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<p>[QUOTE="Tejas, post: 7750654, member: 84905"]The start of the Viking age is dated to the sack of the Lindesfarne monastry in AD 793. So no, Vikings did not exist in the Roman age. Viking is not an ethnic designation like Dane, Gutar and Svear, the ancient inhabitants of Scandinavia. Viking is an "occupational" designation. A Dane on a sea raid became a Viking. Back home he was a Dane again. A Svear on a sea raid became a Varanger (not a Viking) and back home he was a Svear again. </p><p>The term is analogous to "pirate and seafaring trader and explorer". The time before the Viking-age is called Vendel age in Sweden or simply pre-Viking period everywhere else. </p><p>The Roman sources knew very little about Scandinavia, primarily from the works of Ptolemy (ca. AD 150). However, the Romans knew of one group of Germanic people called the Heruls (Eruli), who were most likely warrior groups from Scandinavia. Much like the later Vikings, the name Herul was a term for warrior bands that, depending on the situation, attacked Roman territory or offered its military services. There were permanent Herulic units in the Roman army such as the <i>Eruli auxilia palatina</i> and the <i>Heruli seniores </i>and <i>Heruli iuniores.</i> The massive sea raids in the Black Sea in AD 267 includes Heruls. At other times, Heruls attacked and raided the Spanish coast.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Tejas, post: 7750654, member: 84905"]The start of the Viking age is dated to the sack of the Lindesfarne monastry in AD 793. So no, Vikings did not exist in the Roman age. Viking is not an ethnic designation like Dane, Gutar and Svear, the ancient inhabitants of Scandinavia. Viking is an "occupational" designation. A Dane on a sea raid became a Viking. Back home he was a Dane again. A Svear on a sea raid became a Varanger (not a Viking) and back home he was a Svear again. The term is analogous to "pirate and seafaring trader and explorer". The time before the Viking-age is called Vendel age in Sweden or simply pre-Viking period everywhere else. The Roman sources knew very little about Scandinavia, primarily from the works of Ptolemy (ca. AD 150). However, the Romans knew of one group of Germanic people called the Heruls (Eruli), who were most likely warrior groups from Scandinavia. Much like the later Vikings, the name Herul was a term for warrior bands that, depending on the situation, attacked Roman territory or offered its military services. There were permanent Herulic units in the Roman army such as the [I]Eruli auxilia palatina[/I] and the [I]Heruli seniores [/I]and [I]Heruli iuniores.[/I] The massive sea raids in the Black Sea in AD 267 includes Heruls. At other times, Heruls attacked and raided the Spanish coast.[/QUOTE]
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