In this first episode, we explore the lands beyond the Rhine as seen by Roman writers like Julius Caesar and Tacitus. Long before a German nation emerged, these regions were home to many different tribes, each with their own leaders, customs, and rivalries.
We examine how the Roman Empire attempted to expand into Germania, and how this effort ended in disaster at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE. Drawing on historical sources, this episode explains how Rome’s failure to conquer these lands helped shape the long-term development of central Europe.
This is where the story of Germany begins—not with a nation, but with a frontier.