Tencteri

[3] While the Tencteri and their neighbours were referred to by the Romans as Germanic rather than Gauls, the recorded tribal and personal names of the region include many which are most reasonably explained as Celtic.

The ethnic name Tencteri could be either interpreted as the Celtic *Tenkteroi, or else as the Germanic *Þenhteraz, in both cases from the Indo-European root *tenk- ('to become solid, firm, immobile') extended by the suffix -tero-.

[4] In his Commentarii de Bello Gallico, Caesar describes how two tribes, the Tencteri and Usipetes, had been driven from their traditional lands by the Germanic Suebi, whose military dominance had led to constant warfare and neglect of agriculture.

Alarmed by the scale of the incursion, the Menapii had withdrawn from their territories east of the Rhine and successfully resisted the Germani bid to cross it for some time.

[7] On the other hand, the 3rd century historian Cassius Dio described the place as being in the country of the Treveri near the Moselle, a river which had the same name as the Maas in Latin (Mosa) and does enter the Rhine in that region.

He discovered that a number of Gaulish tribes had attempted to pay these Germani generously to leave, but the Tencteri and Usipetes had ranged further, coming to the frontiers of the Condrusi and Eburones, who were both under the protection of the Treveri to their south.

Caesar convened a meeting of the Gaulish chiefs, and, pretending he did not know of their attempts at bribery, demanded cavalry and provisions for war against the Tencteri and Usipetes.

But Caesar would not accept this, believing the Germani were buying time for the return of their cavalry, who had crossed the Meuse to plunder the Ambivariti a few days previously.

Plutarch reports that back in Rome, Cato pronounced the opinion that they ought to deliver up Caesar to the Barbarians, thus purging away the violation of the truce in behalf of the city, and turning the curse therefore on the guilty man.

Of those who had crossed the Rhine into Gaul four hundred thousand were cut to pieces, and the few who succeeded in making their way back were received by the Sugambri, a German nation.