As early as the First Century B. C., during the rule of Julius Caesar, barbarian tribes had contested Roman power north of the RhineRiver. Although these Germanic peoples were then no real threat to mighty Rome, troops often had to repel raids across the borders. To control the warlike Germans in the following centuries, the Romans used both force and diplomacy. Tribes living along the Rhine-Danube frontier were induced by offers of land, protection, money and gifts to act as buffers against other tribes, and individual tribesmen were enlisted in Rome's army.
These recruits were organized into auxiliary troops that served as scouts, reporting on the movements of hostile tribes and helping to contain them. The Romans respected the Germans' courage and daring in battle; they particularly admired the skill of the horsemen and recruited them to reinforce the Roman cavalry. Gradually these auxiliaries adopted sophisticated Roman tactics and learned the value of Roman discipline. When the first full-scale barbarian invasion came in 167 A. D., Marcus Aurelius' army included thousands of these Germanic soldiers, who played an important role in checking the invaders.
STORMING AN ENEMY STRONGHOLD, Roman troops link their curved shields overhead to form a "testudo" (tortoise shell) against a barrage of swords, stones and even wheels cast down from above.
World History
