Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 2.djvu/254

 GERMAKIA. flonie let their f&oDstaches grow. The blue ejee pe- culiar to the Germans, which generally have a soft ex- pression, are nererthelees described as full of defiance. Tlie women were almost eqoal to the men, both in strength and in sixe ; a fact which is confirmed by skeletons found in tombs of ancient Germans. As re- gards the chssification of the inhabitants of Germany, even the anctents divided them into several groups. Tacitus {Germ, 2) mentions three great groups, viz., the Ingaeoone*^ on the ocean; the HervMoneg^ in the interior; and the Istaevoneij in Uie east and south of Germany. These three names are said to have been derived from the three sons of Hsnnus, the ancestor of all the Germans. Pliny (iv. 28) indeed mentioiis five groups of German tribes, adding to those just mentioned the VindiU as the fourth, and the PeuekU and Battamae as the fifth; but this cUssification seems to have arisen from a mistake: for Zeuss, in his work to be referred to hereafter, has shown that tks Vindili belonged to the Hermiones, and that Pencim and Bsstemae are only names of individual tribes, and not of groups of tribes. But how the nume- rous tribes of Gennany are to be arranged under these three groups is a question which it is impossible ever to answer with any degree of certainty: and Tacitus himself appears to have felt the difficulty; for, in his account of the several tribes, he omito to mention to which group they belonged. As the Scandinavian peninsida is regarded as a part of Germany, its in- habitants, bearing the general name of Hitteviones, and again divided into Smonet and SikmUj must be added as a fourth group. VI. Mode of Life and Charaeter of the PisopU, — The phydcal constitution of the Germans was, no doubt, in a great measure the result of their way of living. Their commerce was ineonsidenible, and they depended chiefly on the breeding of cattle, the chase, snd war, pnrsuito which created in the people an unquoichable love of freedom, and made them impatient of foreign sway. Tacitus {Germ, 14) speaks of the foithfulness and trustworthiness of the Germans; but other statements lead to a somewhat opposlto opinion, and we are probably not fiur wrong in assuming that the ancient Germans, like all other barbarians, had a ounsidenible degree of honesty, combined with cunning and falsehood. The dress of the Germans, in early times, was ex- tremely simple, and almost the same for both sexes; childrui up to the time of maturity are SMd to hare worn no dress at all, not even in winter. The chief article of dress of men was a cloak, sometimes made of wooUen cloth, and sometimes consisting of the skin of an animal The women wore close-fitting gar- ments of linen, which they spun and wove them- selves, and which were sometimes adorned with purple stripes; the arms and part of the bosom were generally uncovered. In later times, men also, espe- cially nobles, wore similar close-fitting garments, cloaks adorned with gold, shoes, and a kind of coat reaching down to the knee. But the German at- tached much more importance to his arms, which he even took with him into the grave. The defensive armour was at first very simide and defective, for few only had helmets and breast-plates; the place of the former was often supplied by the akin of the head of some animal, on which the boms were left stand- ing: most men had no other defensive armour but a long shield, made of wood or vricker-work, covered with leather. The most ancient weapon of attack was a kind of harom^' or axe made of stone; for which, at a Liter period, brass was substituted. Next GEBMAKIA. MS in importance to the axe were the spoar (framea), club, sword, slings, and bows and arrows. The habitations of the Germans were equally simple, forming shapeless masses, probably of day, covered with straw or turf; caverns covered with dunghilla served as store-houses, and also as pUces of refuge in winter. Such houses generally stood isolated in the fields and forests, near a spring or brook, and were very rarely united into villages or hamlets. Some tribes, which led a half nomadic life, appear to have had no regular houses at all. The principal article of food consisted of flesh which was cooked or roasted, but often prepared only by being beaten or kneaded, or dried and smoked; besides this, the Germans lived on milk, butter, cheese, eggs, fishes, and especially porridge made of oatmeal, and beer. Generally sputking, the Ger- mans were moderate in their diist, but they were particularly fond of social meals, and no other nation ever was more hospitable to strangers; but it is at the same time well attested that they were given to excessive drinking, and no festival of a public or private character passed without great excesses in drinkmg (generally beer, rarely wine), which very often led to quanelling, fighting, and even murder. For this reason, the women seem to have withdrawn as Bocn as the drinking commenced. The ancient Germans were as fond of singing as their modem descendante; for we are told that they sang at wed- dings and ftinerals, as weU as on going out to battle* They were also much given to gambling, in which they would sometimes go so for as to stake their personal freedom, when all their property was lost; in such a case, the loser became the slave of the winner. Marriages were not contracted till a very mature age, and required the sanction not only df the pa- rents, but of aA the kinsmen, and, instead of receiv-^ ing a dowry, the bridegroom had to present one to his bride.' Women were probably howhere so much honoured as among the Germanic nations; and it is owing to the influence exercised by the Germans upon all the nations of Europe, combined with that of Christianity, that women, during the middle ages, ei}oyed the respect and esteem with which they are still regarded by all truly civilised nations. The ancient Germans entertained the great- est reverence for women, for they believed them to possess a certain divine and proi^etic powo*; the women not only conducted all the domestic aflaiis, but also acomipanied the armies on their military expedi- tions, attended to the wounded, cheered on the waver- ing to finsh deeds of valour, and sometimes even took an active part in the battles. The children grew up without much care on the part of their parents, and thus became accustomed to endure all kinds of hard- ship fitnn tlieir very in&ncy. Young men at the age of 20 received their armour from Uieir fiither or. some kinsman in the public assembly, and from that moment they enjoyed all the rights of a citizen. In times of peace the Germans generally indulged in ease and laziness, leaving the care of doroestio concerns and of their fields to the women, old men, and slaves. All the cultivated land was regarded as public property, and was annually distributed anew ' by the magistrates among the families, or was let out to farm. In regard to other occupations, the Germans were distinguished for their potteries, and also worked as carpenters, masons, and smiths, while the womoi were engaged in spinning and weaving. In the interior of the country commerce was insig- nificant; but on the Rhine and the Danube it woa 3s 2