The Lygii, Lugii, or Just Plain 'ol Lugans

These brash people, who inhabited the outter rims of the Germanic world, who controlled the "Amber Road" and were up in arms at one time against the Romans were to me what would have been construed as the boogeymen of ancient Europe. They were fierce, and according to Tacitus and Gibbons, they painted themsleves and their shields black and attacked in the dead of night. At first the Romans were terrified, but their discipline and strength of arms eventually defeated the maruaders. They were pushed back to their homelands, and saved from total annihilation by the Romans themsleves. The Lygii came forth later in recorded history as Poles and Lithuanians.

This got me thinking. I live in the Chicago area, which is heavily populated by Poles and Lithuanians. There is a term used when reffering to Lithuanians here: Lugan. I don't know if it is a derogatory statement, or just a short form instead of using the term Lithuanians. I never put these two words together until I read about the Lygii in the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Their location is evident, and the fact that the Lithuanians are from the same general area made that little bell in my head ring.

In my opinion, I wouldn't say the word Lugan is a derogatory, catch-all punch in the gut against the Lithuanians. It might be acutally flattering; to be called by the earliest of names for your people.

If I called a modern German from the Southwest of the country a Treveri would he get offended?

Probably not, though quite possible since the Treveri were Gauls and not Germans.