Nemetes

The Nemetes were a Germanic tribe dwelling in the Rhineland during the Roman period. Their territory was located on the left bank of the Rhine River, centered around the area of modern-day Speyer, Germany.

The Nemetes are believed to have been part of the larger tribal confederation of the Suebi, although their precise relationship to other Germanic tribes is not definitively known. They appear in Roman historical accounts from the 1st century BC onward, notably in the writings of Julius Caesar and Tacitus.

The tribe's name is of Celtic origin, suggesting possible earlier Celtic influence or cohabitation in the region. The name is possibly derived from the Celtic word nemeton, meaning a sacred grove or sanctuary. The Romans established the city of Noviomagus Nemetum (modern Speyer) within their territory, which became a significant administrative and military center.

The Nemetes participated in various conflicts against the Roman Empire, but they also allied with the Romans at times. They were eventually absorbed into the Frankish kingdom during the Migration Period, losing their distinct tribal identity. The region they once inhabited became part of Francia and later the Holy Roman Empire. Little archaeological evidence specific to the Nemetes distinguishes them from other Germanic tribes of the period, relying primarily on Roman textual accounts for understanding their history and location.