With kindred peoples they were often in conflict with the Roman Empire, and gave their name to the Marcomannic War, a struggle waged by the emperor Marcus Aurelius against them and the Quadi.
The next important conflict with the Romans was the Marcomannic War (166180), in which all the Suebic tribes together with the Vandals (apparently the ancient Lugii) and the Sarmatian lazyges seem to have taken part.
As a tribal name Vandali occurs first in connexion with the Marcomannic War.
They first came into contact with the Romans during the Marcomannic War.
The Semnones and Langobardi were at one time subject to the dominion of the Marcomannic king Maroboduus, and at a much later period we hear of Langobardic troops taking part against the Romans in the Marcomannic War.