AL'EMAN'NI, more correctly spelled ALA MANNI (probably, "all men"). The name of a military confederacy of several German tribes which began to appear on the lower and middle Main about the beginning of the third century. CaracaIla fought with them first on the Main in 211 A.D., but without conquering them; Alex ander Severus was equally unsuccessful, but Maximinus finally drove them beyond the Rhine. After his death they again invaded Gaul, hut were defeated by Postumus, who pursued them into Germany, and fortified the boundary of the Roman territory called the Agri Decumates. The mounds near Pfiirung, on the Danube, the ram part extending through the principality of Hohen lobe to Jaxthausen, and the ditch with palisades on the north side of the Main, are remains of the fortifications. The Alemanni, however, did not desist from their incursions, although repeatedly driven back. After 282, being pressed upon from the northeast by the Burgundians, they made permanent settlements within the Roman bound ary from Mainz to Lake Constance. At last
Julian came (357) to the relief of Gaul, which had been suffering from the incursions of the Alemanni, and soon compelled eight chiefs to sue for peace. Their united force, in their prin cipal battle with Julian. amounted to 35,000 men. After the fifth century the confederated nation is spoken of as Alemanni and Suavi or SileVi. During the fourth century they had crossed the Rhine, and extended as far west as the Vosges. and south to the Helvetian Alps. At length Clovis broke their power in 490, and made them enbjeet to the Frankish dominion. The southern part of their territory was formed into a duchy, called Alemannia. The name of Swabia was later applied to the part of the duchy lying east of the Rhine. From the Alemanni the French have given the name of Allemands and Allemagne to Germans and Germany in general, though the inhabitants of the north of Switzer land, with those of Alsace and part of Swabia, are the proper descendants of the Alemanni.