The Battle That Stopped Rome, Book review

Just Google <roman Germany archaeological recent> all the words. There's been stuff turning up at least since 2000(C.E.). That's been been putting the Romans further and later in to Germany than previously thought. Nothing new about Romans in Germany today, but I check out the Archaeological News page almost every day so thought this was Old news.

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I saw a documentary on this showing the remains of a German trading post well east of the supposed lines.  With what we know of Romaan'Barbarian relationships, friendly contact could well have exiited into the second century.

I visited the Teutoberger Wald in 1976. We now know the battle took place farther south of the Hermann Denkmal (whick faces France, BTW) and, if I wanted to ambush a column, I'd do it somewhere in that forest.

Jim Cobb, Ph. D.
Adjunct Faculty, Cardinal Stritch University

It only stands to reason that the Romano-Germania influence border would have been more
of a fluid gradient which could move back and forth as tribes shifted alliances and intrepid Roman
or Romanized Germanic merchants and their trading posts would then follow the ebb and flow, unlike
our own modern perceptions of so-called borders which may or may not be subtly influenced by
the stark Cold-War demarcation mentality that many of us over forty (and attentive thirty-
somethings) grew up with. Such an 'Influence Salient' could have extended hundreds of miles
into Germania while only lasting ten or twenty years. While a mere flash in the pan as far as history
is concerned this would be enough time for industrious merchants and local soldier/politicians
to build up an extensive trading post and also enough time for a sudden change of clan alignments
or loss of trade routes to make it all disappear back into the Dark Forests. All it takes is one single
archeological find to throw conventional historical wisdom on it's ear... L'Anse Aux Meadow, anyone?

   May be inappropriate for serious moviegoers...

Looks a good book, I'd agree with Staggerwing about the range influence and how we possibly may let our thoughts on borders impact. There are many examples of trade posts all over Scotland, but you'd think everything ended at Hadrians Wall to read a lot of popular texts (and they would hardly mention the Antonine Wall at that). Also Ptolemy's detailed map of Hibernia would point to the influences, both ways, going way beyond what we would regard as the borders.

Think I'll order - thanks for the heads up and review.

You're welcome.  If you're familiar with the Roman Empire and its Emperors much of the book may be a repeat.  For me it was interesting to have the author's take on multiple perspectives about a time that I'm less than completely familiar.  And it was just by luck that I started reading the book exactly 2000 years (give or take a few days) after the battle, which made it all the more interesting to me.

It's well written and an easy read.  I think you'll enjoy it.

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.     - Albert Einstein