Barbarians was the name given to all the peoples who lived beyond the boundaries of the Roman Empire, including the Germanic tribes, the Celts, the Slavs, and the Persians. The word "barbarian" comes from the Greek word "barbaros", which was used to describe people who did not speak Greek or Latin. The Romans used the word "barbarian" in a derogatory way, to refer to people who they saw as uncivilised and primitive.