Book IV Section I: The Usipetes and Tencteri
Conflict:
Another German migration was plaguing the region around the Rhine. The Suebi tribe, the “bully” of the Germans, was forcing the Usipetes, Tencteri and Ubii tribes out of their ancestral German lands and pushing them across the Rhine into Gaul. These wandering tribes were wreaking havoc to the Menapii tribe, a Gallic tribe that was settled along the Gallic side of the Rhine. Caesar was afraid these migrations would cause more unrest and warfare, so he decided to build a massive bridge across the Rhine (in ten days, no less) to scare off the Germans. Boogeyman Caesar has returned!
Characters:
- Piso the Aquitanian — a “brave soldier” who was a “scion of a noble house” that died during a skirmish between the Romans and Germans. He was Gallic by ethnicity but fought on the Roman side.
Quotes:
“This fresh German war over, the conviction forced itself upon Caesar’s mind that for various reasons, political and military, he was now bound to undertake the passage of the Rhine.” (page 89)
“The only superiors they [Usipetes and Tencteri] acknowledged were the Suebi, with whom, as they naively put it, not even the gods in heaven could hope to contend. Any other race of mortals would find them invincible.” (page 85)
“Another import strictly forbidden by them [Suebi] is wine. This, they consider, saps the vigor and energies of a man, and ultimately destroys his manhood.” (page 82)
Words:
- untrammeled — not deprived of freedom of action or expression; not restricted or hampered
- depredation -an act of attacking or plundering
- hamstringing — cripple (a person or animal) by cutting their hamstrings
- scion — a descendant of a notable family
- impolitic — failing to possess or display prudence; unwise
- ensign — a flag or standard, especially a military or naval one indicating nationality
- unimpeachable — not able to be doubted, questioned, or criticized; entirely trustworthy
- exigency — an urgent need or demand
- fascines -a bundle of rods, sticks, or plastic pipes bound together, used in construction or military operations for filling in marshy ground or other obstacles and for strengthening the sides of embankments, ditches, or trenches
Summary:
The Germans, once again, were giving Caesar heartburn and a lust for conquering. The Suebi were forcing other German tribes to migrate to Gaul since they had no other place to go — it was a domino effect of chaos that effected weaker Germans, local Gallic tribes and eventually, the Romans themselves. Caesar described the Suebi character in detail, saying they followed an “untrammeled freedom of life” and were extremely fit because of “hard exercise” and a diet of milk and flesh.
In a theme that will reappear throughout the narrative, Caesar talked about how Germans loved isolation and exclusiveness — having an empty, wide territory was actually a sign of power and invincibility. The displaced tribes, the Usipetes and Tencteri, were terrorizing the Menapii tribe across the Rhine. The Menapii were Gauls and ended up being slaughtered (according to Caesar) by the incoming Germans. Caesar used this killing as an excuse to raise an army and journey to the Rhine. The Germans played games with his clemency and envoys (i.e. they wanted to be “pals” with Rome, but attacked a contingency of Roman cavalry anyway).
This wily, restless nature of the Germans was also another constant; they were always willing to cooperate with Rome until an opportunity presented itself to overthrow them. Caesar declared this act “outside the pale of negotiations” and attacked the German laager. A slaughter ensued and “the great mass of women and children…fled in all directions.” But defeating these homeless tribes wasn’t enough for Caesar — he then traveled to the Rhine and was determined to cross into Germany. The Rhine was long, wide and treacherously deep and we already know the Romans weren’t a seafaring people…so Caesar built a massive bridge in ten days. His description of Roman civil engineering is unparalleled, and it’s easy to see why the Gauls/Germans were no match for him technically:
“First of all, wooden posts, a foot and a half in diameter, sharpened a little from the end, and measured to the depth of the stream, were coupled in pairs at a distance of two feet. These were then placed in position by mechanical contrivance, and driven down into the bed of the river by rams, being set not like ordinary piles, directly perpendicular with the water, but tilted over at an angle in the direction of the current.”
What a marvelous description! This passage entailed heavy reading, but the ancient insight into engineering was priceless. Once Caesar and his army crossed the new bridge, he spent a few days pillaging and burning the empty villages on the other side. The tribes had all fled once they saw Caesar pulling out the “mechanical contrivances,” so bloodshed was minimal. Once Caesar was convinced he sent a message, he recrossed the bridge and subsequently burned it down.
Macc Reacc:
As with the Helvetii tribe, I’m not sure we should be painting homeless, displaced refugees as the bad buys. The Usipetes, Tencteri and Ubii could’ve done without the bloodshed and pillaging of Gallic tribes, but I can understand their desperation. Caesar was probably thrilled that the Suebi were doing the damage for him and creating a pretext for war — all he had to do was raise behemoth legions and wait. The theme of “wily Germans” was hilarious because Caesar paints their mind games and wavering nature as a flaw, but the Romans resort to the same deceitful tactics later on. Hearing his one-sided portrayal of the culture and personality of the Suebi was also fascinating; to what degree is it accurate or racist?
Caesar’s sociopath qualities aside, I can’t deny how clever and ballsy he is. Instead of leaving the Rhine as the “final frontier,” he literally built a bridge in ten days across the roaring waters. The Roman military doubled as an engineering corps, and their skills were clearly impressive, even by modern standards. If I was a German on the other side of the Rhine and saw stout, olive-toned people raising a towering bridge, I would be terrified!
