The Batavians, like other warriors from the lands east of the Rhine, had no problem crossing water (Tacitus Histories 2.17.2). When a unit of gladiators advanced in small boats to occupy an island in the middle of the river, the Germans swam towards them, car rying their weapons, and reached the island first. The Germans attacked the gladiators, who were not able to defend themselves properly due to their unstable boats. Seeing the chaos among their enemies, the Germans jumped into the water, took hold of the boats, and began to board them and to push them underwater (Tacitus Histories 2.35.1–2). While this story may be exaggerated, it is a perfect example of the special ability of the Germans – and particularly the Batavians – to swim through deep water while carrying their weapons. Other stories indicate that they were able to perform such manoeuvres together with their horses. These skills rendered the Germans even more unpredictable and dangerous because wide and deep rivers, wetlands, and even swamps were not insurmountable obstacles to them and could be crossed without much preparation. Natural barriers on which the Romans could usually count to stop enemy armies in their tracks had no such effect on the Germans.
Equipped for swimming
The ability to swim long distances requires not only the ability to keep oneself above water, but appropriate equipment that does not drag its wearer down as well. Tacitus informs us on several occasions about the armament of the Germans. In his , he states that most warriors had shields 6.1–3) – a claim that corresponds with the archaeological findings. Wolfgang Adler distinguishes two sets of equipment in his study on weapons found in graves in the lower Elbe region. The regular armament consisted of a shield and a light spear, whereas the full armament – found in about 30 percent of the warrior graves – had an additional sword. The latter seems to have mainly been used by horsemen, as foot soldiers lacked a sword. A spear and shield were also the items with which young Germans were equipped by their fathers or a chieftain upon joining the ranks of the men ( 13.1). In another, somewhat comedic passage, Tacitus describes parts of the Germanic weaponry in greater detail. He outlines a speech by the general Germanicus during the Battle at Pontes Longi (AD 15) in which he downplayed the danger of the Germanic attackers. Tacitus has him relate how Germanic shields consisted only of interwoven osiers or of thin, painted boards and that the rear lines of warriors wielded very short spears or weapons hardened by fire ( 2.14.3). Finds from Illerup Ådal in Denmark support these statements. In contrast to the laminated , Germanic shields were indeed composed of thin boards linked together using tongue and groove or pegs. Similarly, the spearheads were very short and light, weighing between about 70 and 120 grams. Even spears with fire-hardened tips or made of horn have been found. It thus seems that most warriors carried not more than four kilograms of equipment – six if they had a sword. The denser metal parts of the shield’s boss and edge fittings, the spearheads, and the blade constituted only part of this weight; the rest consisted mainly of items made from dry wood, which even provided some buoyancy. These weapons could therefore be carried while swimming without any problems due to their lightness and especially to the virtual absence of body armour.
