_Saxon_, then, like _Greek_, was a general name. Nevertheless, they were specific _Saxons_ just as they were specific _Græci_. These were the _Saxons_ of Ptolemy. When that author wrote, I believe them to have been either _Frisian_ or _Slavonians_, without saying which--Frisians, if we look for their affinities to the south of the Elbe; Slavonians, if we seek them to the east of the Bille. Between the time of Ptolemy and the end of the fourth century, the name grew into importance, and became a name of terror to the Romans, Gauls, and Britons, who applied it to the northern Germans of the sea-board in general. The spread of the name along the sea-coast began in the fourth century. Claudian alludes to a naval victory over them ----"maduerunt _Saxone_ fuso Orcades." This gives them a robbing-ground as far north as the Orkneys. Ammianus notices their descent upon Gaul; and writes that in the reign of Valentinian "Gallicanos vero tractus Franci et _Saxones_ iisdem confines, quo quisque erumpere potuit, terra vel mari, praedis acerbis incendiisque et captivorum funeribus hominum violabant." Again--"Valentinianus Saxones, gentem in Oceani litoribus et paludibus inviis sitam, _virtute et agilitate terribilem_, periculosam Romanis finibus, eruptionem magna mole meditantes, _in ipsis Francorum finibus_ oppressit." Oros. 7, 32. A victory over the Saxones at Deuso (Deutz, opposite Cologne) is referred by more than one of the later writers to the same reign. The banks of the Loire are their next quarters, Anjou being their chief locality, and their great captain bearing a name of which the Latin form was _Adovacrius_--"igitur Childericus Aurelianis pugnas egit: _Adovacrius_ vero cum _Saxonibus_ Andegavos venit ... (Aegidio) defuncto Adovacrius de Andegavo et aliis locis obsides accepit ... Veniente vero Adovacrio Andegavis, Childericus rex sequenti die advenit; interemtoque Paulo Comite, civitatem obtinuit." Greg. Tur. 2, 18; "his itaque gestis, inter _Saxones_ atque Romanos bellum gestum est, sed Saxones terga vertentes multos de suis, Romanis insequentibus, gladio reliquerunt: _insulae eorum_ cum multo populo interemto a Francis captae atque subversae sunt ... Adovacrius cum Childerico foedus iniit, Alamannosque subjugarunt." id. 2, 19. Of Saxons who joined the Lombards in the invasion of Italy we also hear from the same author--"Post hæc _Saxones qui cum Langobardis in Italiam venerant_, iterum prorumpunt in Gallias, ... scilicet ut a Sigiberto rege collecti in loco, unde egressi fuerant, stabilirentur ... Hi vero ad Sigibertum regem transeuntes, in locum, unde prius egressi fuerant, stabiliti sunt." 4, 43. The best measure, however, of the Saxon piracies is to be found in two terms, each of which has always commanded the attention of investigators--the names _Saxones Bajocassini_ and _Littus Saxonicum_.