Avenging Varus - Campaigns of Germanicus (14-15 AD) DOCUMENTARY

Following the cold winter of 14 AD, the northern lands of Germania began to look just a bit brighter with the thawing of spring. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the future prospects of the tribes beyond the Rhine. The afterglow of their victory at Teutoburg had begun to wane in the face of Rome's vengeful wrath. In just a few years, the legions had carved a brutal swath through the frontier territories, burning, enslaving, massacring all in their path. But that was just the warm-up act. Rome now had its eyes on far greater prey. Vengeance against Arminius and the perpetrators of the Varian disaster. As a supplement to our own episode today, I highly recommend watching Europe from Above, which covers the spectacular landscapes of Germany through which the legions marched. MagellanTV is compatible with Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Play, and iOS, which means you can watch it anytime, anywhere on your television, laptop, or mobile device. Sign up today to get 30% off an annual membership, which starts with a two-week free trial. That's less than $3.50 a month for access to thousands of documentaries. The offer is available for both new and returning users, so be sure to click the link in the description below or go to try.magellantv.com. Enjoy! The 30-year-old commander Germanicus had spent the winter months planning his next moves. This involved processing the huge number of reports from the field, generated by his patrols, scouts, spies, and informants. These, in turn, would have been synthesized by the advisors into a strategy for the campaigning season of 15 AD. Ultimately, it appears that they recognized the difficulty of taking on a united Germanic confederation. Thus, their overall strategy would revolve around dismantling that alliance in a piecemeal fashion. This would primarily be achieved by unleashing a series of lightning strikes to eliminate each tribal element one by one. The opening move saw the eight Roman legions split into two army groups. The first group would be placed under the command of Aulus Caecina Severus. His role would be to launch a diversionary attack towards Arminius and the Cherusci tribes with four legions, 5,000 auxiliaries, and some hastily raised levies. Meanwhile, Germanicus would take the remaining four legions and roughly 10,000 auxiliaries to go after the true target of the offensive, the Chanti. This was a powerful Germanic people that Tacitus describes as follows, hearty frames, close-knit limbs, fierce countenances, and a peculiarly vigorous courage mark the tribe. For Germans, they have much intelligence and sagacity. They promote their picked men to power and obey those whom they promote. They keep their ranks, note their opportunities, check their impulses, portion out the day, entrench themselves by night, regard fortune as doubtful, valor as an unfailing resource, and what is most unusual and only given to systemic discipline, they rely more on the general than on the army. Their whole strength is in their infantry, which in addition to its arms is laden with iron tools and provisions. While other tribes you see going to battle, the Chanti go to campaign. It would seem by this description, they were a fierce opponent well worth knocking out of the fight early on. In a head-on contest, this would have been a tall order. However, the meticulous planning by Rome's commanders combined with their feint against the Cherusci yielded a distinct advantage. According to our sources, Germanicus executed a rapid march into their lands, outpacing his own engineers who were slowly building out a network of roads and bridges. Such a lightning assault was apparently only possible due to a short spell of unseasonal dryness which left the streams and marshes shallower than usual. Altogether, this meant that when Rome's iron fist came crashing down on the Chanti, it caught them completely off guard. Every living thing in the path of the Roman army was captured or slaughtered. When the tribe attempted diplomacy, their envoys were either ignored or outright killed. Utter chaos fell upon the region as the invaders ravaged the land. Some tribesmen attempted to hold their ground at the fortified capital of Matium. Yet even this proud bastion fell and was burned to the ground. Who was not chained or slain, ran for their lives into the forests. Germanicus next marched towards the Rhine, ravaging this country on his way. The Cherusci, meanwhile, had heard of the attack and attempted to come to the rescue. However, they had been successfully delayed by Caecina, who had marched tauntingly around their lands, demanding their attention. His job accomplished, the Roman subordinate now also pulled back to the frontier. On his way, the neighboring Marsi rose to meet the legions. In response, Caecina forced them into an open battle and utterly crushed the tribe. In short order, he accepted the absolute surrender of their commander and completed the return journey to the Rhine. The legions now regrouped. Their blitz had been an incredible success. The Chanti, once a mighty and powerful tribe, had been utterly and completely destroyed while the Marsi and the Cherusci had been cowed. Phase one of the 1580 strategy had been achieved, and it was only May. The long summer months of the campaigning season lay ahead. There was much to be done. After a brief moment of respite, the legions were on the move again. Phase two of their plans involved driving a wedge between the tribal groups, which by now must have been reconsidering their options in the face of Rome's vengeful wrath. The crack that Germanicus hoped to widen existed in the form of the pro-Roman faction of Segestes. He was a Cherusci chieftain who had butted heads with Arminius in the past, and who had even attempted to warn Varus of the betrayal at Teutoburg. Since the uprising, the faction of Segestes had existed in a tentative state of coexistence with the neighboring anti-Roman groups. More recently, however, the two had come to blows as Arminius cracked down on dissent within the ranks and Germanic forces actually besieged the renegade The Romans saw this as a perfect opportunity to show the tribes that anyone who sided with them would receive the full protection of the legions. There was also a more personal motive for this rescue mission. Segestes actually harbored Thusnelda, his own daughter and the pregnant wife of Arminius. Seizing her would allow Germanicus to deal a deep, personal blow to the enemy commander and provide leverage against an otherwise intractable foe. Thus, the legions executed a rapid march to save their ally. A battle was held before the fort of Segestes, which ultimately ended in a Roman victory. With the siege lifted, Germanicus now beat a hasty retreat with his valuable refugees before the enemy could retaliate. Segestes and the pro-Roman allies were given a place of refuge, while Thusnelda was sent all the way to Ravenna back in Italy. She is generally lauded by Roman authors as being a The rescue slash hostage taking operation earned Germanicus the honor of being acclaimed Imperator and filled the Roman world with cheers. However, it also served as a rallying cry for the Germanic tribes, many of whom now joined the cause of Arminius who was driven into a frenzy. But Germanicus was not one to leave his enemies with any room to breathe, and now launched a new wave of attacks for the summer of 15 AD. In an absolutely massive campaign, Germanicus chose to split his forces into three major army groups, whose goal was to obliterate another major ally of Arminius, the Bructarii. Caecina and Lucius Sturtinius led two prongs of the attack by land from the south while Germanicus led an amphibious assault from the north. The carefully choreographed pincer move completely overwhelmed the enemy. All along the river Ems, the lands were devastated and the barbarians driven to flight. Sturtinius' army group gave chase as the enemy attempted to burn their own possessions in a scorched earth retreat. But after catching and slaughtering them to a man, the legionaries stumbled on an unexpected prize, the eagle of the 19th legion, one of the three that had been lost at Teutoburg. The reclamation of this prize was an immense boost to the morale of the legions who rejoiced in its long-awaited return. Perhaps as a result of this discovery, Germanicus decided it was finally time to lead a victorious Roman army back to the site of its previous defeat. Thus, after completing mopping up operations against the Bructarii, Germanicus consolidated the three army groups and marched them east to the Teutoburg forest. The gravity of the situation was not lost to those who marched in the footsteps of their doomed colleagues. Tacitus describes the episode with muted tones of shock, giving voice to the hushed scene as survivors of the battle gave a grisly tour of its six-year-old remnants. For much of the day, Germanicus and his army buried the skeletons of their fallen comrades in mass graves, many of which have been found by modern archaeology. The action was frowned upon by some in Rome who believed that the ghastly sites would demoralize the army. Germanicus, however, ensured that the consecration of the dead would drive home one single purpose among the living, vengeance. Vengeance against the man who had been responsible for this. The legions vowed that they would be burying the corpse of Arminius next. Almost immediately, the entire Roman force decamped and marched against the Germanic warlord. Their renewed fury must have been felt by Arminius who retreated before them. However, he did so quite deliberately, waving a red flag before the enraged bull of the legions and leading them ever deeper into the pathless tracks of the forest. Eventually, the ground gave way to a clearing at the end of which the Germanic tribes awaited. The Romans eagerly formed ranks and advanced against them, only to see the enemy once again march off into the woods. Germanicus had had enough and launched his cavalry to nip at their heels. If these could delay the rearguard long enough, his heavy infantry might be able to close the distance and finally bring them to battle. However, as these approached, vast numbers of tribesmen emerged from concealed positions and set upon them. Many of the riders were slain in a hail of slingstones, arrows, and javelins, while the remainder broke into a panicked retreat. As they thundered back across the plain, the fleeing cavalry disrupted the infantry cohorts which had been following them and infected these with panic. Arminius now surged forward, eager to devour this detachment of the ground. Disaster was only avoided by the arrival of Germanicus and the bulk of the army. At this point, the two commanders must have locked eyes across the field in a tense moment of mutual respect. Should either of them give the command to attack, thousands would die. Ultimately however, Arminius decided to back down. The Roman army was ready and alert now and posed too great of a threat to attack head on. However, there was only so long that the legions could keep up the pursuit. They were weeks away from their bases on the Rhine, and winter was fast approaching. Soon, the legions would have to turn their back on Arminius and head home. Sure, they could cast glances over their shoulders, but it's in the moments when their guard was down that Arminius, the master ambusher, would strike with a dagger to the back. Germanicus was wary of this danger and marched his unified army back to the Ems River, where they had previously destroyed the Bructeri. Here, he felt a little bit more comfortable and split the army. Germanicus would embark his men on the ships that had been used in the initial assault and return home via the northern route. Alongside them would ride his cavalry for mutual support. Sturtinius would linger briefly to receive the surrender of some Germanic tribes, while Kaikina moved swiftly south with four legions and the bulk of the remaining troops. This army group would return by way of the long bridges. As the name implies, it was a series of narrow causeways and bridges which cut through an area of particularly marshy terrain. Such a route was an obvious strategic risk, but at the same time provided the quickest way home. Thus, Kaikina decided to mitigate the window of attack by marching his men forwards with all haste. However, they could ultimately only advance as fast as the baggage animals. Arminius meanwhile had been keeping an eye on the splintering Roman forces and decided that now was his chance to strike. He rallied the tribes in pursuit of Kaikina, shadowing the force and delaying their advance. At the same time, advanced units were sent ahead to outpace both armies and take up positions along the wooded hills flanking the entrance to the long bridges. When the Romans finally reached the valley and saw the raised causeway stretching into the distance, they must have sighed with relief. However, their hopes would soon be dashed when scouts reported that the long bridges were in a poor state of disrepair. Apparently, entire sections of the decades-old infrastructure project had collapsed, washed away, or even been sabotaged. In light of this news, Kaikina was left with a difficult choice. He could pack his bags and attempt to go the long way around. However, doing so would mean marching into the jaws of the ever-swelling ranks of their dramatic host behind him and whatever devious ambushes Arminius had concocted along the avenues of escape. Alternatively, Kaikina could stick with the devil of a situation he knew here and commit to the crossing. After all, the Romans were master engineers who were more than capable of making the necessary repairs to reach safety. All they needed was time. The seasoned commander thus built a camp and split his forces in two, one to carry out construction and a second to establish a perimeter of defense. This would be a life-or-death last stand. Looking on, Arminius must have been pleased by the sight of the four legions trapped against the marshes. Their eagle standards would make fine additions to his collection. A huge thanks to the patrons for supporting the channel and to the researchers, writers, and artists who made this video possible. Be sure to like and subscribe for more content and check out these related videos. See you in the next one!