Title: Germanicus: The
Magnificent Life
and Mysterious Death of
Rome's Most Popular General
Author: Lindsay Powell
ISBN: 978-1-78159-120-8and Mysterious Death of
Rome's Most Popular General
Author: Lindsay Powell
Publisher: Pen and Sword Publishing
Pages: 338
Hardcover
Photos/Maps: 44/13
Ancient history is, by its very
nature, fickle. Names of great men and women which were on everyone's lips
during their lifetimes are forgotten with the passage of time. Ask today about
the great men of the Roman Empire and many will say Julius Caesar; press
further and they may come up with Augustus or Hadrian, rarely however will
people be able to name beyond that. Ask them about the Great Generals of
antiquity and they may say Sun Tzu, Atilla the Hun or Pompey followed by
silence. That is the curse of many who were masters of their craft in times of
old; lack or a loss of records and they are relegated to the dustbin of the
past, utterly lost to all but a few. Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, one of
the finest Generals and politicians of his day, feted and adored throughout the
known world, is one of those men.
Mr Powell has crafted an
excellent biography of the man and his world. I was particularly impressed by
the amount of primary source material that he was able to draw upon in the
research for his book. No less than 45 unique sources from antiquity were cited
or reviewed. It is of course, an occupational limitation when researching
ancient figures that there will be a limited amount of sources and an inability
to corroborate will become a factor. It then falls to the historian to draw
reasonable and balanced conclusions as best he can based upon the information
that he has access to. Powell has done this, and clearly acknowledged it when
he has, in what I consider to be a fair presentation and interpretation of the
facts.
The author opens his work with a
series of family tree's and a chronology of the period running from 17 BCE to
20 CE covering the birth and death of Germanicus. These are very beneficial as
they set the stage for the reader regarding the family that Germanicus was born
into and the environment within which he lived. The period in question covering
the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius are thought of generally as a time of the
Roman Empire ascendant; and yet there were numerous instances that threatened
the stability and very existence of the Empire itself: the mutiny of the Rhine
Legions, the destruction of Varus's Legions in Germany and the vicious and
ongoing conflict in Illricum. Set against this were the political turmoil of
Imperial transition, the heightened sensitivities of Tiberius especially
against the popularity and success of Germanicus and the consistent challenge
of maintaining positive relations with adjoining states and peoples.
It was throughout this hotbed of
history that Germanicus rose to prominence as both a subtle and skilled
politician as well as a ruthless and brilliant military commander. Powell
breaks his narrative into a series of distinct yet consecutive chapters that
trace Germanicus' life and death chronologically. Again this is very helpful
for the reader as it sets the subject within the context of the greater world
around him in an easily accessible manner. He closes out his storyline with a
discussion of how and why Germanicus' family fell within a few years of his
death from the pinnacle of Roman society and influence to ignominious disgrace
and ruin.
I particularly like Powell's
narrative style. It is extremely readable and engaging, providing an
educational narrative on a fascinating period of history. The addition of
numerous maps and drawings are also very helpful in providing context to the
story. The management of an empire as vast and complicated as the Roman would
have been a challenge to any modern day leader; remove the benefits of
technological advancements and it becomes all the more astounding that Rome was
able to thrive and grow at all and is a clear indication of the strength of the
Roman administrative system. Powell explains the complexities of this system as
he traces the political advancement and education of Germanicus culminating in
his being appointed with 'imperium proconsulare' by Tiberius (in effect
overseer of the East); responsible directly and second only to the Emperor
himself. Throughout, Powell does an admirable job of analyzing the ancient
source commentary on these events.
There are many lessons for the
modern day commander to be gleaned from the life of Germanicus. His recognition
of legitimate grievance amongst the Rhine Legions while punishing those who
transgressed the line of discipline may be compared with a similar success by
Petain in the First World War with mutinying French soldiers. His knowledge of
when to use coercion and when to use diplomacy not only cemented his reputation
amongst his soldiers as a commander who did not squander lives but also with
his potential opponents who recognized in him both a worthy adversary and a
honourable man. His lack of hubris and willingness to focus on whatever task
was directed by the Emperor ensured the continued confidence of that
Office.
Germanicus was a soldier and
statesman of outstanding ability who set service to Rome above all else. Powell
has done an exemplary job at shedding light upon the character and
accomplishments of this noteworthy Roman. The book itself is of a very high
quality with only a few typesetting issues to mar the presentation. I strongly
recommend this work.
