Mattium
Encyclopedia
Mattium was the ancient "capital" or principal settlement of the Chatti
. Its exact location is unknown, though following the description of Tacitus
it is generally assumed to be somewhere in the wider neighbourhood of Fritzlar
in northern Hesse
(Germany
).
, when he describes the Roman campaign against the Chatti under the command of Germanicus
in 15 AD. According to him the Roman army destroyed the caput gentis Mattium, directly after they crossed the river Adrana (Eder
). Aside from Tacitus' description placing Mattium north of the Eder, there is also some linguistic analysis suggesting that the names of the villages Maden and Metze and the brook Matzoff might be derived from Mattium and hence Mattium might be located in their neighbourhood. However, so far there are no archeological findings which would provide an exact location and confirm the description of Tacitus or the linguistic analysis.
The Altenburg, an ancient fortified site, in the same neighbourhood, was often equated with Mattium in older literature. However, more recent research, in particular the dating of archeological artefacts from the site, has concluded that the site was already abandoned decades before the Roman troops destroyed Mattium. Therefore the Altenburg is not considered a suitable candidate for Mattium anymore.
The term caput gentis may not only be used to denote a capital in the sense of a single large fortified settlement, but it could also refer to a central place of worship. In the latter case it is conceivable that Mattium comprised a larger area consisting of various ritual sites and settlements connected to them rather than being a single central settlement.
), also called Aquae Mattiacorum, which was the principal settlement of the Mattiaci
. The Mattiaci were a separate tribe that lived between the Rhine river and the Taunus
mountain range. Contrary to the Chatti they became incorporated into the Roman empire when the Limes Germanicus
was built.
The similarity between Mattiaci and Mattium and the fact that Mattiaci could be understood as "people from Mattium" has led some scholars to believe, that the Mattiaci might be related to the Chatti and had split off from them at an earlier time.
Chatti
The Chatti were an ancient Germanic tribe whose homeland was near the upper Weser. They settled in central and northern Hesse and southern Lower Saxony, along the upper reaches of the Weser River and in the valleys and mountains of the Eder, Fulda and Weser River regions, a district approximately...
. Its exact location is unknown, though following the description of Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
it is generally assumed to be somewhere in the wider neighbourhood of Fritzlar
Fritzlar
Fritzlar is a small German town in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, north of Frankfurt, with a storied history. It can reasonably be argued that the town is the site where the Christianization of northern Germany began and the birthplace of the German empire as a political entity.The...
in northern Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
).
Location
Tacitus mentions Mattium in his AnnalsAnnals (Tacitus)
The Annals by Tacitus is a history of the reigns of the four Roman Emperors succeeding Caesar Augustus. The surviving parts of the Annals extensively cover most of the reigns of Tiberius and Nero. The title Annals was probably not given by Tacitus, but derives from the fact that he treated this...
, when he describes the Roman campaign against the Chatti under the command of Germanicus
Germanicus
Germanicus Julius Caesar , commonly known as Germanicus, was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and a prominent general of the early Roman Empire. He was born in Rome, Italia, and was named either Nero Claudius Drusus after his father or Tiberius Claudius Nero after his uncle...
in 15 AD. According to him the Roman army destroyed the caput gentis Mattium, directly after they crossed the river Adrana (Eder
Eder
The Eder is a 177 km long river in Germany, and a tributary of the Fulda River. It was first mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus as the Adrana in the territory of the Chatti....
). Aside from Tacitus' description placing Mattium north of the Eder, there is also some linguistic analysis suggesting that the names of the villages Maden and Metze and the brook Matzoff might be derived from Mattium and hence Mattium might be located in their neighbourhood. However, so far there are no archeological findings which would provide an exact location and confirm the description of Tacitus or the linguistic analysis.
The Altenburg, an ancient fortified site, in the same neighbourhood, was often equated with Mattium in older literature. However, more recent research, in particular the dating of archeological artefacts from the site, has concluded that the site was already abandoned decades before the Roman troops destroyed Mattium. Therefore the Altenburg is not considered a suitable candidate for Mattium anymore.
The term caput gentis may not only be used to denote a capital in the sense of a single large fortified settlement, but it could also refer to a central place of worship. In the latter case it is conceivable that Mattium comprised a larger area consisting of various ritual sites and settlements connected to them rather than being a single central settlement.
Mattiacum
Mattium is not to be confused with Mattiacum (WiesbadenWiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
), also called Aquae Mattiacorum, which was the principal settlement of the Mattiaci
Mattiaci
The Mattiaci were an ancient Germanic tribe. They were possibly a branch of the Chatti, their Germanic neighbors to the east. The Mattiaci were settled on border of the Roman Empire on the right side of the Rhine in the area of present-day Wiesbaden , the southern Taunus, and the Wetterau.Tacitus...
. The Mattiaci were a separate tribe that lived between the Rhine river and the Taunus
Taunus
The Taunus is a low mountain range in Hesse, Germany that composes part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. It is bounded by the river valleys of Rhine, Main and Lahn. On the opposite side of the Rhine, the mountains are continued by the Hunsrück...
mountain range. Contrary to the Chatti they became incorporated into the Roman empire when the Limes Germanicus
Limes Germanicus
The Limes Germanicus was a line of frontier fortifications that bounded the ancient Roman provinces of Germania Inferior, Germania Superior and Raetia, dividing the Roman Empire and the unsubdued Germanic tribes from the years 83 to about 260 AD...
was built.
The similarity between Mattiaci and Mattium and the fact that Mattiaci could be understood as "people from Mattium" has led some scholars to believe, that the Mattiaci might be related to the Chatti and had split off from them at an earlier time.
Historical sources
- TacitusTacitusPublius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
: AnnalsAnnals (Tacitus)The Annals by Tacitus is a history of the reigns of the four Roman Emperors succeeding Caesar Augustus. The surviving parts of the Annals extensively cover most of the reigns of Tiberius and Nero. The title Annals was probably not given by Tacitus, but derives from the fact that he treated this...
. Book I Chapter 56 (online copy)