Quadi

The Quadi were a Germanic people active in late antiquity, generally considered part of the Suebi confederation. They inhabited the central Danube region, with areas that roughly correspond to parts of western Bohemia and Moravia in what is now the Czech Republic, and adjoining regions of Lower Austria. The name Quadi is attested in Latin sources from the first centuries CE; its exact linguistic origin remains uncertain, but they are regarded as speaking a Germanic language.

Society and economy of the Quadi are not well documented, but they are understood to have practiced a mix of agriculture, pastoralism, and crafts, and to have participated in regional trade networks linking the Roman world with inland Europe. They are best known for their alliance with the Marcomanni during the Marcomannic Wars (approximately 166–180 CE), when they contested Roman control along the Danube frontier. Roman authors describe the Quadi as formidable opponents, and the conflict contributed to a prolonged period of pressure on the Roman limes and frontier defenses.

After the wars, the Quadi continued to be a frontier people for a time, but they gradually disappear from distinct historical records as a separate group. Their fate in late antiquity is unclear; some scholars suggest assimilation into neighboring populations, including other Germanic groups and later Slavic communities that settled Bohemia and Moravia. In historical and archaeological discussions, the Quadi are frequently studied in connection with the broader dynamics of the Danube frontier and the transformation of central Europe in the post-classical era.