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{{Short description|Ancient ethnic group}}
[[File:Cimbrians and Teutons invasions.svg|thumb|The migrations of the Teutons and the [[Cimbri]].<br/>{{Battle red}} Cimbri, Ambrone and Teuton defeats.<br/>{{Battle blue}} Cimbri, Ambrone and Teuton victories.]]
The '''Ambrones''' ({{langx|grc|Ἄμβρωνες}}) were an ancient tribe mentioned by [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] authors. They are believed by some to have been a [[Germanic peoples|Germanic tribe]] from [[Jutland]]; the Romans were not clear about their exact origin.

In the late 2nd century BC, along with the fellow [[Cimbri]] and [[Teutons]], the Ambrones migrated from their original homes and [[Cimbrian War|invaded]] the [[Roman Republic]], winning a spectacular victory at the [[Battle of Arausio]] in 105 BC. The Ambrones and the Teutons, led by [[Teutobod]], were eventually defeated at the [[Battle of Aquae Sextiae]] in 102 BC.

== Name ==
The origin of the name ''Ambrones'' poses a great difficulty in explanation, since the root ''Ambr''- and its variants are found in many areas of the European continent: the [[Ombrone]]s of the upper [[Vistula]]; the *''Ymbre'' (dat. ''Ymbrum''), a tribe mentioned in the ''[[Widsith]]''; the islands of [[Amrum]] (older ''Ambrum'') and Imbria (modern [[Fehmarn]]); the river names [[Ammer (Neckar)|Ammer]], [[Amper]], and [[Emmer (Weser)|Emmer]]; the region of [[Ammerland]]; the town of [[Emmerich am Rhein|Emmerich]]; the Italic [[Umbri]] (or ''Ombrii''); and the Greek personal names ''Ambri'' and ''Ambriki''. 

''Ambrones'' is mentioned as a name of the [[Ligures]] by Plutarch. A possible corruption of Germanic ''Amr''- to ''Ambr''- by Roman sources makes the attribution even less secure.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last1=Kuhn|first1=Hans|title=Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde|last2=Wenskus|first2=Reinhard|publisher=De Gruyter|year=2010|chapter=Ambronen|chapter-url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/database/GAO/entry/RGA_174/html}}</ref>
The Proto-Celtic word *''ambi''- means "around" (see [[Ambigatus]], [[Ambiorix]], [[Ambiani]], and [[Ambisagrus]]).

== Origins ==
The Ambrones are generally classified as a [[Germanic peoples|Germanic tribe]].<ref name="Hussey">{{cite book |last=Hussey |first=Joan Mervyn |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zus8AAAAIAAJ |title=The Cambridge Medieval History |date=1957 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press |CUP Archive]] |pages=191–193 |quote=It was the Cimbri, along with their allies the Teutones and Ambrones, who for half a score of years kept the world in suspense. All three peoples were doubtless of Germanic stock. We may take it as established that the original home of the Cimbri was on the Jutish peninsula, that of the Teutones somewhere between the Ems and the Weser, and that of the Ambrones in the same neighborhood, also on the North Sea coast. |author-link=Joan M. Hussey}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=History of Europe |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Europe/Barbarian-migrations-and-invasions#ref58258 |access-date=June 26, 2018 |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica Online]] |quote=Even before 200 bce the first Germanic tribes had reached the lower Danube, where their path was barred by the Macedonian kingdom. Driven by rising floodwaters, at the end of the 2nd century bce, migratory hordes of Cimbri, Teutoni, and Ambrones from Jutland broke through the Celtic-Illyrian zone and reached the edge of the Roman sphere of influence, appearing first in Carinthia (113 bce), then in southern France, and finally in upper Italy.}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> [[Celts|Celtic]] influences have also been suggested, but this is controversial.<ref name="Hussey"/>

According to [[Hans Kuhn (philologist)|Hans Kuhn]] and [[Reinhard Wenskus]], the Ambrones may have originated in [[Jutland]], around the island of [[Amrum]] or [[Fehmarn]], from which they accompanied the Teutons in their southward march in the late 2nd century BC. Parts of a detachment may have remained around the upper [[Vistula]], where they are perhaps later attested as Ὄμβρωνες (Ómbrōnes) by [[Ptolemy]] (2nd century AD). Mentions of the *Ymbre in the Old English ''[[Widsith]]'', along with British sources calling the Ambrones ''Saxons'', may also suggest that a number of them remained near their homeland in the north.<ref name=":0" />

==History==
The three neighbors began their career in Roman history as an alliance determined to emigrate to the lands of the south. A Roman source reports that "The Cimbri, Teutones and Tigurini, fugitives from the extreme parts of Gaul, since the Ocean had inundated their territories, began to seek new settlement throughout the world."<ref name="Roman History" />

The Ambrones were part of the fleeing multitude. Plutarch gives the numbers advancing on Italy as 300,000 armed fighting men, and much larger hordes of women and children. (Many of Plutarch's figures were enormous exaggerations). The Barbarians divided themselves into two bands, and it fell to the lot of the Cimbri to proceed through [[Noricum]] in the interior of the country against Catulus, and of a passage there, while the Teutons and Ambrones were to march through [[Liguria]] along the sea-coast against the consul [[Gaius Marius]], who had set up camp on the [[Rhône]]. Plutarch tells us that Ambrones alone numbered more than 30,000 and were the most warlike division of the enemy, who had earlier defeated the Romans under [[Gnaeus Mallius Maximus]] and [[Quintus Servilius Caepio (consul 106 BC)|Quintus Servilius Caepio]].<ref name="Lives Plutarch">Plutarch, ''Lives'':  [http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/c_marius.html Life of Marius].</ref> The Ambrones followed a custom observed amongst Celts in the shouting the name of their tribe going into battle.<ref name="Lives Plutarch" /> It was the [[Battle of Arausio]] in 105 in which the Romans were defeated under Servilius Caepio and Gnaeus Mallius.<ref name="Petriochae Livy">Livy, ''Periochae'', book 67.</ref>

The Teutons and Ambrones assaulted the camp of Marius and were repulsed. They decided to go on and streamed around the camp, giving the Roman soldiers messages for the wives they should encounter as domestics when enslaved. Marius followed swiftly and again encamped next to them at [[Battle of Aquae Sextiae|Aquae Sextiae]] at the foot of the Alps. The year was 102 BC.<ref>Plutarch, ''Lives'': Life of Marius; Livy, ''Periochae'', book 68.</ref>

The battle began as a chance encounter but the Romans turned it into a victory. Roman camp followers attempting to draw water from a nearby river were attacked by the Ambrones, who were still using it. The [[Ligures|Ligurians]] acting as Roman auxiliaries came to their rescue and were repulsed across the river. The opportunity was not lost on Marius. The Romans quickly formed ranks and caught the Ambrones trying to recross the river. The Ambrones lost the main part of their force.<ref name="Roman History">Lucius Annaeus Florus, ''The Epitome of Roman History'', book I, part 38.</ref>  Two days later Marius repulsed an attack on the camp and caught the enemy force between his own main force in the front and an ambush of 3,000 men under the command of Marcus Claudius Marcellus who Marius had sent under the cover of darkness the night before the battle in order to strike the enemy rear. This new threat caused a panic and in short time the army collapsed into rout.<ref>In The Name of Rome pg. 148-149- Adrian Goldsworthy</ref> Plutarch reported that Marius took 100,000 prisoners, though this is likely exaggerated. <ref>Plutarch, ''Lives'': [http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/c_marius.html Life of Marius].</ref> Some of the surviving captives are reported to have been among the rebelling [[gladiator]]s in the [[Third Servile War]].<ref name=strauss>{{cite book |last=Strauss |first=Barry |title=The Spartacus War |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j3LowhKACVwC&q=marius+german |year=2009 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-4165-3205-7 |pages=21–22 }}</ref> Although Caesar mentions that the remnants of the Cimbri and Teutons formed a new tribe in Belgic Gaul, the [[Atuatuci]], he does not mention any remnants of the Ambrones.<ref>Caesar, ''Gallic War'', book 2, chapter 29.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Amrum]] in [[Nordfriesland]]
*[[Zuider Zee]]
*[[Ligures]]
*[[Sicambri]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

{{Germanic peoples}}

[[Category:Early Germanic peoples]]
[[Category:Cimbrian War]]
[[Category:Pre-Roman Iron Age]]