Trier, Hariulf Inscription

The Burgundians were an East-Germanic tribe that migrated to the west in the third century CE, and later settled in the northern Black Forest area that had once been occupied by the Alamans. Their new kingdom was situated on the Lower Main, opposite Mainz. Although the Burgundians would eventually invade the Roman Empire, relations could be cordial as well: Rome and the Burgundians were united in their opposition to the Alamans.

This is corroborated by the Hariulf Inscription from the Skt. Matthias Necropole south of Trier: the tombstone of a Burgandian prince who had been a member of the emperor's bodyguard, but died young. He lived in the second half of the fourth century, perhaps serving Valentinian I. The inscription, known as CIL 13.3682 or EDCS-10600450, is now in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Trier.

HARIVLFVS PROTECTOR
DOMESITIGVS EILIVS HAN-
HAVALDI REGALIS GENTI-
S BVRGVNDIONVM QUI
VICXIT ANNOS XX ET MENS-
SIS NOVEm ET DIES NOVEm.
REVTILO AVVNCVLV-
S IPSIVS FECIT

Which can be translated as:

Hariulf, imperial
guardsmen, son of Han-
havald, of the royal fam-
ily of the Burgundians, who
lived 20 years and 9 mo-
nths and 9 days.
Reutilus, his uncl-
e, erected this.

Literature

H. Cüppers, Trier. Kaiserresidenz und Bischofsstadt (1984), p.349-350