the modern Frisians, their namesake, the ancient Frisii , enter recorded history in the Roman account of Drusus 's 12 BC war against the Rhine Germans and the Chauci . They occasionally appear in the accounts of Roman wars against the Germanic tribes of the region, up to and including the Revolt of the Batavi around 70 AD. Frisian mercenaries were hired as cavalry to assist

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1536-417: The command of the magister peditum praesentalis , the commander of the imperial escort army in Italy (despite his title, which means "master of infantry", this officer commanded cavalry as well as infantry units). The Notitia also mentions a tribunus gentis Marcomannorum under the command of the dux Pannoniae et Norici and a tribunus gentis per Raetias deputatae (tribune of natives in

1584-664: The earliest reference to a 'Frisian King' being dated 678. In the early eighth century, the Frisians mostly worshipped Germanic gods such as Thor and Odin outside the vicinity of Utrecht . Slightly later, the Frisian nobles came into increasing conflict with the Franks to their south, resulting in a series of wars in which the Frankish Empire eventually subjugated Frisia in 734. These wars benefited attempts by Anglo-Irish missionaries (which had begun with Saint Boniface ) to convert

1632-446: The empire by the imperial government. They appear to have formed distinct military cantons , which probably were outside the normal provincial administration , since the settlements were under the control of a Roman praefectus laetorum (or praefectus gentilium ), who were probably military officers, as they reported to the magister peditum praesentalis (commander of the imperial escort army) in Italy. This officer was, in

1680-550: The full military levy from their cantons each year. Much of our information on laeti is contained in the Notitia Dignitatum , a document drawn up at the turn of the 4th/5th centuries. The document is a list of official posts in the Roman Empire, both civil and military. It must be treated with caution, as many sections are missing or contain gaps, so the Notitia does not account for all posts and commands in existence at

1728-480: The late 3rd and 4th centuries. Although the literary sources mention laeti only from the 4th century onwards, it is likely that their antecedents existed from as early as the 2nd century: the 3rd-century historian Dio Cassius reports that emperor Marcus Aurelius (ruled 161–180) granted land in the border regions of Germania , Pannonia , Moesia and Dacia , and even in Italy itself, to groups of Marcomanni , Quadi and Iazyges tribespeople captured during

1776-464: The late 4th/early 5th centuries, the effective supreme commander of the Western Roman army. In return for their privileges of admission to the empire and land grants, the laeti settlers were under an obligation to supply recruits to the Roman army , presumably in greater proportions than ordinary communities were liable to under the regular conscription of the late empire. The treaty granting

1824-413: The more than 200 years since Gibbon wrote his narrative. In recent times the views of Gibbon has been generally discounted. According to Goldsworthy, there is no evidence that barbarian officers or men were any less reliable than their Roman counterparts. Instead, the evidence points to the conclusion that laeti were a crucial source of first-rate recruits to late Roman army. Recruitment of Barbarians

1872-551: The names of these tribes in the 1st and 2nd centuries, it is likely that their admission to the empire was conditional on some kind of military obligations (Tacitus states that the Ubii were given the task of guarding the West bank of the Rhine) i.e. that they were laeti in all but name. The name Laeti may have become more widely used after Quintus Aemilius Laetus managed the support of

1920-478: The origin of the name of the Frisians, which is derived from Frisii or Fresones , names used by the Romans to describe a Germanic tribe that inhabited the same region but disappeared during the 5th century before the appearance of the Frisians. Most probably the name is derived from the verb fresare in Vulgar Latin, meaning 'milling, cutting, grooving, crushing, removing shells'; this name may have been given to

1968-588: The people on the Wieday". Albrecht Greule, surveying earlier scholarship, tentatively interpreted the name to mean "pasture" ( Weide ). This is consistent with Morten Søvsø's characterisation of the river: "the Tønder Marsh around the major watercourse of the Vid River (Vidåen) cuts deep into the land, and once offered extensive pasturelands for the farmers of the marsh". The river-name has also been thought to be found in

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2016-573: The terms laeti and gentiles were interchangeable, as they are listed in the same section of the Notitia Dignitatum , and both referred to voluntary settlements. In addition, the Notitia often places the two terms together, e.g. the praefectus laetorum gentilium Svevorum at Bayeux and the praefectus laetorum gentilium at Reims. Reproductively self-sufficient groups of laeti (i.e. including women and children) would be granted land ( terrae laeticae ) to settle in

2064-579: The third through the fifth centuries, Frisia suffered marine transgressions that made most of the land uninhabitable, aggravated by a change to a cooler and wetter climate. Whatever population may have remained dropped dramatically, and the coastal lands remained largely unpopulated for the next two centuries. When conditions improved, Frisia received an influx of new settlers, mostly Angles and Saxons . These people would eventually be referred to as 'Frisians' ( Old Frisian : Frīsa , Old English : Frīsan ), though they were not necessarily descended from

2112-517: The time of compilation. Furthermore, the lists for the two halves of the Empire are separated by as much as 30 years, corresponding to ca. 395 for the Eastern section and ca. 425 for the West . Therefore, not all posts mentioned were in existence at the same time, and not all posts that were in existence are shown. The surviving Notitia only mentions laeti settlements in Italy and Gaul – and even

2160-536: The tribes that lived beyond the Empire's borders. These had been in constant contact and intermittent warfare with the Empire since its northern borders were stabilized in the reign of Augustus in the early 1st century. In the West, these tribes were primarily Germans , living beyond the Rhine . There is no mention in the sources of laeti in the Eastern section of the Empire. Literary sources mention laeti only from

2208-550: The two lists of laeti prefects extant are incomplete. But the Notitia suggests that laeti settlements may have existed in the Danubian provinces also. Furthermore, the lists probably contain errors. The list of praefecti laetorum in Gaul contains prefects for the Lingones , Nervii and Batavi : but these tribes had been inside the empire since its inception under Augustus . Thus, their classification as laeti

2256-457: Was not something new and had been present since the days of the Roman Republic , Julius Caesar and Marc Antony recruited defeated Gallic and German horsemen which served in their campaigns. The practice was taken up by the first emperor Augustus with the establishment of the auxiliaries, incorporating the defeated Barbarians into the Roman army. The Laeti , like the auxiliaries, were set on

2304-685: Was promoted by the Eiderstedt farmer and political activist Cornelius Petersen, who built a traditional Frisian farmstead in Møgeltønder in 1914 and founded the rural protest movement Bondens Selvstyre ("Farmers' self-government"). More recently, the retired journalist Benny Siewertsen wrote a partisan pamphlet on Frisian heritage in Denmark. As both the Anglo-Saxons of England and the early Frisians were formed from similar tribal confederacies, their respective languages were very similar, together forming

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