Teutones

The Teutones were a Germanic people who, along with the Cimbri, migrated from the Jutland peninsula in the late 2nd century BCE. Their migration led them into conflict with the Roman Republic. Initially, they defeated Roman armies in battles in Gaul and Hispania. However, their westward movement was ultimately halted by the Roman general Gaius Marius. In 102 BCE, Marius defeated the Teutones decisively at the Battle of Aquae Sextiae, and in 101 BCE, his colleague Quintus Lutatius Catulus defeated the Cimbri at the Battle of Vercellae.

The exact origin of the Teutones is not definitively known, but they are generally considered to be of Germanic stock. Their name has been associated with the word "Teutonic," which has historically been used to refer to Germanic peoples and languages. Following their defeat by the Romans, the Teutones appear to have been absorbed into other Germanic groups or to have faded from historical record as a distinct entity. Their brief but impactful appearance in Roman history highlights the early encounters between Germanic tribes and the expanding Roman world.