TheHelveconae, orHelvaeonae, orHelvecones, orAelvaeones, orAilouaiones were aGermanic tribe mentioned by Roman authors. They are possibly connected to theHilleviones ofNaturalis Historia byPliny the Elder. The Helveconae as such (manuscript variant Helvaeonae) are one of the tribal states of theLugii mentioned byTacitus inGermania.[1] The Lugii were located in theSilesia area (todayPoland). Their ethnicity is speculative. Subsequent authors, such asJohann Jacob Hofmann, 1635-1706,[2] identified the people of Tacitus with a people ofPtolemy, the Ailouaiones in Greek,[3] which has been Latinized to Aelvaeones. Perhaps the scholars innovated Helvecones, which is not attested in classical times.[4]
