TheHermunduri,Hermanduri,Hermunduli,Hermonduri, orHermonduli were an ancientGermanic tribe, who occupied an inland area near the source of theElbe river, around what is nowBohemia from the first to the third century, though they have also been speculatively associate withThuringia further north. According to an old proposal based on the similarity of the names, theThuringii may have been the descendants of the Hermunduri. At times, they apparently moved to the Danube frontier with Rome.Claudius Ptolemy mentions neither tribe in his geography but instead theTeuriochaemae, who may also be connected to both.
Strabo treats the Hermunduri as a nomadicSuebian people, living east of theElbe.[1]
Cassius Dio first reports that in the year 1 AD, a Roman named Domitius (possiblyLucius Domitius Ahenobarbus), "while still governing the districts along theIster [Danube], had intercepted the Hermunduri, a tribe which for some reason or other had left their own land and were wandering about in quest of another, and he had settled them in a part of theMarcomannian territory"; then he had crossed the Albis [Elbe river], meeting with no opposition, had made a friendly alliance with the barbarians on the further side, and had set up an altar to Augustus on the bank of the river.[2]
Velleius Paterculus also described their position:
Pliny the elder, in hisHistoria Naturalis, lists the Hermunduri as one of the nations of theHermiones, all descended from the same line of descent fromMannus. In the same category he places theChatti,Cherusci, andSuebi.[4]
In hisGermania, Tacitus describes the Hermunduri after listing some of the Suebian nations, placing them near theDanube, and the sources of theElbe:
In hisAnnales, Tacitus recounts how the HermundurianVibilius in 18 AD led the overthrow of the Marcomannic kingCatualda in favor of theQuadianVannius.[6] Around 50 AD, allied with Vannius' nephewsVangio and Sido and alliedLugii, Vibilius led the deposition of Vannius as well.[7] In 58 AD the Hermunduridefeated theChatti in a border dispute over a religiously significant river.
The Hermunduri shared a disputed border with theChatti, along a river with salt reserves near it, possibly theWerra or the SaxonSaale. The Hermunduri won this conflict.[8]
WhenMarcus Aurelius died in 180 AD, he was involved inconflict with an alliance of theMarcomanni, the Hermunduri, theSarmatians, and theQuadi.[9]
Some have suggested that the remnants of the Hermanduri went on to become theThuringii, arguing that (-duri) could represent corrupted (-thuri) and the Germanic suffix-ing, suggests a meaning of "descendants of (the [Herman]duri)".[10] This has been argued against by other scholars such as Matthias Springer.[11]
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