Sithons

Sithons (also Sitonen , Latin Sithones ) is a name for certain early Germanic tribes in northern Europe and in Scandinavia. They are only mentioned in Tacitus ' " Germania ", written in the 1st century .

"The Suionen the tribes of close sitones on. Generally similar to the suions, they differ in that a woman has rulership: so deeply have they sunk not only under freedom, but even under bondage. "

- Tacitus : Germania

It is strange that Tacitus localized the Sithons north of the Aesti (in later Prussia) on the one hand, but on the other hand referred to them as neighbors of the suions, which were usually located in Scandinavia.

In the 6th century, Jordanes mentioned the Suehans (Suionen) and their neighboring or related Suetidi in the "Getica" as a resident of Scandza (Scandinavia) . Whether the Suetidi can be equated with the Sithons is controversial. Jordanes mentioned the Dani (the ancestors of the Danes ) as one of the most important sub-tribes of the Suetidi .

literature

• Thorsten Andersson , Claus Krag :  Scandinavian tribes. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 28, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2005, ISBN 3-11-018207-6 , pp. 587-604.