Aesti

The term Ästier or Aisten was used in the Baltic studies to the 20th century as a synonym for Balts.

As Ästier (Latin Aestii ) Tacitus called the Baltic tribes on the eastern Baltic Sea ( Mare Suebicum ). The amber found on the Baltic coast made ​​their home early on a trade for the country visited. The Gothic historian Jordanes wrote that the aster were peaceful farmers who lived from fishing and collecting of amber. Cassiodorus reported that the Gothic king Theodoric sent aester the Great amber gifts.

The Anglo-Saxon merchants Wulfstan, who visited the venue Truso on the Vistula Lagoon, the Baltic population still calls estas. The Common name then was transferred to the finnugrischen Estonians. In research, it is discussed whether the Common name of Germanic origin ( cf. Gothic: aisteis -, honorable, honorable ') could be.

The Ästier in Tacitus ' Germania

Although Tacitius himself never visited these areas and in this regard he relied solely on information from third parties, are his ethnographic descriptions of Ästier and other, neighboring ethnic groups, the most detailed ancient times. In the Germania, he writes:

"Next Aestier now the nations be purged on the right coast of the Suevenmeeres whose customs and all externals such as the Suevi, are closer to the language of the British. They worship the Mother of the Gods. As a badge of this belief they carry Eberbilder; Diess, instead of weapons and protection of Allen, provides carefree sure the worshipers of the goddess even in the midst of enemies. Rarely is of iron, often the cudgel use. Cereals and other crops they build with a large for the usual inertia of the Germanic patience. However, they also search the sea and gather in all the only ones between the shallows and on the beach itself, the Bernstein, known to them Glaesum. But what is the nature or kind it arises that they have not been studied or explored as barbarians; long even he was below the other ejection of the sea, to our glory addiction gave him fame. With them he is in no consumption: raw he is picked up, spent informally, and in amazement they receive the award. But the fact that he is the sap of trees, one may clearly seen from it, because earth and by themselves seem wing animals very often, which is wrapped by the moisture, to, the substance hardens, are included. Legal blessed woods and groves, believe so I must, as in the interior of the East, where the frankincense and balsam exuded as well be in the islands and countries of the West, where such substances by the neighboring rays of the sun excreted and liquid in the glide very close to the sea and ausfluthen by the storms of violence at the remote beach. If one examines the amber nature by close accommodated fire, it ignites as the Kien and nourishes a rich, fragrant flame; hereupon he is tough as to pitch or resin. - The continuation Suionen are the tribes of the Sitonen; similar in other respects, they differ by only one thing, that because a woman is Lord; up as far as they are not merely degenerated from the freedom, but also from the bondage. Here Suevenlandes is the end. "