Germania Inferior

Germania Inferior (in English Lower Germany) was a Roman province, located along the west margin of the Rhine, on today's southern Netherlands and western Germany. The principal settlements of the province were today's Bonn (Bona), Xanten (Vetera), Utrecht (Trajectum ad Rhenum) and Cologne (Colonia Agrippina), the capital of Germania Inferior.

The army of Germania Inferior, known from inscriptions simply as EXGERINF (Exercitus Germania Inferior), had several legions at its service. Legio I Minervia and Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix were, however, the most permanent ones.

The first confrontations between a Roman army and the peoples of Germania Inferior was during Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. Caesar invaded the region in 57 BC and in the next three years annihilated several Germanic tribes, including the Eburones and the Menapians.

Germania Inferior had Roman settlements since approximately 50 BC and was first part of Gallia Belgica; it was established as a Roman province in 90 and became an Imperial province. It was north of Germania Superior and together they made up Germania; being downstream gave it the name Inferior.

Related topics

• Conquest of Germania Inferior
• Major rebellions and attacks (see Batavian rebellion for instance)
• Influence of Germania Inferior on Roman politics (see Germanicus)
• Final abandonment of the province