The Burgundii were a confederation of Germanic tribes situated on the eastern bank of the Rhine River as of 363 AD. From the cold, harsh climes of Northern Europe, the Burgundians travelled far to achieve greatness. Although occupying the eastern part of Central Europe around 98 AD, and surrounded by other tribal societies, archaeological and linguistic evidence suggests that they originated from the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm, which means "Little Island of the Burgundians" in Old Norse. By the 1st century AD, however, they were active in mainland Europe and, as the centuries progressed, solidified their position as a power in the north and east of the continent. The Burgundians first encountered the Romans in 277 AD when they crossed the Rhine, led by the Vandals, during an unsuccessful invasion. However, the forces of Emperor Marcus Aurelius pushed them back, scuppering Burgundian hopes of establishing themselves in the west. Not to be deterred, they continued to clash with Romans in small skirmishes whilst fighting other local tribes, ultimately settling around the Elbe River. When the Huns invaded in 436 AD, the Huns butchered most of the Burgundian population, with Attila the Hun getting revenge for the Burgundii's attempts to bribe him out of attacking Rome. The survivors were absorbed by the Franks, Visigoths, and fragmented Western Roman Empire. The remnants migrated to the areas in present-day Cote-d'Or and Moselle, in the region that became known as Burgundy.