[stripes1776]

I thought it had to do with who lived in cities. If you lived in fixed permanent cities you were civlilized. If you were a tribe of wandering nomads you were barbarians.

Yes, that was one of the meanings. You might want to read post 55.

[FreedomCalls]

You might want to read post 55.

55 just restates what I said in 51. To a Roman, barbarians were those who were nomadic like the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns. Anyone living in cities like the Parthians, Carthaginians, and Egyptians were not barbarians even if they were militarily opposed to Rome or did not follow Roman customs.