Hilleviones

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The Hilleviones were the occupants of Scandinavia in the first few centuries BC, according to Pliny the Elder (Naturalis Historia, Book 4, Chapter 27.) This assignment seems to contradict a slightly later writer, Tacitus, who assigns the Suiones (Swedes) to Scandinavia (Germania).

One solution is that Hilleviones is a corruption of a phrase including Latin ille and (S)uiones; however, this approach is an alteration of the original text. A better solution is that the Hilleviones were an early population of Halland, Sweden. Pliny says that they resided in 500 villages, which are not enough to account for all the inhabitants of Scandinavia, but could have been enough for Halland of that time. If so they could be the same as the Hallin, of Scandza, who are mentioned by Jordanes.

Hilleviones is most likely segmented Hill-eviones, where the -eviones would have the same etymology as for the Auiones. The Hil- or Hal- therefore would represent the name of the people. Some also suggest a possible connection to the Helveconae of the southern Baltic coast.