Any other comments from the Romans on the Germanic tribes? Besides Tacitus, his have been posted here too. I find them interesting, I'm curious to see the Romans' thoughts.
Also, small side question, why did Tacitus say ALL the Germans had red/blonde hair, large frames, pale skin, above average height, and "fierce blue eyes"? Was he just stereotyping or were the Germans of back then genuinely much more disposed to e.g. lighter eyes? If nothing else red hair shouldn't have been that common either way.
Wikipedia's article on Germania has had this paragraph posted for a while with no source. Can anyone find out where this information originated?
>Caesar described the cultural differences between the Germanic tribesmen, the Romans, and the Gauls. He said that the Gauls, although warlike, could be civilized, but the Germanic tribesmen were far more savage and were a threat to Roman Gaul and so had to be conquered. His accounts of barbaric northern tribes could be described as an expression of the superiority of Rome, including Roman Gaul.
Jaxon Wright
Check the source of my pic
James Barnes
Seneca,Of Anger, Book 3, Chapter 26(weird i thougt it was 24) The colour of an Æthiop is not remarkable among this own people, nor is any man in Germany ashamed of red hair rolled into a knot. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Of_Anger/Book_III#XXVI.
Strabo, Geography, Book 7, Chapter 1 Now the parts beyond the Rhenus, immediately after the country of the Celti, slope towards the east and are occupied by the Germans, who, though they vary slightly from the Celtic stock in that they are wilder, taller, and have yellower hair, are in all other respects similar, for in build, habits, and modes of life they are such as I have said9 the Celti are. And I also think that it was for this reason that the Romans assigned to them the name “Germani,” as though they wished to indicate thereby that they were “genuine” Galatae, for in the language of the Romans “germani” means “genuine.”10 [3] perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0198:book=7:chapter=1
Aiden Carter
These are Germans around 11-13th century AD
David Foster
Commentarii de Bello Gallico.
Hunter Ramirez
...
Jaxon Turner
In his book he literally said he was making generalized comments was he not?
As for the Large frame, pale skin, light eyes and above average height, that is still true today if you look at Europe along a North-South axis.
The hair color is more peculiar but perhaps it can be explained by Tacitus calling every hair color aside from dark brown and black something like blond or red.
A guy like Michael Fassbender has brown hair and a ginger beard but to a guy who has never seen him you might say he was raid haired.
Easton Young
All are blond-red haired
Luis Cooper
To see more search "Codex Manesse" on google
Anthony Kelly
If you got spare time you could do a similar thing with Lucas Cranach the older and the younger, Albrecht Durer, Hans Memling etc.
Ryan Johnson
The shade of brown hair common in Northern and Central Europe might seem reddish to predominantly dark haired people
The Japanese also called the Dutch kōmō, "red hair"
Christopher Gray
Germans were BLACK
Hence the "Dark Ages" in a predominantly Germanic controlled Europe
Luis Bailey
Well yeah, I know that. But I was wondering what chapter or page does he specifically say the Germans are even less civilized than the Gauls and basically completely unsalvageable savages? Anyone have a quote?
I guess. Doesn't explain the part about them all having blue eyes though.
Camden Wood
Schwarzenegger literally means "black nigger". Really makes me think. Was Germania another black kingdom before Charlemagne came and stole their special powers?
Jaxon Brooks
...
Joshua Bailey
WTF an entirely new field of historical research can be made based on poorly drawn medieval cartoons.
Ayden Stewart
>I guess. Doesn't explain the part about them all having blue eyes though.
Well considering light eyes still account for anything from 75 to 88 percent in Northern Europe it is not impossible that the percentage was even higher back in the day.
Robert Richardson
The Romans also said all Slavic peoples have red hair and blue eyes
Thomas Price
Bumping.
Jonathan Ross
Scythians =/= Slavs
Xavier Nelson
>Schwarzenegger literally means "black nigger". >Think you're joking >Realize you're not joking
Kek
Jason Turner
I'm not talking about Scythians, moron. Early medieval Greek and Roman writers noted the Slavs were all red haired and blue eyed.
Gabriel Howard
>…the Taifali are so sunk in gross sensuality that among them boys couple with men in a union of unnatural lust, and waste the flower of their youth in the polluted embraces of their lovers. But if a young man catches a boar single-handed or kills a huge bear, he is exempt thereafter from the contamination of this lewd intercourse.”
-Ammianus Marcellinus
Angel Cruz
Source? That one is definitely bullshit because red hair is very uncommon in Slavs. Even Italians are more red haired than them.
