TheCugerni (orCuberni orGuberni) were aGermanic tribal grouping with a particular territory within theRoman province ofGermania Inferior, which later becameGermania Secunda. More precisely they lived near modernXanten, and the oldCastra Vetera, on theRhine. This part of Germania Secunda was called theCivitas orColonia Traiana (polity or colony ofTrajan), and it was also inhabited by theBetasii.^[1][2]

The variantsCugerni, used byTacitus and in theepigraphic record, andCuberni, attested byPliny and a single inscription, presumably originated from different spelling traditions.^[3]

The name of the Cugerni is not recorded as one which ever existed on the east of the Rhine, unlike the Ubii, but the Cugerni are thought to descend at least partly from a part of theSicambri, who had already been present just over the Rhine in the time of Caesar, and then moved over the Rhine. However as with the Batavi and Tungri and other tribes of the region during Roman times, the ancestry of the Cugerni was probably mixed, and may have included other tribes from the east of the Rhine, plus survivors of theMenapii orEburones who lived in this region in the time of Caesar, when it was considered to be part ofGaul, and not yet part of the Roman Empire.

The Cugerni are amongst the Germanic tribes who crossed the Rhine from east to west, and were settled in theRoman Empire.^[2] Similarly, to their south were theUbii who also lived on the Rhine, around the modern city ofCologne in theirColonia Agrippenses. To the west of the Cugerni and Betasii were theBatavi, and to their southwest were theTungri, along with other tribes such as theToxandri, living in theCivitas Tungrorum.

Apart from the area of Xanten, places which were apparently in their region wereGelduba (Gellep nearKrefeld), Asciburgium (Asberg, also near Krefeld), Burginatium (nearKalkar), and Quadriburgium (Qualberg nearKleve). However nearbyNeuss was in the region of theUbii, with its capital atCologne.^[2]

The region of the Cugerni was in the centre of action during theBatavian revolt, with different tribal groups taking different sides. The Cugerni took the side ofGaius Julius Civilis.

The population of Germania Inferior reduced significantly in late Roman times, as new waves of Germanic tribes raided, and the Roman empire lost military control. Tribes such as theChamavi,Chattuarii, andSallii were eventually allowed to settle semi-independently within Germania Inferior, and were referred to asFranks. They united under kings and then proceeded to conquer a large part ofWestern Europe. Therefore any surviving Cugerni who stayed in the area were later absorbed into the Frankish kingdom.

• Neumann, Günter (1999),"Germani cisrhenani — die Aussage der Namen", in Beck, H.; Geuenich, D.; Steuer, H. (eds.),Germanenprobleme in heutiger Sicht, Walter de Gruyter,ISBN 978-3110164381

• Early Germanic peoples
• Tribes in pre-Roman Gaul
• Germania Inferior

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata