Thusnelda was a genuinely tragic figure. She was a pawn and a victim in the struggles of the principal players of the Roman-Germanic conflict that split the Cheruskan nobility very deeply – right down to their own families. In her time the burning question was always: are you for or against Rome? For or against freedom? It was not possible to be for Rome and at the same time for freedom!
Thusnelda’s destiny was Arminius, the man whom she loved and supported body and soul. Although she knew that her father Segestes was Arminius’ most bitter and irreconcilable enemy, she gave love precedence over kinship. She allowed herself to be abducted and become his wife against the will of her father. Against her will, she was caught between the fronts.
She was an amazingly valiant and loving personality. Tacitus describes her as being natural and considerate. Thanks to him, we have a gripping depiction of the character of an ancient Germanic woman whose sad history represents that of countless women caught in a man’s world defined by war, crudity and power.
After being abducted again, this time by her own father, she became the victim of conflicts and political intrigues in which she had no way of defending herself.
She suffered an even greater blow in the year 15, when Germanicus rescued Segestes from his castle, which was under siege by Armin’s followers.
Imagine her emotions while the young Roman commander, the deadly foe of her husband, was “sizing her up.” He quickly made up his mind to not let such a unique catch and promising opportunity pass by!
If in his triumphal procession he could not drag a chained and bloody Arminius like a wild animal through the streets of Rome amid the howling mobs, then the Cheruskan’s beautiful young wife and child, who were now completely in his power, would have to suffer the indignities of defeat in his place!
Thusnelda managed to stand before him in great dignity, without saying a word or shedding a tear or begging for mercy, with her hands pressed against her swollen abdomen. Absolutely helpless and disgracefully betrayed by her own father, she was then abducted a third time, this time as a prisoner of Rome. She was taken to Ravenna, where she soon gave birth to her son Thumelicus. There, under constant guard, she spent the rest of her life -- the joyless life of a hostage.
Did she continue to hope for liberation through her husband’s agents during the following years? After the year 16, when the Romans finally departed from Germania, Arminius made numerous attempts to obtain the release of his wife and child. That could have been accomplished through a diplomatic exchange of prisoners, since it was customary to exchange prominent prisoners of war. If this had proven impossible, a military liberation by means of a surprise commando operation might have been successful. Alas, nothing of the sort ever happened. It could be that Thusnelda had been transported to a completely inaccessible location, such as an island or mountain fortress. If such a rescue had occurred, Tacitus with his flair for the dramatic would certainly have been the first to report it.
Thusnelda suffered her greatest humiliation in the year 17, when Germanicus was honored with a triumphal procession in Rome, despite his consistent military failures. {The purpose of the procession was actually to bolster Roman prestige rather than celebrate any real accomplishments.) With her three-year-old son Thumelicus, Thusnelda was led past the tribune of Tiberius, in the midst of prominent Germanic captives. This was a special event at which the courtiers, senators, and military generals with their ladies were in real danger of stretching their necks out of joint.
What overpowering emotions must have moved the humiliated young captive when her glance met that of her own father! After having delivered her over to the enemy out of pure hatred for her husband, Segestes was one of the Emperor’s honored guests, standing near him and viewing the conquered trophies and sad procession of defeated peoples chained together.
With eyes fixed directly forward, she probably maintained her proud bearing while ignoring the jaded gawkers.
After this procession there is no more mention of her; she disappears forever into the darkness of history. It could be that a Roman or Grecian sculptor was so impressed by her beauty that he immortalized her in marble and left us the likeness of the beautiful Nordic woman whose features were reproduced twelve hundred years later in Uta von Naumburg.
Thumelicus suffered a fate that was no less tragic than that of his mother. Presumably sold as a slave, he was raised in one of Rome’s notorious gladiator schools and trained to fight for the amusement of the cruel Romans. It is reported that he died an ignominous death in the arena. He shared the fate of many thousands of prisoners who were compelled to fight to the death for the perverse pleasures of the Romans.
The passionate and stressed Arminius became enraged when he learned that his mortal enemy Germanicus had forcibly abducted his wife and unborn child. This normally stern and cool man was wounded to his very heart by sadness, mourning and helpless despair. If it was true that “the Germans feared nothing worse and found nothing more unendurable than the capture of their wives and daughters” as Tacitus wrote (Germania I, 8), then it is understandable that this outrageous act of Segestes was considered a monstrous atrocity by almost everyone.
He traveled tirelessly, calling on his friends to avenge Thusnelda and rise up against Segestes. His furious and infuriating speeches landed on the Cheruskan and neighboring populations like a spark in a powder keg. Even his uncle Ingomer, who was highly respected by the Romans and had previously remained neutral (he had not taken part in the Varus battle), immediately came over to Armin’s side with all his followers. This represented a great gain for Arminius and another setback for Germanicus, since the Germans were now even more united and more bitterly opposed to Roman rule. Thus, Thusnelda’s sad fate was not entirely without benefit for Germania.
