The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-16


wild OK, - we're well known to the Romans half
tury before julius Caesar first crossed tho Rhine The
Cimbr appeared about the year 113 c. the north
eastern frontier Of Italy, and attacked the Roman prov
ince OF Norcum the army of Papirus Carlo to
pieces In the year los b. G. they again defeated the
Romans, but were subsequently utterly defeated
along with their allies, the Teutones The Romans
wero made of the necessity OF undertaking
the conquest Of Germany, the warike and restless
character Of whose inhabitants made them dangerous
neghbors to the Danube and the Rhine It was a re-
proach the lords Of the world TO leave such hostile
people unsubdued. In the year So B. c. seventy years
after the Romans had first foot in Gau and in the
third summer after the defeat OF Arovstus d. O. 55)
in Gaul julius Caesar stood the banks Of the Rhine
at Andernach, little below where Coblentz the dark
Moselle pours its waters into the Rhine 'No Roman"
says an historian 'had yet passed the broad and bless
ingfruitul river From its wild yet solitary shore
Caesar surveyed with nqurng eye the wooded hills
OF Germany, conscious, perhaps, that beyond their
verge would be found the most formidable antagonists
OF the Roman people"
JULIUS CESAR.
We shall not repeat the Roman annals, except so far
as they lead up to the subject we treating. We
shall pass Cnsars campaign in Gaul and come at
TO the that first of all led him the
Rhine In the winter Of SO B. c. the Usipii and the
Tenohter had crossed from Germany into Gaul aban-
donng their pioneer homes and taking possession of
settlements formed by the Menapl. Caesar know
ing that the Gallo people dsaected with the Ro
rulers and considering Gaul in the light of Roman
property, contemplated this vast accession OF new
allies numbering, with their families 43O0O0 sous)
with suspicion He reached these two tribes encamped
upon the banks Of the Mas far from the present
city of Lege and treacherously slaughtered them for
his atrocities with the Usipi and Tenchter were de-
nounced even in Rome, and Marcus Porcius Cato pro-
posed in the Senate that Caesar should be given up to
the barbarians Sin order that the wrath of aveng
ing gods might be averted from the city and the Repub
ic." Though the proposition met with some support
the Senate voted suppicatio a thanksgiving of
twenty days for the which had been vouchsaed
to Cesar's undertakings
c.EsAR's cRUELTIEs
Thus the Romans were brought to the banks OF the
lower Rhine, and Caesar determined strike terror
into the heart of the Germans themselves His first
efforts directed against the sigambri who had
given refuge to the fleeing Usiph and Tenchteri He
sent message to them demanding that the Uspian
horsemen should be given up The Sgambri answered
"rhe Roman Empire ends with the Rhine. If Cesar
considers IL unjust that the Germans should pass
into Gau why should he desire authority
the German side of the rverP Just Mt that time the
Ub were in the Roman camp, entreatng Caesar to
the river and assist them against the Suevi And
Caesar built bridge the Rhine crossed the river
and for eighteen days he ravaged the German country
with fire and sword when he recalled to oppose
Pompey. Then came years Of peace, until the
reign of Augustus, when Germany invaded by
Drusus and Tiberus In the year II B. c. Drusus led
an army from Xanthen, along the right bank of the
Lppe, penetrated through the neigborhood of modern
Soest and Paderborn, far the Weser; but was
finally compelled to retire the Lppe by the threaten
ing attitude assumed by the Sigambri the Chatti and
Suevii He built the castle of Also on the Lippe
and thence walls and forts extending to the strong
hold of Castro Vetera the Rhine 1t Is said that in
his last campaign, after succession Of victories that
placed the greater part Of Northern Germany at his
disposal, Drusus about to cross the Ebe wh0n a
woman of gigantic form suddenly appeared before his
troops and addressed him -''Thou Unsuitable rObber
Whittier wouldst thou go' Depart The end of thy
misdeeds and of thy life is at hand" And Drusus
dismayed at the apparton He Immediately retreated
and within thirty days tell from his horse and died. B.
G. s. his brother Tberus undertook the command of
the Roman army in Germany.
GERMANY.
Tiberus made the Germans tremble He broke the
might Of the Sgambirli and removed them from the
Lppe to the land of the Marsi bringing the latter to
occupy the vacated land He followed in while
by Domitus Ahenobarbus, grandfather Of the Emperor
Nero, who in his campaign reached far the Elbe
He was succeeded by Marcus Vni.ius who is said to
have carried bitter warfare against the Germans
About the year 4 B. C., Tberius again sent Ger
many and commenced policy by which the Germans
were gradually to be Romanized He sought TO win
them by negotiations and contracts He thus gained
the Ganineatii in modern Holland the Chattuar liv-
ing southwest of the Lppe and others; and all these
furnished auxiliary troops 10 the Roman commander
Among the Cherusk who entered the service Of Rome
were two sons of Legmer, one of the greatest
of their chiefs-who called by the Romans Armi-
MUS and Flavius. The Of Arminius was undoubt-
edly the Romanized name of Hermann-that very Her
mann whose monument is inaugurated to-day Roman
civilization and commerce were being gradually intro
duced; many German youths went to Rome where they
became naturalized the gold and silver coins of the
stranger dazzled the eyes Of the barbarian Rome
gaining by friendness far than she had done
by her campaigns Sentius Saturninus, who was in
Germany with Tiberius, was even more skilfu in win
ming the Germans, and when the latter entered upon
his campaign against Marbod who dwelt in modern Bo-
hernia and Moravia the former left alone Tiberius
came TO successful treaty with Marbod, who then
accompanied the Romans to aid in subduing the rebel
lops people in Pannonia and Dalmatia Saturnnus'
labors were at end however The Romans
were masters Of all the territory lying between the
Rhine and the Elbe and the Alps and the Danube and
the Emperor then wished to bring the land into the
form of a Roman province Publus Quintilius Varus
was made the Governor probably about the year A.
d. The selection OF this very unfortunate
one for Rome. He had been Governor of Judea up to
the time of Herod's death; later he ruled Syria
where ne accustomed to see the savsh sub
mission to the Roman designs. He treated the Ger
mans he had done the dcterorated peoples of the
Orient; he barred the German back to the Roman rod
and thereby lost province and caused an empire to
mourn.
QUINT1LIUs vARUs.
varus born of noble though not distinguished
family connected by mysterious relationship with
the Caesars His life has been the subject of extremes
OF praise and Virgil and Horace have sung his
fame Paterculus describes him as a man of easy
temper and graceful mannersa man of leisure in the
camp rather than active in his military duties When
he went to Germany he had long been accustomed To