The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 06 : $b the early Roman Empire
History
The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 06 : $b the early Roman Empire
World history
to choose the return march of the Romans to the Rhine, but that the
conspirators found it impossible to wait so long after once the Roman
party, with Segestes at its head, had received some vague information
concerning their intentions; and they were therefore constrained to have
recourse to some other means in order to induce Varus to break up his
summer camp earlier than he had intended. But the question is of no great
consequence.
[Illustration: EARLY GERMAN WEAPONS]
In any case the scheme was successful, for Varus abandoned himself to
reckless unconcern, deceived less by the peaceful submission of the
people and by intercourse with the nobles, whom he frequently welcomed
at his table, than by the fact that suitors positively crowded to demand
justice of him. There is probably some connection between the endeavours
of the princes to convince him that the Germans acquiesced voluntarily in
the Roman order and the fact that they asked him for troops to maintain
general tranquillity. Thus it came about that he rudely rebuffed those
who, suspecting treachery behind the German show of amity, advised him to
be on his guard, and that in spite of frequent warnings on the part of
Segestes, moreover, he detached small divisions of his troops to convoy
the transport. Presently the news came that a remote tribe or province
had risen against the Romans. This had been done at the instigation of
the conspirators, in order that Varus might proceed from his camp in a
particular direction.
It would be of the highest importance if we could gather from our
authorities an approximate idea of who the rebels were or where they
dwelt; as it is, we are left to conjecture. We have seen which tribes
besides the Cherusci were subdued by Tiberius: the Caninefates,
Hattuarii, Bructeri, and Chauci. The first two need not be considered,
as they lived too near to the Rhine and were thus too completely within
the sphere of Roman dominion. There then remain only the Bructeri and
Chauci; and as the latter tribe was subsequently in possession of an
eagle belonging to one of the legions of Varus, and therefore must have
taken part in the battle, the ἄπωθεν οἰκοῦντες of Dion would seem more
appropriate to them than to the Bructeri.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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