Despite the large variations in spellings of their name theVarisci,Varisti,Naristi, orNarisci were a singleGermanic people, known from several historical records from theRoman era.[1]
Tacitus reported their location in about 100 AD as being just north of the Roman frontier on theDanube river, east of theHermunduri, whose territory stretched from theRaetian part of the Danube to the sources of theElbe, and west of theMarcomanni andQuadi.[2] The Roman geographerPtolemy described theOuaristoi living south of the "Sudeten" Mountains and north of the "Gabreta" Forest. These sources have been interpreted in many ways, but the best records would be consistent with a location not far from the Roman province ofPannonia Superior, possibly in the area north of present dayLinz.[3]
Roman authors associated the Varisti, Hermunduri, Marcomanni and Quadi as Suebian peoples who moved into the Danube region under Marcomanni leadership, taking over from the remainingBoii still living in this part of their ancient homelands. Very likely, then, all three allies were not from that region, but moved into it from the north under pressure from the Roman invasions intoGermania during the reign ofAugustus.
During theMarcomannic Wars which occurred during the reign ofMarcus Aurelius, the chief of the Naristi was killed by the Roman GeneralMarcus Valerius Maximianus.[4]
The Marcomannic Wars are chronicled and explained inMarcellinus Ammianus, although the Varisci are not mentioned there. They do find brief mention as theVaristae of theVita Marci Antonini Philosophi (Chapter 22) ofJulius Capitolinus. They were among the tribes who crossed the Danube, but are not mentioned after that.
The best guess as to their eventual fate is that they were transplanted to Italy, along with many other Danube-dwelling warrior peoples, by Marcus Aurelius, where he could watch over them.[citation needed]
They are the presumed prior inhabitants of a medieval district,Provincia Variscorum, the same (in presumption) as theVogtland district ofSaxony inGermany.[citation needed]
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