Barbarians then Countries Now

For centuries the Roman Legions fought waves of "Barbarian" invaders from the East that attacked the Roman Empire looking for loot, as well as new lands to settle and claim for their own.  In the end, the Western Roman Empire was completely overrun by the Barbarian tribes and the face of Europe was changed forever. While many of the barbarian tribes have faded from history their names have come down through time in the form of countries and territories whose modern names remind us of those who brought the Western Roman Empire to her knees.  Here are a few of the most recognizable of theses once infamous (to the Romans) barbarian tribes:

Countries:

Anglo-Saxons-England
Belgae-Belgium
Bulgars-Bulgaria

Franks-France

Germani-Germany
Helvetii- Confederation Helvetica (Switzerland)
Scots-Scotland

Ottoman Turks-Turkey

 

Territories:
Bavarii-Bavaria (Germany)

Burgundians-Burgundy (France)
Lombards- Lombardy (Italy)

Jutes-Jutland (Denmark) 

Saxons-Saxony (Germany)

And while not a country, one barbarian tribal name comes down to the present-day a a word synonymous with wanton destruction for the fun of the doing the destruction, the dreaded Vandals have become the term vandalism.