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Major part of present day Slovak Republic lied beyond the frontier of the Roman Empire. Only small part of contemporary Slovakia on the right bank of the river Danube, in the fore field of present day capital Bratislava with the Roman castle Gerulata and its hinterland belonged to the Roman territory – to the province of Pannonia. Direct neighbourhood of the territory of south-western Slovakia with northern Pannonia influenced not only the formation of frontier zone but had also an impact on the development in its wide fore field.
This territory beyond the limes and adjacent parts of Lower Austria and southern Moravia were settled by Germanic tribes of the Marcomanni and the Quadi during that time. The Romans kept notably close and intensive relations with them. Long lasting political and cultural dominance of the Romans can be observed in coexistence of these different socio-cultural and economic systems. Already after the first contacts with Germans the Romans started to interfere in power and political inner affairs of both named Germanic tribes that led to the vassal dependence of Germans on the Rome.
Danubian Germans, particularly their elite upper class, profited from such way of coexistence, however. It was not only because of the gifts for allied tribe chiefs that helped keep their position in the Germanic society, and, at the same time, their vassal relationship to the Rome or because of the common frontier exchange (trade) that mediated noticeable import inflow to this region. Moreover, the Marcomanni and the Quadi obviously used convenient location of their tribe centres on important long-distance main trade road – on the Amber Route. This fact is evidenced by permanent and growing inflow of the Roman goods that is reflected not only by the rich graves but also by abundant Roman pottery, glass and metal products on Germanic settlements. Roman influence had an impact on social structure as well as on economy of the society of the Marcomanni and the Quadi. Acculturation process reached considerable stage of Romanisation.
Remarkable grow of population and of power of Danubian Germans manifested already at the end of AD 1st century, but particularly in the 2nd century, as Germans had tried to get free from their vassal dependence. In such turbulent times Romans had to use military power and to perform punitive expeditions onto Germanic territory to confirm and strengthen their authority and power in this frontier region.
Under Marcus Aurelius, in the time of major Roman-Germanic confrontation in the Middle Danubian region, situation reached breaking point with serious impact on the further mutual relations. The resistance of the Marcomanni and the Quadi could have been broken only after seizure of enemy territory by numerous Roman troops. After so called Marcomannic Wars the Danubian Germans re-submitted themselves to the Roman power but very soon they took the initiative again. Consequently, the power and political situation as well as mutual Roman-Germanic relations changed. On the territory of south-western Slovakia very unique phenomenon can be observed during that time, namely the Roman or in Roman style built architectures found in the Germanic environment.
More details of chosen aspects of described development are available on the webpage "Transformation", section "Barbaricum" (Transformation on the territory north to the frontier of Noricum and Pannonia Superior).