What were the foederati in the Roman military?

The foederati were peoples, cities, or tribes bound to Rome by a treaty known as a foedus. During the Republic, the term described allied socii, but under the Empire it evolved to designate foreign states, client kingdoms, or groups of barbarian mercenaries who provided military assistance in exchange for benefits and settlement rights.

What we know

• Foederati were peoples and cities bound by a treaty known as a foedus with Rome. [2]
• During the Roman Republic, the term foederati identified the socii. [2]
• During the Roman Empire, the term described foreign states, client kingdoms, or barbarian tribes that provided military assistance in exchange for imperial benefits. [2]
• The term was also used for groups of barbarian mercenaries who were typically allowed to settle within the empire after service. [2, 5]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Romulus Augustulus?
• how it workedHow did Roman infantry tactics evolve?
• the bigger pictureWhat types of units made up the Roman army?
• what followedWhat caused the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
• compared withHow did barbarian mercenaries integrate into Roman politics?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a dispute over land settlement lead to the deposition of the last Western Roman emperor?The allied barbarian foederati demanded lands in Italy, and when this was refused by Orestes, they revolted under Odoacer and deposed the last Western Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus.

Sources

• [1]foederati (Wikidata Q129224) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Foederati · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Roman infantry tactics · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Romulus Augustulus · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]List of Roman army unit types · CC BY-SA 4.0