Cugerni

The Cugerni were a Germanic tribe with possible Belgic origins who were located in modern day southern Belgium and Northern France, basically between the river Maas and the Rhine.

Their name most likely is Celtic in origin and might mean 'spears together'. This translation is however quite uncertain just like the origin of the tribe is. The people of the Cugerni tribe might have splitted from the Sicambri tribe or they are left-overs from the Teutonic migration, if this is true, they are Germanic in origin. We can only tell that the tribe formed around 100BC.

Since this tribe was relatively small, little is known about them. During Caesar's campaign in Gaul, he utterly destroys a Germanic tribe, the Atuatuci, about which I wrote a post several weeks ago. Some survivors of this tribe might have possibly joined up with the Cugerni. This is however uncertain but possible.

Nothing more is known about this tribe except their involvement in the Batavi uprising in 69AD. The Cugerni, together with the Canninefates, Chauci, Tencteri, Bructeri and Sinuci join the Batavi in their revolt and manage to defeat two Roman legions. Later they were joined by the Chatti, Usipetes and Mattiaci and they besieged a Roman fort, Mogontiacum, now known as Mainz.

Eventually the revolt was put down by the Romans and the leader of the rebellion, Civilis, retreated back into Batavi lands and made peace with the Romans, to be precise, with general Quintus Petilius Cerialis. The Batavi were treated well after this revolt, even serving as the imperial bodyguard.

The Cugerni themselves were eventually absorbed into the Roman empire after permanent borders were established along the Rhine river. The Cugerni lived in Gaul territory which became a Roman province. It is quite possible that the tribe was raided several times by invading Germanic tribes trying to move westwards. Eventually the Cugerni were absorbed into the Frankish confederation.