A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
I should have killed you for suggesting that.
I was surprised you didn't.
I always knew she'd choose you someday.
Says the one who's marrying her.
For strategic reasons.
When this is all over, you'll be together again.
Then you'll belong to me again.
Folkwin.
-You can't… -Come with you. I know.
Segestes needs to keep believing
that my head is on a pike instead of on my neck.
If I'm alive, we all die, right?
And you'll treat her well?
Or I'll really beat you up next time.
You wanted me to marry a prince, right?
Your reik…
my groom.
I only know it must be this way.
Ari has a plan only he can carry out.
But the tribes don't trust him.
The wedding will change that.
Folkwin sees it the same way.
Only then can we beat the Romans.
And you saw all of this in your dreams?
You tell me.
-Couldn't I have? -No.
The people may believe you have the gift, but the gods know you don't.
Wodan sacrificed an eye to see the future, and you? You've sacrificed nothing.
I was ready to give my life.
Don't the gods reward courage?
Above all, they punish hubris.
Thank you. You may go now.
He stole her. The swine didn't even ask me.
What are you going to do? Complain to his cavalry?
I wish you the blessings of the gods, and a house of screaming children.
As a wedding present, I promise you
two thousand of my men.
You're very generous, Aldarich.
Our army is growing, Arminius.
Congratulations.
What about you, Rurik?
Shall we hunt together?
You make a pretty pair.
You and the Roman.
I'm Ari, son of…
I don't give a damn if you're a Roman or a pansy Cherusci!
I care about where we're going to find more men.
Well? Rome has three legions.
I heard, at the folkmoot, you pushed hardest for war.
Yeah, along with Gernot of the Bructeri.
You cut off his head.
For Rome.
You don't need to fear me anymore.
Fear?
Say that again, and I'll cut the tongue out of your Roman mouth.
Unite all the tribes?
The drunken Aldarich and his Marsi?
And these lecherous Chatti?
And you as the leader?
I don't trust any of you lousy pig-fuckers.
Reik Hadgan sends you this wedding present.
Horse shit.
I didn't expect to win them over right away.
At least we have 2,000 more men.
Are you worried about Folkwin?
You know what he's like.
I'll send out Talio and his men.
You clearly find me pleasing.
Just the lower ranks disobeying orders.
I know to whom your heart belongs.
What are you doing there?
Barbarian! On your feet!
Stop, slave!
We swear fealty to you.
May the gods give you wisdom and strength.
My reik.
And?
My lady.
I can't hear you, Father.
And my lady!
Segestes, I know we have our differences.
But regardless…
we are now family.
Thusnelda and I will be traveling for a time.
I want to leave the village in good hands.
And who would be better for the job than you, Segestes?
I will leave some of my men here with you, for everyone's protection.
I know I can rely on you.
Thank you, my reik.
Show your gratitude with good service.
You're more like me than you want to admit…
daughter.
Is he right? Am I like him?
I hope I never have to face you as an enemy.
When you meet Varus, it would be wise to rein in your temper.
He's used to Roman women.
What are Roman women like?
They know to serve their men.
Talio.
If we hadn't been wed…
If we give up now…
then he died for nothing.
Take me to Varus.
Thusnelda.
You're lucky to be alive.
I don't know what happened.
I was fighting Romans.
Yes, but you just stabbed holes in the air.
I was amazed at how long you lasted, considering how drunk you were.
Another slave tried to run away.
But they stabbed him.
And threw him in the fire.
You were unconscious.
They took you captive instead.
What's your name, friend?
Folkwin Wolfspeer.
You're Folkwin Wolfspeer?
Yep.
That's Folkwin Wolfspeer there.
Or do you have two heads?
I'm Raskild. Of the Marcomanni.
And you are?
Really.
Berulf. Yeah.
My mother was Bructeri, and my father Cherusci.
And I was a wanderer between worlds.
I was always caught in the middle.
Hey.
Hey!
Arminius, my son.
Father.
Your barbarian woman looks like the divine Diana.
Varus says welcome.
Tell him I'll cut his balls off and feed them to the dogs.
She's very honored to meet the Roman governor.
Forgive me, I'm a terrible host.
These are Tribune Quintus,
Camp Prefect Eggius, and Legate Numonius Vala.
Thusnelda's father is Segestes, from the Cherusci tribe.
A loyal vassal of the empire.
He says he values your father.
-I hope they kill each other… -Gifts!
That is Pelagios. The interpreter.
You not only look like a barbarian, you also married one.
Such are the sacrifices we make for the empire.
I hardly recognize myself.
Maybe it's just your true face finally showing, Arminius?
Arminius will always be a true son of Rome. Look…
You've wanted this since you were a small boy.
The emperor has bestowed upon you a knighthood.
Gaius Julius Arminius…
A Roman knight.
Thank you, Father.
There is unrest everywhere due to the tributes.
Our patrols keep getting ambushed.
That's why we need to restore peace, with your help.
Bring me a son from every reik as a hostage.
Once we've taken their children, they will come to their senses.
Varus wants you to take the reiks' children, Ari?
You're going to follow his orders.
How do I know you aren't trying to lead us all into a trap?
You think I want to lead every German tribe to the slaughter?
You think that?
The Romans admire you.
Varus is like a father to you.
Whose side are you on, Ari?
We're getting the reiks' sons.
I'll explain on the way. Trust me!
Looking for someone?
Berulf?
Berulf.
Yeah?
No.
Wait! We can sell this one to a gladiator school for big money.
You'll pay for that, you dog.
You dare bring Romans into my hall?
Arminius, what are you doing? Huh?
Take the boy.
-Father! -No!
-Father! -Let him go!
That's my son!
There's nothing you can do.
Father.
-Father. -Take him!
-Father! -No!
Father!
Come to the moon festival next full moon.
Always the same, for so many weeks.
We take the reiks' sons,
and each time I see you, as a boy.
Did you hate your father for it?
I hated him.
I asked myself what I'd done wrong.
Why I was being punished.
My brother thought the same.
And Varus?
He was always good to me.
I learned a lot from him.
For example, the lights up there…
Some in Rome believe they are big balls.
The Greeks call them planets.
And why don't these "planets" of yours fall down?
Because they're fast. Fast as arrows.
They fly around us.
The Greeks say that?
A man named Philolaus.
The Romans think the Greeks are very clever.
They've borrowed a lot from them.
Even their gods.
Everyone knows those are the campfires of the sky spirits.
Balls…
Traitor!
I'll beat you to a pulp!
You won't, Rurik.
Think of your son.
Think of your tribe.
Where is my son?
There's nothing you can do.
Nothing.
Look at you.
Look at yourselves.
I took your sons away and you did nothing.
You are fathers who betrayed their sons.
Why couldn't you do what every father must?
Because each and every one of you is too weak to defy Rome.
You couldn't unify yourselves even once…
and put aside your petty squabbles.
The wolf is at the door…
and the shepherds are fighting over a fistful of wool!
And you think I'm the wolf?
I'm not.
Your sons are fine.
Praise Wodan!
They are not with Varus, and I never planned to send them to Rome.
Where are they?
-They're in our village. In safety. -Father!
Father!
I didn't want your sons to suffer my fate!
In Rome, I was taught…
to forget my family…
to despise my people and my way of life…
my beliefs, my roots!
Our roots!
They uprooted me from our ground because my father was alone.
But we are thousands! And we could unite into a single, powerful tribe.
How?
In barely a moon, the legions will return to Vetera after the summer campaign.
That is our chance.
You want to fight three legions?
Even if we join together, we're still too few.
If we don't fight, Rome will keep taking our sons!
If we don't fight, we'll have to keep paying tribute!
If we don't fight,
we'll have to answer to the Romans instead of to our gods!
I was one of them!
I fought their battles, led their armies.
I know the legions inside and out.
Let us rise up together.
Let us fight together.
They think they are invincible, and that is their weakness.
Since I know how they live…
you will know how to kill them.
For our children!
For our freedom!
Let us fight together.
Let us fight together!
Let us triumph together!
Yes!
You've won their trust with your plan.
You're the one they really trust.
And you will lead them into battle.
They see me only as a useful tool.
It's like going hunting with a pack of wolves.
If you fail, they'll eat you instead.
I will ride to Varus at dawn.
You're going to convince Varus.
You're going to lead them into the forest.
Or he'll see through me and nail me to a cross.
Ari.
I can't lose you again.
Distract the guard.
Distract the guard!
We need more water.
Hey!
Come here!
Do you know the Cherusci village? From Segimer's clan?
There's a new queen, Thusnelda.
Find her and tell her
that you saw an old friend from the dye hut here.
Who are you?
Please, just do as I say.
She'll reward you richly.
"An old friend of Thusnelda from the dye hut"?
But the woman said the slave didn't look like a dyer.
More like a warrior.
With blond hair.
You think it was Folkwin?
Who else?
It can't be. Folkwin is dead.
His head is on a pike.
It wasn't Folkwin's head on that pike.
Varus was tricked.
It must have been Arminius.
He's the only one Varus trusts.
You can bring Arminius down with this.
He steals our daughter.
He breaks the law.
He tricks Varus.
You want to tell us how you plan to beat three legions?
This…
is the Roman army in formation.
And this… is the Roman army in our forests and swamps.
I will make sure they take precisely this path.
The snake will grow so long…
that the tail won't notice when we cut off the head.
And then we will hack it to pieces, bit by bit.
And what if they manage to get out of the forest?
Yeah…
What then?
We'll force them to retreat.
And then…
We'll be waiting for them.
I see you are yourself again, my son.
Come, the officers are waiting for us.
Arminius was supposed to bring us the reiks' sons as hostages.
Where are the hostages?
The reik of the Marsi refused to give up his son.
This led the others to follow suit.
A rebellion!
Exactly.
So I have a proposal.
This is the way back to Vetera along the Rhine.
And here, this is the land of the Marsi.
So?
It's better to put out a small fire…
before the whole forest burns.
Arminius suggests we take a detour and deal with the situation on the way.
Wouldn't it be better to wait until spring?
The area you want to lead us through is unknown.
Most areas were unknown to us at some point, Quintus.
And today…
they're part of the empire.
Because Rome never acted without caution.
Are you afraid, Tribune?
Do you think fifteen thousand sons of Rome should fear a thousand Marsi?
All right, it's settled.
We'll take the detour and teach those barbarians a lesson.
I demand to speak to the governor!
I demand to speak with Governor Varus!
Let me through!
I demand to speak to the governor!
Let him through.
I hope you have a good reason for your interruption, barbarian.
This man you call Arminius…
He plans to betray you.
Subtitle translation by Kelly Barksdale