Alemanni Discussion

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The Alemanni (literally translates to "all men"), also known as the Suebi, were a confederation of Germanic tribes on the Upper Rhine River. The Roman historian Cassius Dio first describes the Alemanni during Emperor Caracalla's campaign and portrays them as victims of the treacherous Roman emperor. Using a pretext of peace the Romans colonized the land and executed warriors. As a result, the Alemanni enaged in conflicts with Rome and launched a major invasion of Gaul and northern Italy. In 366, they crossed the frozen Rhine in large numbers to invade Gallic provinces but were thwarted by Emperor Valentinian. A followup invasion of 406 led to the Alemanni conquering and settling large parts of Alsace and Switzerland. By the time the Alemanni fought alongside the Huns in 451 AD, the Franks had become powerful enough to be counted as allies of the Romans. The Franks united under the reign of their first king Clovis I who led the Franks in conquering the pagan Alemanni which effectively expanded the boundaries of Gaul. The Alemanni continued to exist under Frankish rule but assimilated. Today the word for Germany in many modern-day languages is Allemagne or Alemania.