tribal confederation · France and the Low Countries

Frisii

100 BCE – 400 CE (approx.)

Germanic people of the North Sea coast who lived on artificial mounds and defied Rome by force and by diplomacy.

Origins

The Frisii lived on the coastal marshes of the northern Netherlands between the Rhine and the Ems. To survive floods they built terps, artificial dwelling mounds raised over generations. They became tributaries of Rome after the campaigns of Drusus in 12 BCE.

Rule and society

They paid tribute in ox hides. Roman sources describe no kings but war leaders and envoys; in 58 CE Verritus and Malorix travelled to Rome and boldly took seats among the senators at Pompey's Theatre, winning Nero's admiration.

Decline and legacy

In 28 CE they revolted against exactions, hanging tax collectors and defeating the Romans at the Baduhenna wood. Rome later abandoned control. In the 4th century rising seas left much of the coast nearly deserted, and the area was resettled, later forming the Frisian Kingdom.

Connections (1)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻