chiefdom · France and the Low Countries

Cananefates

50 BCE – 300 CE (approx.) · capital Forum Hadriani

Germanic people of the Dutch coast near The Hague, kin of the Batavi, who joined the Batavian revolt of 69 CE.

Origins

Tacitus says the Cananefates were related to the Batavi and equal to them in origin, language and courage, though fewer in number. They lived in the coastal dunes and peat lands of the western Netherlands, between the Rhine mouth and the sea.

Rule and society

Like the Batavi they supplied soldiers to Rome, including cavalry units. Tacitus describes how in 69 CE they chose Brinno as their leader by raising him on a shield, the earliest recorded example of this Germanic custom.

Decline and legacy

Under Brinno they attacked Roman forts on the coast at the start of the revolt of Julius Civilis. After its defeat they returned to Roman rule, and their chief town became Forum Hadriani (Voorburg), granted market rights under Hadrian. Frankish raids in the 3rd century ended Roman life there.

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Cananefates. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/cananefates
MLA
“Cananefates.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/cananefates. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Cananefates.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/cananefates.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Cananefates’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/cananefates (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻