Ubii

U´BII(Οὔβιοι), a German people who in Caesar's time lived on the east bank of the Rhine and opposite to the Treviri, for Caesar having made his bridge in the country of the Treviri passed over into the country of the Ubii. Owing to their proximity to the Rhine they were somewhat more civilised than the other Germans, being much visited by merchants and accustomed to Gallic manners ( B. G. 4.3, 18, 6.29, 35), The Sigambri were the neighbours of the Ubii on the north. The Suevi were pressing the Ubii hard, when the Ubii applied to Caesar for help: they gave him hostages, and offered to supply him with a large number of boats to cross the river, from which we may infer that they were accustomed to navigate the Rhine. ( B. G. 4.16.) In the time of Augustus (Strab. 4. p. 194), the nation crossed the Rhine, and Agrippa assigned them lands on the west bank of the river, the policy of the Romans being to strengthen the Rhenish frontier against the rest of the Germans. (Tacit. Germ. 100.28, Annal. 12.27; Sueton. Aug. 100.21.) In the new territory of the Ubii was Colonia Agrippina ( Cöln), and hence the people had the name of Agrippinenses, which was one of the causes why the Germans east of the Rhine hated them. They were considered as traitors to their country, who had assumed a new name. (Tac. Hist. 4.28.) North of the Ubii on the west side of the Rhine were the Gugerni [GUGERNI]; and south of them were the Treviri. [COLONIA AGRIPPINA; ARA UBIORUM.]
[G.L]