Let us at least bestow upon him the same honours he gave to Varus' soldiers.
Since he had enough heart to avenge their death, let us at least be merciful enough to
mourn his. But let us not leave him any longer in the midst of this terrible battlefield
strewn with corpses. Look at him in his conquests, see how the brave Arminius
dared not confront him and admire his skill, leadership, and bravery as he pursued
and defeated such a mighty foe. In doing so, Germanicus ensured to pair prudence with
bravery. He surprised the Chatti when they least expected it, laying waste to their entire country,
taking the city of Mattium, the capital of the province, setting it on fire, taking a large number of
prisoners, spreading fear everywhere before heading back to the Rhine, unchallenged by the foe.
Next, he came to assist his ally Segestes, who was besieged by members of his own nation supporting Arminius. Upon Germanicus's arrival,
Arminius seemed more to flee than withdraw, but it was merely a ruse to lead Germanicus into an ambush.
Luckily, he escaped all the ambushes that had been set against his life. He proved his worth during these ordeals. Seeing his allied Germans heading towards a marsh greatly advantageous to the enemy, he advanced all the Roman legions in battle formation, instilling fear in Arminius's troops and confidence in our own. Germanicus's success was also reflected upon his lieutenant Caecina, for he overcame all the difficulties he encountered, and fought bravely against the forces of Inguiomer and Arminius. The Roman armies were ultimately only victorious in these engagements, and had these victories not reflected upon Germanicus's glory, he would have been less exposed to the emperor's suspicions. I even heard it said that I in some way contributed to his downfall, because they believed his courage was as contagious as a plague in this age and that he had transmitted some of his bravery to me. They thought, since he had made me bold, he would make heroes of every soldier fighting for him. But those who thought this forgot that I am of Octave's blood, and Germanicus had more trouble containing my courage than stimulating it.
Furthermore, it is true that when rumours spread that the Roman army had defected and the foes were coming to raid Gaul, I prevented those who were too terrified by this false news from breaking the bridge that crossed the Rhine and in a way, saved the Roman legions. I did nothing that should have aroused suspicion. Indeed, when the legions returned, I stood at the end of the bridge to thank the soldiers, encourage some, assist others, console the wounded, and do everything that compassion and generosity commanded me to do in favour of those who had just fought for their country, the safety of Tiberius, and the glory of Germanicus. I should have been thanked for this action rather than viewed as an enemy.
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