Batavians: a Germanic tribe in the Roman Empire DOCUMENTARY

Their origins trace back to 'barbaric' germania, but as immigrants the Batavians found their real birthplace within the borders of the Roman empire. In service of the Roman army they became renowned as excellent warriors and horsemen. But fighting prowess is not all that unique for barbarians; the birth and evolution of their society all in close ties with ancient Rome is though. In this video we will take a close look at the history of the Batavians, their culture, religion, society, place and meaning within the Roman empire.

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Music: Rome Total War 1 Jeff van Dyck
Rome Total War 2 Richard Beddow
Adrian von Ziegler

Graphic design: German Reber

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[fabricio-agrippa-zarate]

I just love the fact that you portray the Batavians greeting the Roman soldieres as normal people and not the "barbarians" all fidgy or angry, and the Romans all disgusted, like Hollywood loves to portray the situation.

[thaneofwhiterun]

I fail to understand how this channel isn't more popular, I'm glad I discovered it, keep it up guys!

[Dunebuggy]

As a native of the batavian town of Forum Hadriana im grateful for the work u guys are putting in this series. Forum Hadriana was founded by the Emperor Hadrian which was located next to the Corbulo Channel, dug by the men of General Corbulo to connect the Rivers Rhine and Maas. Archeological work has unearthed a town a few footballfields wide, home to many villas and a river harbor, with roads connecting the limes nearby. It is now known as Voorburg.

[kreg]

Never have I seen a historically reenacted video clip so fascinating before such as this one. I really loved how you portrayed returning Batavian men from Roman army to their homeland.

[derekdakis]

It's hard to find others who produce the sort of live-action documentary-like videos that you guys make, besides the Smithsonian channel. Excellent stuff!

[metric]

Great video. Hello from Jakarta, a city who was once named Batavia!

[kamielheeres]

You often learn about ancient history in broad strokes. That's why I really apreciate a video like this that goes really in depth on one specific subject.

[giuliomattioli]

Thank you! I am Italian and living in the Netherlands now. So cool to know more about the link between Romans and Batavians ;)

[hræfnwarianMLXVI]

Always great to see a video on the inhabitants of the Roman Empire beyond the Mediterranean. I find it fascinating that Neder Betuwe in the Netherlands is taken from the ancient Batavia, a tribe that had both rebelled against the Romans under the leadership of Julius Civilis, and had survived as auxiliaries to fight against the Celtic tribes in Britain some 1900 years ago: inscriptions in Scotland at Hadrian's wall, and the Vindolanda tables mention the names of the tribes that fought as auxiliaries in the Roman army.

Fascinating history northern peoples have.

You just earned yourself a subscriber friend.

[patcollins]

Extremely well done and very informative. And what a truly excellent living history site you were able to use!

[Diogolindir]

I cannot believe this is the first time I encounter this channel. I've been swiming in ancient Rome's content since forever. This material is such a masterpiece

[jarlbregadan]

The reenactment brings a whole new level of realism and engagement, thus, ancient people are not just names and faceless ideas, they are people, it hits in a different way. Thank you for this.

[helmort]

What I liked about the video is the fact that it specifically targets the ancient inhabitants of the Netherlands. The greatest and most common misconception among people who aren't familiar with the ancient Roman Empire is to think of it as something exclusively created by Italians. They fail to understand that the power of Rome was derived from the diverse multitude of nations and ethnicities united under the name of "Rome." Therefore, seeing these "Dutch" Romans was fascinating, as it helped me comprehend the significance of individuals coming from regions so distant from the Mediterranean area. Just consider the Batavian cavalry, which served as the emperor's guard and played a central role in the entire society of the empire. Moreover, one can imagine how influential the Batavians were in advising the emperors regarding tactics, politics, and handling populations near their borders. I would appreciate seeing more documentaries like this, as the usual ones about ancient Rome tend to focus solely on Rome in Italy, neglecting the contributions of other European populations such as the Dutch, French, Germans, Spanish, Portuguese, and countless others who, through their sacrifices, played a crucial role in shaping such a vast and impactful empire in human history.
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[LindaInpijn]

The amount of effort you guys put in this video is amazing. Keep up the good work!

[geertham]

I'm currently writing an essay on the corporis custodes, the Germanic bodyguard corps of the Julio-Claudian emperors, which consisted mostly of Batavians. These people were highly praised for their martial and equestrian skills, and were said to have possessed the ability to swim across a river, on horseback, in full battle attire.

[MaximilianTheRed]

My family is part of the Keith clan from Scotland who are descendants of the Chatti tribe. Thank you for making this video, it's interesting to hear about them.

[michaelhleck]

This channel deserves far more viewership than it has.

[erolegario]

I devoured this video. I love the focus on the Batavians. I would like to see more similar material on other local tribes in and around the Netherlands.

[bobbylee]

My home town, called Batavia and located in Illinois, USA was named after Batavia, New York. This was apparently a Dutch name since the Dutch were pushed out of New York City previously called New Amsterdam and moved up the Hudson River to upstate New York. I hadn't realized that these same Dutch settlers from the seventeenth century could very well have descended from the Batavians from two thousand years ago. Was this possible? I am half German and half English so, who knows? But I grew up saying I was a Batavian...from Illinois...from the USA.

[LilyoftheValeyrising]

I really enjoy seeing the live reenactment of the characters in your videos. I’m looking at the details in the clothing construction, the house how it’s laid out, how it’s built and more. Also the Roman soldiers walking around with all their armour and weapons must have bee spectacular! It’s great to see how it was instead of imagine.