Germanic-Roman Contacts - Gift Aspect

Gift Aspect

Another aspect of Germanic-Romanic inter-relations is the exchange of gifts. artefacts may have been traded to the Germanics as diplomatic gifts. For instance by diplomacy. Gifts were given to enhance and strengthen alliances, bonds and the likes. Archaeologist Lynn F. Pitts writes about the Roman relationship to the Marcomanni and the Quadi that:

Rome was perhaps concerned to cultivate these Germanic tribes in order to counterbalance their neighbours. Diplomacy rather than military strength kept the peace along the frontier.

This is an important point. The Roman empire became increasingly vulnerable as they expanded, thus stretching their military capacity. Pitts go on to write that the Marcomans were a very strong military power, with a standing army of 7000 infantry and 4000 cavalry. It's obvious that the Romans wanted to maintain peaceful relations with certain Germanic tribes. Especially towards the end of the Roman Empire, when it became ever increasingly weak. Pitts points out that ”…it is apparent that, apart from short periods of hostilities, relations between Rome and the Marcomanni and Quadi were friendly…”.

It became more and more common, as the Roman Empire neared its end, that the Romans paid tribute to Germanic armies who threatened to invade Rome. This takes us to the plunder aspect.