Barbarī!

Barbarians is a show that showcases the interactions between the Romans and the people of Germania. There are two main points that make this show unique. First is the general plot and theme of the show. It follows the character Arminius, who was the son of a German Chief, but given away as tribute to the Romans. While in Rome, he was adopted by a patrician, and he was brought up as a Roman. After gaining notoriety in the Roman army, Arminius is sent back to Germania to help his adoptive father, Publius Qunictilius Varus, keep Germania in check. Once Arminius begins interacting with people he used to know, he becomes conflicted, feeling affection for both the Romans and the Germans. Eventually, Arminius decides to betray the Romans and leads the three legions in Germania to their deaths. From this story, it was interesting to see the internal conflict within Arminius that lead to this decision. 

Inside of him was the conflict between the longing to return home, and his sense of duty as a Roman Equestrian. Part of the reason that Arminius decides to betray the Romans is the rejection he feels from the Romans. Because of his “barbarian” origins, he is unable to climb higher than equestrian on the cursus honorum. As a result he is tasked to stay in Germania and rule his Germanic father’s tribe, unable to return to Rome. Not only was this information given to him by the empire, but also his father. I wonder if Rome was more willing to advance Arminius’s political career, would he have decided to remain loyal to Rome. This indirectly shows how the Romans thought about foreigners, even if they grew up in Rome. Another way the show presented cultural differences was in the way wolves were thought of by the Germans and the Romans. Instilled from a young age, the Germans taught Arminius to fear the wolf, but contrary to this, the Romans taught him to love the wolf.

Given these conflicting messages, Arminius was always questioning which view he believed. Presenting wolves as both a destroyer and a savior, the writers intended these ideas to be symbolic of the power Arminius had within him – the power to destroy or save the Romans. Ever since his young age, he held this conflict within himself, but he favored the Romans as he kept acquiring accolades. However, once his dreams were destroyed, he was quick to seek vengeance by siding with the Germans. The second reason that this was enthralling was because of the languages spoken. In this show, old German and Latin were spoken by their respective peoples. By doing this, even if the grammar and pronunciation is not correct, it creates an immersive and engaging experience. It also helps to showcase the communication difficulties that exist, which would have been ignored if it was in English. The show was highly engaging and I would recommend it to anyone who finds Rome interesting.