Victohali
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Victohali The Victohali, Victovali, Victufali, Victuali, or Victa- bali were a Germanic people group of Late Antiquity. In Greek their name is Biktoa or Biktoloi. They crossed the Danube with the Marcomanni and Quadi during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161–180). According to the chapters attributed to “Julius Capitolinus” in the unreli- able Historia Augusta: . . . now not only were the Victuali and Marcomanni throwing everything into confu- sion, but other tribes, who had been driven on by the more distant barbarians and had re- treated before them, were ready to attack Italy if not peaceably received. [1] They also participated in the Marcomannic Wars, or, as Capitolinus calls it, the “German war” or “war of many nations”. [2] They participated in the barbarian conflict with the Roman Empire in 290, or earlier. According to Eutropius, writing around 360, nunc Taifali, Victohali et Tervingi habent (“the Taifali, Victohali, and Tervingi now possess”) Dacia. [3] Claudius Mamertinus, in a speech praising Maximian, says of some year shortly after 291 Tervingi, pars alia Gothorum, adiuncta manu Taifalorum, adversum Vandalos Gipedesque concurrunt ("Tervingi, another part of the Goths, together with the Taifals, cam- paigned against the Vandals and Gepids"). Given the lo- cation of this fighting and the peoples involved, “Van- dals” in this instance is probably an error for Victohali, who are known to have inhabited the region of the Theiss and Somes rivers at this time (from Eutropius). Per- haps the Victohali were a part of the Vandals (Vandili), along with the Lacringi, Asdingi, Silingi, Helvecones, and Narharnavales. During the reign of Constantius II, the Sarmatian chief- tains were defeated by a slave revolt and fled to the Vic- tohali for protection, as Ammianus Marcellinus writes: And these native chiefs, losing all their wis- dom in their fear, fled to the Victohali, whose settlements were at a great distance, thinking it better in the choice of evils to become sub- ject to their protectors than slaves to their own slaves. [4] 1 Notes [1] Capitolinus, Historia Augusta, Marcus Aurelius, 14:2. [2] Capitolinus, Historia Augusta, Marcus Aurelius, 22:1– 7, says “all the nations banded together against us— the Marcomanni, Varistae, Hermunduri and Quadi, the Suebians, Sarmatians, Lacringes and Buri, these and cer- tain others together with the Victuali, namely, Osi, Bessi, Cobotes, Roxolani, Bastarnae, Alani, Peucini, and finally, the Costoboci.” [3] Eutropius, Breviarium historiae Romanae, VIII.ii.2. [4] Ammianus, Res Gestae Libri XXXI, XVII.xii.19. 1
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Victohali
Transcript of Victohali
Victohali
The Victohali, Victovali, Victufali, Victuali, or Victa-bali were a Germanic people group of Late Antiquity.In Greek their name is Biktoa or Biktoloi. They crossedthe Danube with the Marcomanni and Quadi during thereign of Marcus Aurelius (161–180). According to thechapters attributed to “Julius Capitolinus” in the unreli-able Historia Augusta:
. . . now not only were the Victuali andMarcomanni throwing everything into confu-sion, but other tribes, who had been drivenon by the more distant barbarians and had re-treated before them, were ready to attack Italyif not peaceably received.[1]
They also participated in the Marcomannic Wars, or, asCapitolinus calls it, the “German war” or “war of manynations”.[2]
They participated in the barbarian conflict with theRoman Empire in 290, or earlier. According toEutropius, writing around 360, nunc Taifali, Victohaliet Tervingi habent (“the Taifali, Victohali, and Tervinginow possess”) Dacia.[3] ClaudiusMamertinus, in a speechpraising Maximian, says of some year shortly after 291Tervingi, pars alia Gothorum, adiuncta manu Taifalorum,adversum Vandalos Gipedesque concurrunt ("Tervingi,another part of the Goths, together with the Taifals, cam-paigned against the Vandals and Gepids"). Given the lo-cation of this fighting and the peoples involved, “Van-dals” in this instance is probably an error for Victohali,who are known to have inhabited the region of the Theissand Somes rivers at this time (from Eutropius). Per-haps the Victohali were a part of the Vandals (Vandili),alongwith the Lacringi, Asdingi, Silingi, Helvecones, andNarharnavales.During the reign of Constantius II, the Sarmatian chief-tains were defeated by a slave revolt and fled to the Vic-tohali for protection, as Ammianus Marcellinus writes:
And these native chiefs, losing all their wis-dom in their fear, fled to the Victohali, whosesettlements were at a great distance, thinkingit better in the choice of evils to become sub-ject to their protectors than slaves to their ownslaves.[4]
1 Notes[1] Capitolinus, Historia Augusta, Marcus Aurelius, 14:2.
[2] Capitolinus, Historia Augusta, Marcus Aurelius, 22:1–7, says “all the nations banded together against us—the Marcomanni, Varistae, Hermunduri and Quadi, theSuebians, Sarmatians, Lacringes and Buri, these and cer-tain others together with the Victuali, namely, Osi, Bessi,Cobotes, Roxolani, Bastarnae, Alani, Peucini, and finally,the Costoboci.”
[3] Eutropius, Breviarium historiae Romanae, VIII.ii.2.
[4] Ammianus, Res Gestae Libri XXXI, XVII.xii.19.
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