This Golden Head Adds a Twist to Ancient Roman History [Waldgirmes, Germany]

Nat Geog ^ | August 17, 2018 | Andrew Curry

[SunkenCiv]

As GGG readers know, the Romans most assuredly did not pull back behind the Rhine and stay there. Browse the topics in the "romanempire" keyword for more.

There are many Roman settlements in Germany, but this is a civil one, and what is more interesting: it is 100 km east of the Rhine. Moreover, it dates back to the first decade of our era, to the period in which Roman commanders like Drusus, Tiberius, and Varus attempted the subdue the Germanic tribes. Hardly any military objects have been excavated, and barracks have not been identified. Perhaps it was a town for veterans (colonia).

The Waldgirmes horse [13 BCE–9 CE] photo from www

[GOP Poet]

Magnificent. Fascinating article. Oh to be a fly on the wall and go back in time.

[SunkenCiv]

I wholeheartedly agree. The photo I couldn’t use (it was from AP) shows the head all cleaned up and shiny. :^)

Gold-plated Roman horse head found (near Frankfurt)
Associated Press | Aug 27, 2009 | Unknown
Posted on 8/27/2009, 8:11:35 PM by decimon
https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2326165/posts

[Huaynero]

“Oh to be a fly on the wall and go back in time.”

Indeed so. Better still, some visual time-lapse record of how a people & area evolved. Go to the video tape!

Don’t laugh but the confounding side of archeology for me is “digging”. Even sites no more than several hundred years old darn sure weren’t all deliberately built over or buried. Conquest (Spanish-Incas) and natural disasters aside, my half-thought explanation is cumulative airborne dust settling in. Some gradual, multi-century “dust bowl”.

[CaptainMorgantown]

Vito Corleone says hello.

[MUDDOG]

Beats Picasso.

[NFHale]

Man’s OTHER Best Friend... the Horse.

Teutoberg Forest... yikes... Arminius and his boys destroyed three Roman legions there.

“Quinctilius Varus, give me back my Legions!”
- Augustus Caesar

[the OlLine Rebel]

I ded.

The Germans make good stuff.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Hate iPad autocorrect, but have no idea how “indeed” becomes something called “I ded”!

[morphing libertarian]

Various tribes no surprise

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Lord Augustus each time bawling
As he fetched his head a crack,
Varus, Varus, General Varus,
Give me my three Eagles Back!

Lord Augustus tore his bedclothes,
Blanket, sheet, and counterpane.
“Varus, Varus, General Varus,
Give my Regiments back again!”

From I CLAUDIUS by Robert Graves.

[NFHale]

The irony of it is that Arminius was raised and trained by the Romans... He must have nursed that hatred a long, long time.

As far as the horse head goes - I would love to see the entire statue. Wonder if the whole thing was gold-plated? Probably... don’t think it would make sense to just do the head.

[SunkenCiv]

2,000-year-old statue of Emperor Augustus on horseback found in stream
The Local: Germany’s news in English | Thursday, August 27, 2009 | unattributed
Posted on 08/27/2009 5:34:15 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2326184/posts

[SunkenCiv]

:^D

[SunkenCiv]

Arminius set up an ambush and the Varus wasn’t a military commander (more of a MC in name only). Within a few years Arminius was leading another attack against Roman legions sent after him, and barely escaped. Rome kept a price on his head, and eventually his own family killed him, and sent his head to collect the money.

Whatever Roman withdrawal there was didn’t last too long. Not many years ago a Roman high-status cemetery was found in a rescue dig in Copenhagen Denmark (I suppose they were expecting to find Vikings or something), and just in the past year or so the remains of a barbarian army, defeated by the Romans, was found somewhere a bit SW of Copenhagen. The defeat and aftermeasures by the Romans was so complete that the cleared land went back to forest until the Middle Ages.

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/romangermany/index

[SunkenCiv]

[morphing libertarian]

thanx

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure, looks like I shoulda pinged a couple others as well.

[PeterPrinciple]

my half-thought explanation is cumulative airborne dust settling in. Some gradual, multi-century “dust bowl”.

---

Pour a sidewalk two inches above the grass. How few years pass before the sidewalk is below ground level...…………

[colorado tanker]

I'm a little skeptical of the story that the Germans threw the head down the well as part of some sacrifice ritual. Seems like there should be more to the story.

However it got down there, it's a magnificent piece. Well worth a trip to the link to see it cleaned up and on display.