‘Barbarians’: Netflix Historical Action Series (Roman Imperial campaign of Germania)

[Corvinus85]

4 hours ago, Alarich II said:

I watched ep 1-5, so far at least in a historical sense, there are no major slips. They are overselling Tusnelda as some kind of Lagertha 2.0, but whatever. We know very little about the actual battle (except that it is very likely that it didn't happen in the Teutoburg Forest); I actually liked the dynamic between Arminius and Varus and the backstabbing and bickering between the tribes.

I terms of actual historical impact, I think the ultimately unsuccesful campaigns of Germanicus had a much greater impact, his near defeat at the Pontes Longi and Idistaviso, his only very narrow victory at the Angrivarian wall and of course, his massive losses in the North Sea just made it too costly; the Romans just occupied the "good" parts east of the Rhine (Dekumatland), fortified it and waited for the Arminian coalition to self-destruct, which it promptly did after his death. I wonder if there's going to be a season two about Germanicu's campaigns (where, according to legend, Arminius met his pro-Roman brother and had a shouting match with him across the Weser river).

I would say that the biggest historical inaccuracy prior to the battle is

Spoiler

the father-son relationship between Varus and Arminius, as there are no records of this, and it's unlikely the two even met before Arminius was posted on the Rhine. But it's not a big deal. For a 6 episode season, there wouldn't be enough time for a developing relationship between the two to make Varus's implicit trust of Arminius believable.

I think they might do that with Germanicus if there is a season 2, and also something with the Marcomanni, based on how the season ended.

 

[Alarich II]

30 minutes ago, Corvinus85 said:

I would say that the biggest historical inaccuracy prior to the battle is

  Reveal hidden contents

the father-son relationship between Varus and Arminius, as there are no records of this, and it's unlikely the two even met before Arminius was posted on the Rhine. But it's not a big deal. For a 6 episode season, there wouldn't be enough time for a developing relationship between the two to make Varus's implicit trust of Arminius believable.

I think they might do that with Germanicus if there is a season 2, and also something with the Marcomanni, based on how the season ended.

 

Yes, although, I'd say that goes for most of the personal relations, that we know nothing or very little about them. Clearly the Romans and especially Varus trusted Arminius to be one of them, despite warnings that he was forging an anti-Roman coalition, so I booked this under artistic freedom rather than historical inaccuracy. But of course you are right, if the relationship were as presented in the show, the Roman sources would very probably have mentioned it.

[Red Tiger]

On 9/26/2020 at 9:17 PM, Heartofice said:

Never a fan of Spartacus , and Rome was A LONG time ago 

Spartacus is GOT in reverse.

It starts off as raw sewage and by the end of the series you have something magnificent.

[red snow]

I thought the first episode was decent in a Vikings/last kingdom season 1 kind of way. The fact it lets me practice my German is a bonus

[mactwist2]

On 9/26/2020 at 2:48 PM, Corvinus85 said:

That may be, but season 1 was a big psychedelic mess.

I actually really liked season 1 of Britannia (havent been able to watch 2 yet). It was weird but intriguing and if taken as just a fantasy I think would have been more well received.