Dutchmen, at EB??

**jerby** · 06-02-2005, 21:31

you must be an old man by now

seriuously though, i'm 16 and my cocoa of choice was nesquick or nescaffe. never heard of "van Houten". Is probably extinct right now ;P

**eadingas** · 06-02-2005, 21:36

Hah! You got all americanized, and don't know the good stuff of your own country :)
Found their website: http://www.vanhoutendrinks.com/
It's a "bit" higher quality than Nesquik :) And yes, that was in the early 80's. We used to get it in foreign aid parcels while suffering under communist yoke... I guess we weren't that bad off :D

**frisian28ad** · 06-02-2005, 21:55

You all might forget me but I am back, but can't log into the EB team anymore.... Eadingas, Khelvan am I kicked out or something (not mad or anything just sad)??
Anyway I fought a little war to get the Batavians or Batavieren in the mod. I made several topics about them.

This the one that is still in my PC (sorry this is really the last time that I post this, just a history lesson for my fellow country men), anyway I am not starting again with this war all over again, you may proceed with your cacao discussion

The Batavorum Equitata (The Batavian Mounted Guard)

This document should give you a good view on the Batavorum Equitata, who they were, where they came from and why they were so special.

1. The Batavians (ancestors of the Dutch)

Three tribes
The Batavians were one of the three Germanic tribes who lived in the territory that we now know as the Netherlands. In the north lived the independent Frisians, the biggest of the Germanice tribes, they lived in the north of the Netherlands and the preserved there ancient name till this time. One of the northern provinces is still called Friesland. The second tribe the Canninefates covered the west-coast of the Netherlands. They partly fell under the Roman reign, and they were loyal allies to the Romans, supplying them with soldiers for there auxiliaries. The Canninefates were a rather small and minor tribe, who were almost the same as there slightly bigger neighbors, the Batavians.
The Batavians had there territory in the middle of the Netherlands, what now is called the Betuwe. A marshland between two rivers, the Maas and the Rhine. There capital Oppidum Batavorum (later destroyed in the Batavian revolt, and rebuilt as Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum), modern-day Nijmegen is the Netherlands oldest city and this year is its 2500 year anniversary.

Greatly influenced
The Batavians were a very Romanized tribe, always very loyal to the Romans as one of the few Germanic tribes. The next example shows how impressed the Batavians were by the Romans. That made them to mix certain aspects of the Roman culture with there own. The Romans called there god Donar, Hercules Magusanus. Because of the resemblance, the Batavians took this over. There are many founding’s of Batavian pictures that distinctively show Hercules with his lion skin and club. Hercules Magusanus was the god of war, and was worshipped by the Batavian warriors. There are lots of inscriptions found of Hercules Magusanus, in Rome, Great-Britain and Germany. This shows that the Batavians served in the Roman army scattered through the empire.
The Romans respected the proud Batavians, and treated them as equals. They maintained there autonomy, and only had to pay taxes. The Batavians were described by the Romans as tall figures with brightly blonde hair tight up in knot, with bright blue eyes, cloaked in animal skin. But after contact with the Romans, the historians conclude that the Batavians were greatly influenced in there clothing by Rome. They even started to give there children and there selfs Roman names, trying to be taken more seriously by the Romans. Desperately trying to please them and trying to live up to the high Roman standards. But they never forgot who they were; on every tombstone they always had written the word ‘Bataaf’ (Batavian). They eventually would be known in Rome as noble civilised people but still barbarics. The Batavians were very versatile; they were excellent horsemen and even better swimmers. Because there territory was not good farming ground, they lived form trading and fighting. That made them a real warrior tribe.

2. The Batavorum Equitata

Tactics and special capabilities
The Batavians were excellent warriors, and the Romans though they not had to fight them recognized this. They started to recruit them mainly to fill up there ranks for there cavalry units. The Batavians distinct there selfs, with a capability the Romans had not seen before. The Batavians were strong and tall enough to could cross deep and large waters mounted or along side there horse, in full armor keeping there formation. There are even sources that tell of foot soldiers who hung alongside the Batavians while crossing water, using the Batavians as raft to cross water fast. But foot soldiers were also send along with the Batavians to hung along side to keep the weapons of the elite Batavians dry. They also had the capability to react in formation as fast as large group of fish (plaice) on the battlefield. Well organized without flaws. Used by Roman commanders as shock troopers and heavy cavalry.

Robin Hood
Batavian warriors were very versatile, and skilled in the use of any weapon. In there is famous Roman story about a Batavian rider, Soranus. In 118 AD he shot an arrow high in to the air and while his first arrow was quivering through the skies, he shot a second arrow breaking the first on in flight. Soranus was the Robin Hood of his time, Romans dared to say that there Batavian was no match for a Parthian or any other archer. But not only Soranus was an excellent archer, all the Batavians were. They became the elite mounted unit of the Romans, highly respected through the Roman ranks, praised by Tacitus.

An imperial gift
The Batavians were even given a main temple for there main god Hercules Magusanus, for Batavian standards a marvellous structure they never could have build themselves, lacking the expertise and money. It is thought to be a personal project financed with money from the emperor himself. An inscription was found, with the words roughly translated: Because the Batavian people supply us with fine soldiers.

People fully committed to the Roman army
From demographic research is known that every Batavian family had one or more sons in the Roman army. Always supplying the Roman army with loyal soldiers. But there are more sources to back this up, with excavations in the territory of the Batavians there were numerous certificates of Batavian sons who had returned successfully from military training with the Batavorum Equitata, returning to home waiting to be stationed. There were about 5000 Batavian riders in the Roman army, all having there own cohorts, for example; the Cohors Primae Batavorum equitata.
After a 25 year service in the Roman army, the Batavian veterans were granted the Roman citizenship. This was highly unusual for auxiliary troops, that once again points out the special place they had in the Roman army. The veterans always returned to there homelands. They always took there armor with them, to sacrifice it to there god Hercules Magusanus. Thankful that they did not in died in combat, and lived long to fight as many battles as possible.

The Imperial Mounted Bodyguards
The excellence of the Batavians was not unnoticed by the Roman emperors. They eventually were granted the task to protect the emperor. Not only because of there impressive tall blonde appearances, but also knowing the fact they were the most fierce and committed bodyguards an emperor could wish for. As Tacitus writes: The emperors trusted the Batavians, says Tacitus, "because they were foreign." (Tacitus, Ann. 15.58). They even got there own barracks and practise grounds within the walls of Rome, which again was highly unusual for any military unit, especially non-Roman.
The job of imperial bodyguards was practiced with fiery passion. After Emperor Caligula was murdered during games, the Batavians in there frustration failing to protect there emperor, killed everyone in there way through Rome in search of the murderers.
The mounted Batavian unit in Rome contained about 500 riders, all fully committed to the emperor.

How did they look?

The head
As impressive, as how they fought. Being elite among the auxiliary the Batavians wear iron helmets. Unusual because if the Romans supplied armour to there auxilia, it was made of bronze or poor quality. The helmets they wear were the Robinson Type G and H, mostly decorated with black plumes, black feathers and blonde wigs giving it a Batavian touch. Under there helmets they wear facemasks, the Batavians did not painted there faces, instead they wear masks in combat (there are many cavalry facemasks found in and around Nijmegen). It is known they already did this before they met the Romans. It was thought that the masks that were found only were used in parades or cavalry sports (Hippika Gymnasia). But it is almost certain that the Batavians wear them also in battle, because there are battle damaged masks found on battle sites and around Nijmegen. Around neck they wear a white stroke of linen (folca),

The body armor
Mainly they wear sleeveless scale armor (loricae squamatae), without shoulder pads. With an extra iron decorated chest plate (pectorale), or several iron decorated crests. Under there armour they wear a thick wool tunica with sleeves till the elbow. Attached on the tunica was leather subarmalis or undercoat, with long strokes of leather (pteryges) on the shoulders and hips. Around his waist or shoulder he wear a broad leather belt called the balteus, decorated with sowed in Germanic patterns and decorated round iron crests. In the middle of the belt was one big decorated iron crest called the phalera. Leather half long pants (feminalia) and high leather boots (caligae) complete the body armor.
The horses wear leather Batavian saddles, and sometimes also a facemask.

The weapons
On top of the body armor they wear a flat six cornered shield, decorated with Germanic or Anglo-Gallic motifs. The oval shield was abandoned, because the six cornered shield was found more practical in combat.
There main weapons were the basta the 2 m 60 long shocking spear. That was used in the initial attack and in first contact, to shock the enemy. After they breached deep into the enemy formation, they would switch to there spatha an 85 cm long piercing and cleaving sword. They also used bow and arrow, but not usual. It did not fit in the way they liked to fight, to surprise the enemy hit them as hard as possible, retreating leaving the enemy in chaos turn back and hit them again.

Links for more information:
http://www.roman-britain.org/military/coh1bat.htm
http://www.esg.ndirect.co.uk/Gentlemen.htm
http://www.i-friesland.com/Tacitus_tribes.htm
http://www.livius.org/ba-bd/batavians/revolt01.html
http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/157090

**The Stranger** · 06-03-2005, 14:55

ik ben niet nederlands maar wel een nederlander.

**jerby** · 06-03-2005, 15:27

hi agaian, read a lot.

Yes, they do actually serve coffee.

but its a side dish

"lekker" is the dutch word for "hot" she's hot. he's hot. etc..

eadingas, i see Van Houten si still alive. but i can see why i dint recognize it. its way to darn expensive.

Any belgium'ers out there. i dont want a war. im just to much of a patriot to make a " the dutch suck" option. if they do, then i dont wanna know.

Belgium is a great country actually. Good chocolat, nice 'ardennen' nice Antwerpen.Havnet got to taste the beer yet tough.

So, how do you all like Dutch beer?

**eadingas** · 06-03-2005, 15:30

I like Grolsch, and I can stomach Heineken after few Grolsches :) I also like Amsterdam Maximator for its price/alcohol ratio value ;) (though I don't know if that's really Dutch beer or just pretending to be?)

**Jebus** · 06-03-2005, 15:33

Dutch 'beer'?

**jerby** · 06-03-2005, 18:25

amsterdam maximator. never heard of it. probably so bad we export it to other country's...

yeah, dutch beer. Heineken is on teh list for worlds best beers i hear. but im not much of a beer fan myself. I personnaly like the sweet-stuff a lot better. and Corona's are good too