The Ethnic Origin of the "Δουλοσπόροι" [Doulosporoi]

The object of the present study is to examine closely the problem of the Sithones; Tacitus describes them in his 'Germania' c. 45, 6 as follows: 'Suionibus Sithonum gentes continuantur. cetera similes uno differunt, quod femina dominatur: in tantum non modo a libertate sed etiam a servitute degenerant'. The prevalent opinion is that knowledge of this group of tribes is limited to the passage quoted. Until recently it has either been located in Finland or regarded as Finnish; a study of its origin is, thus, important from the point of view of early Finnish history. Since Tacitus expressly mentions the Sithones as neighbours of the Suiones, the geographical location of these two groups is essentially one and the same problem. The extent of the habitat of the Suiones must remain unknown until the location of their neighbours can be established. Therefore, the whole of the second chapter of this book is devoted to the problem of the location of the Suiones. The question of the different tribes of the Sithones, their nationality, and Tacitus' statement about their female ruler and their degeneracy will be treated in separate sections. The title of this book has been suggested by the degeneracy of the Sithones, which provides a connection between them and the group of the 'δουλοσπόροι' discussed in the last two chapters.