Romans in Denmark?

[Mrld]

According to the Bay of Kiel article, it says that according to Admiral Pliny that there were Romans in Denmark? Here is the section of the article that says so. I'm confused, I don't really think that the Romans went that far North at all.

 

Kiel and Pliny

There is a tantalizing piece of possible evidence of the use of the name in antiquity. Pliny (Book IV.97) is describing the Kattegat and the large number of islands in it, the most famous being Scandinavia. Then,

 

 

[Klingan]

I've never heard of any military presence in Denmark or any official interest. However Greene, K Speculate in his book "The archeology of the Roman economy" that roman merchants may have preferred to sail around Denmark (Jylland) compared to taking their goods over land to Germany. From the cost/time models I've seen it seems far from impossible. That could explain geographical knowledge if nothing else.

[Adelais Valerius]

Wikipedia is about as reliable as a toilet paper condom, so I wouldn't trust that site too much. I actually found elephants to be extinct for a period of 4 days on that site, no joke.Since anyone can edit that sites articles, people with false information could corrupt it easily and unintentionally. Not to say that it couldn't be true, I have't looked into it myself

Edited April 13, 2007 by mikeal1917

[Northern Neil]

Was there not a Roman protectorate that reached to the estuary of the Elbe in Augustan times? I'm pretty sure there was, for a short time. If so, then Jutland is a stone's throw away from the (admittedly very temporary) Roman frontier. Jet and amber are found in abundance in this area, which was very tradeable indeed in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Thus I see the probability of shipping facilities - with accompanying protection from one or two auxilliary forts with a scattering of signal stations - as not only feasible, but quite unsurprising. I have a very old Penguin book by the British archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler called 'Rome Beyond the Imperial Frontier'. Although published in 1954, I believe much of its content is still valid, although tantalisingly no - one has followed up this work. He describes trading centres in places such as North West India, the Baltic Coast and East Africa, all places a good deal further away from direct Roman rule than Denmark. Although not set up by the state, these enterprises were certainly set up by far-travelling Roman citizens, as attested by various finds and evidence of Roman religious activity.

Edited May 22, 2007 by Northern Neil

[ScandinavianRoman]

It could be. I'm surprised the Danes didn't massacre any military presence the Romans had there, if they had any.

[ASCLEPIADES]

According to the Bay of Kiel article, it says that according to Admiral Pliny that there were Romans in Denmark? Here is the section of the article that says so. I'm confused, I don't really think that the Romans went that far North at all.

Salve, guys!

 

I didn't find the Wikipedia article, it may have been edited.

 

The number of the chapter of Pliny's quote is wrong (it should say Book IV Ch. 27), the quotation itself is basically right, although there have always been problems with the translation of the last words, that had open the way to really wild fantasies, even of the kind of "Atlantis" and stuff like that (editors frequently place a note of caution).

 

It is commonly believed that the islands with the naval base referred by Admiral Pliny are the East Frisian Islands (Borkum -the bigger-, Juist, Norderney, Baltrum, Langeoog, Spiekeroog and Wangerooge), off the coast of Lower Saxony, Germany in the North sea, near the mouth of the Ems river and today's border with Netherlands. They must have been one of the extremes of the Roman expansion.

 

There's a lot of ongoing archaeological work in Denmark. As far as I know, the only Roman findings had been coins and stuff of that kind.

 

Cheers and good luck!

Edited July 26, 2007 by ASCLEPIADES

[longshotgene]

I would imagine the Romans would have had forts or stations in the far north. It is not impossible to see. I have a book I bought in Germany called Der Romische Limes. On the map there, they show forts extending to the left-hand side of Denmark. Plus you have to figure, there comes a point where you have to ask yourself, "What the heck is there here that worth conquering"? All the Romans would have had up there was pine trees, pissed off people, and desolation. Not a good place for a soothing bath.

[Nagelfar]

All the Romans would have had up there was pine trees, pissed off people, and desolation. Not a good place for a soothing bath.

 

Most probably not a good place for a bath in those times (either...), but the romans could have been interested in amber, like egyptians and Greeks before them?

[Klingan]

All the Romans would have had up there was pine trees, pissed off people, and desolation. Not a good place for a soothing bath.

 

Most probably not a good place for a bath in those times (either...), but the romans could have been interested in amber, like egyptians and Greeks before them?

 

They could probobly quite easily have traded it against terra sigilata or cheap wine. Much easier then a military campaign.

[Praebitorae]

Roman traders almost curtainly followed the Amber-street up to the Baltic states of today crossing the vast Skythian terr.

They might aswell traveled into Lutum (lat. name for Jylland) for ex in the times of Augustus and Tiberius when there was still a more frequent and stronger Roman presence north and east of the Rhine.