tribal confederation · Germany and Central Europe

Quadi

10 BCE – 406 CE (approx.)

A Suebian people north of the middle Danube who, with the Marcomanni, fought Rome under Marcus Aurelius and later joined the great migration into Spain.

Origins

The Quadi settled in Moravia and western Slovakia, probably moving there from the Main region around the same time as the Marcomanni at the end of the 1st century BCE. They formed part of the realm of Maroboduus and later of the client kingdom of Vannius, established by Rome in 19.

Rule and society

Ruled by kings, often confirmed by Rome, the Quadi lived in villages, traded with Roman Pannonia and buried their elite with Roman imports. They joined the Marcomannic Wars from 166; the 'Rain Miracle' depicted on the Column of Marcus Aurelius took place on their territory. Rome built forward posts in their land such as Mušov.

Decline and legacy

In 374 the killing of their king Gabinius by a Roman officer provoked a raid into Pannonia, and Emperor Valentinian I died in 375 while confronting their envoys. In 406 many Quadi crossed the Rhine with the Vandals and Alans, probably becoming part of the Suebian kingdom in Spain.

Lineage

Kingdom of Vannius 19 CE – 50 CEQuadi

Connections (1)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻