Another piece of Tacitus' Germania
"In the same peninsula of Germania, next to the Ocean, dwell the Cimbri, a mighty name in history, though now just a tiny state. The traces of their ancient fame may still be seen far and wide in vast encampments on both sides of the Rhine, and by the size of these one still may gauge the mass and manpower of the nation and the historical truth of that great exodus.
Rome was in its six hundred and fortieth year when the alarm of Cimbrian arms was first heard, in the consulship of Caecilius Metellus and Papirius Carbo. Reckoning from that year to the second consulship of the emperor Trajan, we get a total of just about two hundred and ten years, so long is the conquest of Germania taking.
In the course of that great span of time there have been many losses on each side. Neither the Samnites nor the Carthaginians, neither Hispania nor Gaul, not even the Parthians have taught us more painful lessons. The freedom of Germania is a deadlier enemy than the despotism of Arsaces. After all, with what has the East to taunt us except the slaughter of Crassus?
But the Germani routed or captured Carbo, Cassius, Scaurus Aurelius, Servilius Caepio and Mallius Maximus, robbing the Roman people at almost a single stroke of five consular armies, even from Caesar they stole Varus and his three legions.
Nor was it without painful loss that Marius smote the Germani in Italy, that Divus Julius smote them in Gaul, that Drusus, Nero and Germanicus smote them in their own lands. But then the vast threats of Gaius Caesar ended in a farce.
After that ensued a peace, until the Germanics took advantage of our dissensions and civil wars to storm the headquarters of the legions and claim possession of Gaul. Driven back once more, they have in recent times supplied us more with triumphs than with victories."
Here is a picture of Cimbri women fighting Roman soldiers in order to defend their wagons by an unknown artist.
