Segimer

Segimer was a supporting character in the 2020 Netflix television series Barbarians, based on the historic Germanic figure . He was portrayed by the Nicki von Tempelhoff.
Segimer was the Reik (King) of the Germanic Cherusci tribe. He was the father of Arminius and Flavus. Sometime before 9 AD Segimer had allowed the Romans to take his sons Ariminius and Flavus as hostages by the Romans in order to secure an alliance with them. About six years before 9 AD Segimer's wife died of fever, but had prayed for their sons until the very end. 
When the new Roman governor Publius Quinctilius Varus arrived in Germany after being appointed to the position by the Emperor , one of first acts was to demand tribute from all the villages in amounts that the tribes could not provide. Metellus was unmoved by Segimer's protests that there was no way to give the Romans the amount of tribute they demanded, who gave them three days to provide the tribute. That night Segimer met with Aldarich, Rurik and other Germanic leaders. Despite the anger over Rome's demands, Segimer and a majority of the other Reiks decided not to go to war against Rome.
Metellus soon returned and proclaimed the gathered tribute to not be enough to wipe his ass with. The Romans demanded that the pro-Roman Segestes kiss the they had brought with them. Segestes knelt to do so but Thusnelda intervened, which resulted in her younger brother Ansgar being seriously injured by Metellus. Before the situation could spiral out of control Segimer took the ealge in his hands and kissed it, defusing the situation.
When Thusnelda and Folkwin Wolfspear stole the eagle from a Roman camp, Segimer accepted the eagle with pride, but knew full well how important the standard was to the Romans and how the Romans would come looking for blood. His fears came true when Varus arrived in camp, had Folkwin's family killed and then crucified, and ordered the bodies to be left up until Folkwin was turned over and the eagle returned. 
Recently returned from Rome, Arminius met his father for the first time in decades when he came looking for the eagle that Thusnelda and Folkwin had stolen. After remarking how splendid his now grown son looked, he then asked Arminius how Flavus was. Arminius replied that he was fine. Segimer refused to hand over the eagle but Arminus found it and ran off with it, taking it back to the Roman camp. A few days later he returned to find the Cherusci chopping down the crosses that Folkwin's family had been crucified on. When Metellus asked who had done it, Segimer stood up and told them that he had ordered his people to cut the crucified villagers down. Arminus allowed the villagers to proceed, and when the pro-Roman Segestes protested, he ordered Segestes to help the villagers. With the eagle returned, the Roman bloodlust had subsided and no further reprisals were made against the villagers. 
With his people starving due to the excessive tribute, Segimer went to meet with Varus to see if they could come to an understanding on the tribute. Varus was unwilling to budge but then proposed to Segimer that he make room for Arminius to become Reik. However, for that to happen Segimer would have to die. 
Deciding that the lives of his people were more important, Segimer committed suicide by drowning himself in a nearby bog. This allowed his son to take over as Reik. By then Arminius had decided to stand with his countrymen, and attacked Varus and his forces in the , which was a massive victory for the Germanic tribes. 
==Trivia==
* The real Segimer was believed to have survived until at least Teutoburg, with the Roman historian writing that Segimer has served as second in command to Arminius during the battle. 
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