Editing Alemanni (section)

==Conflicts with the Roman Empire==
[[File:Karte limes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|The [[Limes Germanicus]] 83 to 260 CE]]
{{Campaignbox Rome against the Alamanni}}
The Alemanni were continually engaged in conflicts with the [[Roman Empire]] in the third and fourth centuries. They launched a major invasion of [[Gaul]] and northern Italy in 268 when the Romans were forced to denude much of their German frontier of troops in response to a massive invasion of the [[Goths]] from the east. Their raids throughout the three parts of Gaul were traumatic: [[Gregory of Tours]] (died ca 594) mentions their destructive force at the time of [[Valerian (emperor)|Valerian]] and [[Gallienus]] (253–260), when the Alemanni assembled under their "king", whom he calls [[Chrocus]], who acted "by the advice, it is said, of his wicked mother, and overran the whole of the Gauls, and destroyed from their foundations all the temples which had been built in ancient times. And coming to [[Clermont-Ferrand|Clermont]] he set on fire, overthrew and destroyed that shrine which they call ''Vasso Galatae'' in the Gallic tongue," martyring many Christians ([http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/gregory-hist.html#book3 ''Historia Francorum'' Book I.32–34]). Thus sixth-century Gallo-Romans of Gregory's class, surrounded by the ruins of [[Roman temple]]s and public buildings, attributed the destruction they saw to the plundering raids of the Alemanni.

In the early summer of 268, the [[Roman Emperors|Emperor]] [[Gallienus]] halted their advance into Italy but then had to deal with the Goths. When the Gothic campaign ended in Roman victory at the [[Battle of Naissus]] in September, Gallienus' successor [[Claudius Gothicus]] turned north to deal with the Alemanni, who were swarming over all Italy north of the [[Po River]].

After efforts to secure a peaceful withdrawal failed, Claudius forced the Alemanni to battle at the [[Battle of Lake Benacus]] in November. The Alemanni were routed, forced back into Germany, and did not threaten Roman territory for many years afterwards.

Their most famous battle against Rome took place in [[Argentoratum]] ([[Strasbourg]]), in 357, where they were defeated by [[Julian (emperor)|Julian]], later Emperor of Rome, and their king [[Chnodomarius]] was taken prisoner to Rome.<ref name="EB1911"/>

On January 2, 366, the Alemanni yet again crossed the frozen [[Rhine]] in large numbers, to invade the Gallic provinces, this time being defeated by Valentinian (see [[Battle of Solicinium]]). In the great mixed invasion of 406, the Alemanni appear to have crossed the [[Rhine|Rhine river]] a final time, conquering and then settling what is today [[Alsace]] and a large part of the [[Swiss Plateau]].<ref name="EB1911"/> The crossing is described in [[Wallace Breem]]'s historical novel ''[[Eagle in the Snow]]''. The [[Chronicle of Fredegar]] gives the account. At ''Alba Augusta'' ([[Alba-la-Romaine]]) the devastation was so complete, that the Christian bishop retired to [[Viviers, Ardèche|Viviers]], but in Gregory's account at Mende in [[Lozère]], also deep in the heart of Gaul, bishop Privatus was forced to sacrifice to idols in the very cave where he was later venerated.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}  It is thought{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}} this detail may be a generic literary ploy to epitomize the horrors of barbarian violence.

=== List of battles between Romans and Alemanni ===
[[File:Europe and the Near East at 476 AD.png|thumb|upright=1.6|Europe at the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD]]
* 259, [[Battle of Mediolanum]]{{snd}}[[Emperor Gallienus]] defeats the Alemanni to rescue Rome
* 268, [[Battle of Lake Benacus]]{{snd}}Romans under Emperor [[Claudius II]] defeat the Alemanni.
* 271
** [[Battle of Placentia (271)|Battle of Placentia]]{{snd}}Emperor [[Aurelian]] is defeated by the Alemanni forces invading Italy
** [[Battle of Fano]]{{snd}}Aurelian defeats the Alemanni, who begin to retreat from Italy
** [[Battle of Pavia (271)|Battle of Pavia]]{{snd}}Aurelian destroys the retreating Alemanni army.
* 298
** [[Battle of Lingones]]{{snd}}[[Caesar (title)|Caesar]] [[Constantius Chlorus]] defeats the Alemanni
** [[Battle of Vindonissa]]{{snd}}Constantius defeats the Alemanni.
* 356, [[Battle of Reims (356)|Battle of Reims]]{{snd}}[[Caesar (title)|Caesar]] [[Julian the Apostate|Julian]] is defeated by the Alemanni
* 357, [[Battle of Strasbourg]]{{snd}}Julian expels the Alemanni from the [[Rhineland]]
* 368, [[Battle of Solicinium]]{{snd}}Romans under Emperor [[Valentinian I]] defeat an Alemanni incursion.
* 378, [[Battle of Argentovaria]]{{snd}}Western Emperor [[Gratianus]] is victorious over the Alemanni.
* 451, [[Battle of the Catalaunian Fields]]{{snd}}Roman General [[Flavius Aetius|Aetius]] and his army of Romans and barbarian allies defeat Attila's army of [[Huns]] and other Germanic allies, including the Alemanni.
* 457, [[Battle of Campi Cannini]]{{snd}}Alemanni invade Italy and are defeated near [[Lake Maggiore]] by [[Majorian]]
* 554, [[Battle of the Volturnus (554)|Battle of the Volturnus]]{{snd}}Byzantine General [[Narses]] defeats a combined force of [[Franks]] and Alemanni in southern Italy.

===Subjugation by the Franks===
{{main|Alamannia}}
[[File:Alamannien Hochburgund ca 1000.png|thumb|upright=1.15|Alemannia (yellow) and Upper Burgundy (green) around 1000]]
The kingdom of Alamannia between Strasbourg and Augsburg lasted until 496, when the Alemanni were conquered by [[Clovis I]] at the [[Battle of Tolbiac]]. The war of Clovis with the Alemanni forms the setting for the conversion of Clovis, briefly treated by [[Gregory of Tours]]. ([http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gregory-clovisconv.html#n30 Book II.31]) After their defeat in 496, the Alemanni bucked the Frankish yoke and put themselves under the protection of [[Theodoric the Great]] of the [[Ostrogoths]]<ref>{{cite book|author=Jonathan J. Arnold|title=A Companion to Ostrogothic Italy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=48wJDAAAQBAJ&dq=alemanni+ostrogoths+536+franks&pg=PA93|year=2016|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-9004313767|page=93}}</ref> but after his death they were again subjugated by the Franks under [[Theudebert I]] in 536.<ref>{{cite book|author=Ian Wood|title=Franks and Alamanni in the Merovingian Period: An Ethnographic Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_z-vB8XUiV4C&dq=alemanni+536+franks&pg=PA33|year=1998|publisher=The Boydell Press|isbn=0851157238|page=33}}</ref> Subsequently, the Alemanni formed part of the [[Franks|Frankish]] dominions and were governed by a Frankish duke.

In 746, [[Carloman (mayor of the palace)|Carloman]] ended an uprising by summarily executing all Alemannic nobility at the [[blood court at Cannstatt]], and for the following century, Alemannia was ruled by Frankish dukes. Following the [[treaty of Verdun]] of 843, Alemannia became a province of the eastern kingdom of [[Louis the German]], the precursor of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. The duchy persisted until 1268.