In time, he learned to love Varus and started idolizing him. He was forced to leave his home, family, and friends when he was just a child and was brought up by a stranger. In reality, that description applies to Arminius much more than the two of them. He then uses that phrase to describe himself to a fellow captive. A Traveler Between WorldsĪs the child of parents belonging to two different tribes, Berulf often describes himself as “a traveler between worlds.” After his death, Folkwin briefly uses his name as an alias while he was a captive in the Roman camp. Therefore, the application of modern sensibilities on them, or the Romans for the better, is erroneous and unfair. This reinforces the show’s main point that, although we are supposed to root for this group of people, they are ultimately driven by their own sense of morality and social conduct. The prisoners of war are murdered indiscriminately, and there is even a scene that contains cannibalism. After the battle, the showrunners take time to underscore that the perceived heroes of the story are no less cruel than their former oppressors. Before joining the battle, Thusnelda’s father Segestes (Bernhard Schütz) and Reik Hadgan (Sergej Onopko) wait until it is clear which side will emerge triumphant. Indeed, it’s a testament to Arminius’ inherent leadership qualities as well as the mystical aura that Thusnelda has as a seer that they manage to forge the alliance. There are constant infightings, feuds that go back generations, and a general distrust of each other. Still, it also earnestly shows that the tribes don’t treat each other any better. Granted, it does depict the cruelty and horror that the Germanic people suffered in the hands of their oppressors, enunciating their need for self-governance.
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‘Barbarians’ is not your garden variety patriotic TV show that is supposed to tickle the sentimentality of the people of its country of origin. In the ensuing battle, the Imperial army is completely wiped out, and Varus commits ritual suicide by falling on a sword. In September of 9 CE, he leads Varus and three Roman legions into a carefully laid trap in the Teutoburg Forest. While outwardly being loyal to Varus, Arminius brings together the warring Germanic tribes under one alliance with his wife’s help. He becomes the new reik (chief) of the Cherusci people following his father’s death and takes Thusnelda as his wife. However, he gradually realizes that the citizens of the empire would never regard him as one of their own. Arminius discovers that the people of his own tribe had stolen the eagle and goes to retrieve it.Īfter a brief reunion with his father and friends that quickly turns violent when some agitated villagers attack him, Arminius manages to leave with the eagle. Shortly after his arrival, two of his childhood friends, Thusnelda (Jeanne Goursaud) and Folkwin Wolfspeer (David Schütter), steal the eagle standard of one of the legions stationed there.
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The series opens with Arminius returning to Germania to serve under his adoptive father, who has been appointed the governor of the newly-established Roman province of Germania by the emperor (Caesar Augustus). He later joined the Imperial army and eventually became a high-ranking officer.
Ari became Arminius and received a military education.
In Rome, the brothers were brought up by Publius Quinctilius Varus (Gaetano Aronica), a nobleman of considerable power and influence. When Ari (Laurence Rupp) was a child, he and his younger brother Flavus were sent to Rome by their father Segimer (Nicki von Tempelhoff), the chieftain of the Cherusci tribe, to have peace between the empire and his people. They also added an extra layer of authenticity by having them speak Latin. In fact, by casting Italian actors to portray Roman characters, the showrunners Arne Nolting, Jan Martin Scharf, and Andreas Heckmann ensured that these characters would have as much complexity as their Germanic counterparts.
Although the story is primarily told from the perspective of the Germania tribes, that doesn’t mean that the Roman point of view has been completely ignored.