Segestes

 

Segestes, head of one of the most influential families of the Cheruskan nobility, was of equal rank with Sigimer, the father of Arminius. Initially both families were inclined to be pro-Roman and both were highly favored by Rome. Augustus granted Roman citizenship to Segestes, just as he had to Sigimer and Arminius, and Segestes in particular felt highly honored by the close alliance with Rome.

 

His son Segimund, who was still quite young, filled a high priestly office in the temple to Augustus in Cologne, which was a great distinction for a Germanic family. Rome was accomplishing two objectives with such distinctions: It tied elements of the Germanic leadership tightly to Rome, thereby facilitating the acceptance of Roman policies by indigenous leaders; and it also provided Rome with hostages among the Germanic nobility.

 

Tacitus describes Segestes as a gigantic and imposing individual who was highly educated, strongly attracted to Roman culture, and unusually truthful, loyal and temperate. He probably spoke Latin as well.

 

At first Segestes had friendly relations with Arminius, whom he had known since his early youth and who had distinguished himself as a prefect in Tiberius’ military campaigns. It is quite likely that he initially encouraged the close relationship of the handsome young officer with his beautiful daughter Thusnelda. It was not until later, when political differences arose between the two (perhaps when Arminius began expressing strong criticism of Varus in his presence), that the tone of their relationship changed to enmity.

 

Despite the obvious mistakes made by the Roman regime, Segestes repeatedly stressed his strong convictions regarding the advantages of Roman culture and civilization, which he believed the Germans simply had to accept. He considered himself a defender of the peace and an intermediary between the two peoples. He believed that the future belonged to Rome; and for the sake of peace, the Germans had to submit to Rome’s will. He argued that the Germanic tribes, who were constantly fighting among themselves, would be forced to keep the peace under the stern regimen of the worldwide Roman empire; and he was convinced that this had worked out well in neighboring Gaul. Arminius no doubt contradicted him and pointed out that the formerly proud and independent Gallic tribes had lost their freedom forever. He would also have reminded him of the rivers of blood that the so-called “civilized pacifiers” had spilled in forcing unconditional capitulation on the indigenous tribes.

 

To this, Segestes would have argued that all this was the fault of Vercingetorix, because he and his people did not immediately surrender. He no doubt repeated his opinion that any resistance to Rome was utterly hopeless and extremely dangerous, as had been demonstrated over and over again.

 

In the eyes of the anti-Roman faction, such arguments made Segestes nothing more than a collaborator and opportunist who was seeking power and advantage over his own countrymen with the help of the Romans. Following the death of Sigimer, it appears that Segestes, too, was striving for the title of earl or duke through the grace of Rome, as was Ingomer. Now his path was blocked by Sigimer’s son Arminius, the young and victorious leader of the anti-Rome faction who had chosen confrontation over collaboration.

 

When Armin dared to abduct his daughter, whom he had promised to a suitor more to his liking, and made her his wife, personal hatred was added to political opposition. Segestes’ hatred was so profound that he became not just Arminius’ open and avowed enemy, but a traitor to the whole Germanic freedom movement as well. His treachery went so far that on the evening before Varus was to depart with his legions for the Rhine, he urgently warned the governor that Arminius was planning to attack him. However, the governor did not take his warning seriously. He refused to even conduct an enquiry. After wine, when Segestes blurted out extremely serious charges against Arminius and bragged about his own Roman citizenship in hopes of winning Varus’ trust, the governor must have responded with words similar to these: “We rank our confidence in a person according to that person’s accomplishments, and my personal confidence in Arminius makes his credibility extremely high in my eyes.”

 

Segestes’ own conduct shows that he was an incredibly uncompromising man: He was unscrupulously placing the abstractions of his political convictions, adoration of Rome, and personal hatred of Arminius above the binding ties of kinship and family, even above the ties to his own tribe! This incident shows with what monstrous domestic problems Arminius had to contend, and by what a thin thread his desperate plan was hanging!

 

At first, the unanimity of the Cheruskans in their opposition to Rome made it impossible for Segestes to remain entirely aloof from the liberation struggle. His ties to kin and to tribe were still too strong for that. He could not openly defy public opinion, especially after his son, Segimund, who had been inspired by Arminius, suddenly left his priestly office in Köln and joined the fight against Varus.

 

During the battle, Segestes conducted himself in a passive manner, no doubt pursuing a double tactic: In case Armin’s assault should fail, he did not want to appear as his accomplice; and in case Armin should prevail, he did not want to appear as an ally of Rome. We know that he accepted his share of valuable booty presented to tribal leaders after the Varus battle, since we are told that he returned it to Rome during the Germanicus wars. Following the victory over Varus he did not change his attitude toward Armin in the least, even though Armin’s decisive actions (above all his brilliant victory) would have demanded such a change. Instead, the old hatred from his political and personal quarrels flared up again. In the following years their relations repeatedly came to open vendetta and actual physical conflict between the two.

 

Thus Arminius had Segestes bound in chains and held prisoner for a time, presumably to make an example of the notorious Roman enthusiast and to show who now exercised authority. For his part, Segestes was constantly attempting to get the better of his hated son-in-law.

 

Violent struggles that lasted for days and sometimes turned bloody occurred repeatedly between the followers of the two. In the course of the battles with Germanicus, while Arminius was preoccupied with fighting Caecina’s army in the north, Segestes took advantage of the Roman assault to violently abduct his daughter, Thusnelda, and hold her hostage. He succeeded in taking her back to his castle, as well as bringing his son Segimund back to his side. The latter was tormented by anxiety now that the enemy was laying waste to the land, and he felt he had to try to gain mercy from the Romans. Segestes still refused to support the liberation struggle. Despised everywhere by the Cheruskans and confederated tribes as a recreant tool of the Romans, he feared for his life. His only refuge was now his castle (most likely Eresburg castle on Obermars Mountain.)

 

While Germanicus was assaulting the Chatten tribe, Arminius used part of his forces to lay siege to Segestes in order to free his wife.

 

Then, during the return march to the Rhine, Germanicus was contacted by a delegation seeking Roman assistance that had been sent by Segimund on behalf of his father. Germanicus immediately changed direction, attacked and defeated the besieging forces, and liberated Segestes with all his retinue of noble Cheruskan supporters of Rome who had taken refuge in the castle.

 

Then followed a dramatic encounter between the Roman commander and Segestes, at which his pregnant daughter (around 22 years old at the time) was also present. In somber and elegant words, Segestes renewed his solemn oath of loyalty of Rome. He said that he had repeatedly given proof of this loyalty before this and so needed no further proof now.

 

At the same time Segestes attempted to absolve himself of charges of enmity against his own people, presumably so that he would not appear as a traitor in the eyes of the Romans. His said his actions had always been based on his realization that peace, not war, would best serve the interests of both peoples. He said that in trying to achieve peace, he had attracted the enmity and hate of his own people. He reminded Germanicus that he had warned Varus about Arminius and charged him with treason. He had even demanded that Varus arrest Arminius and himself, along with everyone else who was under suspicion, but Varus would not listen to him; and blamed everything on Segestes’ personal dispute with Arminius and his anger over the abduction of his daughter.

 

Segestes’ boundless hate then led him so far that he handed over Thusnelda to Germanicus, the enemy of his people, as booty of war: his own daughter, along with the child she was carrying under her heart! He understood perfectly what bitter fate awaited his child as a prisoner of the Romans. This was a simply incomprehensible act, the same kind of self- destructive behavior as the betrayal of Armin’s plan to attack Varus. Hate had so blinded him that he cold- bloodedly handed over his own daughter with unborn grandchild to the enemy, for the sole reason that she was the wife of Arminius.

 

Segestes and his relatives, including Segimund, then left for the West under the protection of Germanicus, who had offered him protection on the left bank of the Rhine, presumably in Köln. Thus Segestes and his pro-Roman clique dropped out as the greatest danger in Armin’s rear. Alas, this entailed great personal sacrifice for Arminius, who would never again see his wife and child.

 

As we attempt to evaluate the personality of Segestes, we have the impression that his character was formed by pure fanatical blindness. He was the most determined and significant representative of the pro Roman faction among the Cheruskans; certainly he was Armin’s most dangerous opponent. As far as he was concerned, the future belonged to the Roman Empire. The Germans had to accept this, even if they did not like it, and even though it could cost them their freedom and national identity. Since he was honestly and sincerely convinced of the rightness of his opinion, Segestes supported it with all resources at his disposal. His loyalty to Rome, which he had to thank for his social status, title and of course considerable financial support, was more sacred to him than his own people. He simply could not understand their desperate opposition to the foreign occupiers. He opposed this opposition with a bitterness in which every means was acceptable, even treachery on behalf of the foreign power.

 

For the Romans he was the ideal partner, since they used him very advantageously to advance their policies, although he also bore the stigma of being too willing to collaborate with them. A Germanic leader who acted more Roman than the Romans appeared somewhat suspect to the Roman military. Of course they valued treachery on their behalf, but they did not trust the traitor, regardless of how useful he might be. Anyone who was unscrupulous enough to betray his family and countrymen was not to be trusted! Varus probably had this opinion of Segestes when the latter attempted to make his incredible accusations about Arminius.

 

Since Segestes warned Varus about Arminius, it is easy for us to envision him as a cold-blooded and deceitful traitor. However, we could also consider him as overly trusting and naive, as someone who had been captivated by the dazzling façade of Roman “friendship.” It could well be that Segestes was not able to see what lay behind the façade, as Arminius did: enslavement and exploitation to the point of genocide.

 

Just as Varus blindly trusted Arminius, Segestes blindly trusted Rome.

 

There is no need to imply a base motive to him. Segestes was a malefactor who acted from conviction. His motivation for acting against his fatherland might not have stemmed from hate.

 

He might really have believed that a partnership between Romans and Germans would be advantageous to both sides. However, the question remains: what kind of partnership would this have been? Segestes assured everyone that he wanted peace between Rome and Germania -- but how could he not have known about the horrific “pacification” massacres of the Roman terror commandos and the punitive expeditions?

 

Just who or what was Segestes?

 

Was he a traitorous scoundrel, an enemy of his people?

Was he a naive and overly trusting champion of peace, an unworldly utopian who mistook Germania’s worst enemies for her best friends?

Was he a fanatical hate-filled man who enjoyed walking on corpses?

Was he an intrepid man of honor who placed loyalty to an ally above all else?

Was he an unscrupulous opportunist who used every means available to attain personal advantage?

Was he a tragic figure who was ultimately forced to leave his homeland on account of his political convictions?

It might not be possible to arrive at a definitive conclusion. Let us therefore consider Segestes simply an important figure in German history – a history that he very nearly squelched!