A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
[epic music slowly building]
[strong brass theme playing]
[children laughing and playing]
[boy] I'll get you!
[children continue playing]
Come on.
Come on, hurry!
[boy 2] Let's go.
[boy 3] You can't catch me.
Faster, faster!
Ansgar!
[Irmina] Ansgar!
[boy 3] Get down!
[boy 4] Hide!
[man] Ansgar, stop!
Hey, little brother.
Are you hunting?
Show me what a good hunter you are!
Come on. Show me what a good hunter you are!
A mouse? A frog?
Come on!
[laughs]
[Ansgar] Ah!
[woman] Father.
Thusnelda, leave your brother alone. Let's go.
He'll be here any minute.
Let your hair down.
[soft rhythmic music plays]
[horse neighing]
[woman] Welcome to the Cherusci, Reik Hadgan.
Your long journey was not in vain.
We've been waiting for you.
[inhales deeply]
The hips are a bit small.
Good teeth.
Hmm, strong muscles.
And a firm fist.
[man] Don't touch her hair, Hadgan.
She's not yours yet.
-There's the matter of price. -[woman] Don't start, Hadgan.
The bridal price is set. Five mares.
In times like these?
For a woman so skinny?
[man] Think it over.
I'll walk you to the gate.
Should I stab him for you?
[whispers] I can take care of him.
[Hadgan] Steep price,
but I'll take her.
You're buying more than a wife, Hadgan. You're buying an ally.
In half a moon, I'll return for her.
She'll obey. You'll see.
[fire crackles]
[horses neighing]
[man] Romans!
[indistinct shouting]
[indistinct chatter]
[in Latin] Augustus, emperor of the holy city of Rome,
has appointed a new governor for Germania.
Senator Publius Quinctilius Varus.
[in English] Understand what he's saying?
No.
[scoffs]
[in Latin] Fuck, these brutes don't understand a word.
From now on,
Rome will no longer waive your tribute.
[in English] Segestes, what is it?
The Romans want tribute.
[Metellus in Latin] Varus requires every tribe to pay the value
of 20 cows
or 50 centners of grain.
[in English] They want cattle and grain.
[indistinct chatter]
Are you blind?
Does it look like there's anything to take?
[in Latin] What?
Say that again.
[in English] He wants you to say that again.
[in Latin] You have three days.
[horses neighing]
-[in English] They're giving us 3 days. -What?
Why are the Romans breaking our agreement?
We made peace with Rome!
Without any tribute!
Enough!
Rome is bleeding us dry even after I gave them my sons.
What do you want?
Romans have the upper hand, I don't need to remind you by how much.
Indeed you don't, Segestes.
-The mother of your sons-- -Don't speak of my wife.
Don't speak of my sons.
Send out messengers.
To every tribe.
We'll convene a Thing. Everyone will have a vote.
That's useless.
You know the tribes will never unite.
I will commit them all to fight.
The Romans won't take any more.
[sighs]
You're the reik.
[ominous music plays]
[Segimer] Reiks!
The Romans are now demanding taxes from all Germanic people.
[indistinct chatter]
[Segimer] We have to decide tonight.
Will we let the Romans subjugate us,
or will we fight back?
[Hadgan] Germanic?
Since when are we Germanic?
The Romans call us that,
-because they can't tell us apart. -[all chuckle]
Then they're blind!
I've got nothing in common with you Cherusci.
-Or with the damn cattle-thieving Marsi. -Take that back, Hadgan.
-I'd rather drink piss. -[all laugh]
Open your mouth!
-Come on! -[Segimer] Stop!
-[indistinct shouting] -[Segimer] What's with you?
No blood shall be spilled at the Thing.
[indistinct chatter]
[weapons clanking]
What do we get if we pay this tribute anyway?
-Right. -Even more overfed Romans.
I say enough's enough.
-I say we fight! -[indistinct shouting]
You want to rise up against the greatest army in the world?
You may as well smash your own heads in.
There are 10,000 Romans here.
5,000 coming across the Lippe. Do you get it? Or are you all dumb?
It's peace that we need.
Your idea of peace amounts to a reeking pile of shit.
[all laugh]
[Gernot] I'll pay no tribute!
Never!
[all] Never!
[Segestes] We need a decision, Reik.
We have an alliance with Rome.
And you gave a great deal for it.
Aldarich
of the Marsi.
No war with the Romans!
We haven't heard from Hadgan of the Chatti.
[sighs]
No war with the Romans.
[Segestes] The tribes disagree.
What do you say, Reik?
Will the Cherusci go to war?
Without the support of every tribe?
We'll keep the peace.
[spits]
[branch snaps]
[breathing heavily]
[Thusnelda grunting]
[Folkwin groans]
Were you spying?
So what?
You won't say that once you've been punished.
It's better than being touched by you.
[groans]
[Thusnelda grunts]
[sighs]
-Not one of you has any balls. -[groans]
My little brother's braver than all those asses.
Yes, but you're his sister.
And you're a woman.
And our reik isn't a real man.
Careful, Thusnelda.
I've sworn Segimer an oath.
You know that.
We've sworn each other an oath, too.
Doesn't this mean anything?
Report me to the reik.
I'm going to.
-I'm waiting. -I'm going to.
Yeah, please do.
-I will. -Please.
-I'm going to. Yeah. -Then do it.
-Do it. Do it. -I will. I will.
-Yes, I will. -Yeah?
-I will. -Yeah?
-I will. I'm going to. -Do it.
[bittersweet music plays]
[kisses]
[Folkwin] Hey.
[both chuckle]
-I have to go. -[Folkwin] Mmm. Yeah.
[Folkwin sighs]
I'm so tired of meeting in secret.
[sighs] Folkwin…
Yeah?
My father has a bridegroom for me.
Who?
A reik.
Who?
Hadgan.
The ugly Chatti?
The reik of the Chatti.
A man like you…
Your father's a brewer.
-My father is a lord. -He is a damn Roman-lover
who's waiting for his opportunity to stab our reik in the back and who…
sells you like an ox.
And what should we do about it? Just run away?
Yeah.
I'll steal you.
Here and now.
[chuckles]
Come on.
Come on. Come on.
Folkwin…
I want you.
But they'll banish us.
You don't want that.
Maybe the Romans will kill him.
[horses neighing]
[strong, percussive music plays]
[indistinct shouting]
[in Latin] Finally, you're here…
my son.
Welcome to Germania.
It's good to see you again after all this time.
I could really use your good strategy in this crazy land.
[flies buzzing]
[sighs]
[in English] Come here, you little berserker.
[both laugh]
Do you know what day it is today?
Today is the day that you get sacrificed to the gods.
First, I'll throw you in the bog, and then comes Woden.
And he will gnaw the flesh… [snarls]
…from your bones.
And bless us with sunshine for days and days.
Oh, oh, no, no. No.
Hey. Hey.
[chuckles]
As long as I live,
no harm will come to you.
Yeah, little brother?
Promise. What's a wolf say?
-[howls] -[door opens]
-[Folkwin] What's a wolf say? [laughs] -[Vegis howling]
Folkwin, we have to gather the tribute.
-Order of the reik. -No.
[both sigh]
Get.
We don't even have enough to feed ourselves, Mother.
We'll give our last goat to keep the peace if the reik asks us.
[goat bleating]
[plaintive music]
[woman crying] No, no.
Sheep are going, too.
Where's the rest?
I asked you a question. Where's the rest?
Slurp it up by yourself at home. Go.
[Folkwin] Leave my father alone.
You are not the reik.
[horn blaring]
[horses approaching]
[horses neighing]
[sighs]
[in Latin] Not even enough to wipe my ass with.
[in English] He praises our efforts toward mutual friendship,
but he's not satisfied.
[in Latin] Go!
[blade swishes]
[in English] What's going on?
Wait.
-Segestes, tell them to stop. -[soldier shouts in Latin]
We have no more to give you.
[goats bleating]
You can't do this!
[in Latin] This isn't even close to what Rome requires.
[in English] He says it's not enough.
We kept our part of the deal and Rome is now going to.
[in Latin] Governor Varus expects a demonstration of your loyalty to Rome.
Your leader should kiss our standard.
[in English] They demand that you kiss their eagle.
[in Latin] Go on.
On your knees.
[in English] Reik.
[sighs]
[scoffs]
[tense music plays]
-No! No! -[Segestes] Stop it.
-Calm down. Thusnelda. -[Thusnelda] What are you doing?
-Don't! -[Segestes] Not now.
[screaming]
-[grunts] -[man] Hold him down.
[Folkwin] Let go of me!
[grunts]
[groans]
[Thusnelda] Ansgar!
[Irmina screams]
[Irmina crying]
Rome wants a sign of our friendship?
Fine!
[sorrowful music playing]
[in Latin] Victorious Rome!
[all in Latin] Victorious Rome!
[Irmina continues crying]
[in English] No, no, no!
No, no!
Please!
[Runa chanting in German]
[chanting continues]
[Thusnelda in English] Mother, I didn't want this to happen.
[sniffles]
[Thusnelda sniffling]
[crows cawing]
Women of the Woods…
take my sacrifice.
[sorrowful music playing]
Mother of Blood…
give me bravery…
and strength…
until my brother is avenged.
[inhales deeply] Mother of Fire…
misgivings and doubt be burned…
until my brother is avenged.
And Sister of Wrath…
grant me cruel twins…
death and doom.
[sorrowful music intensifies]
And be a good sister to me now.
Though I was not.
[sobbing]
[indistinct chatter]
[Metellus in Latin] Most of the tribes have submitted
and paid the tribute.
[groans]
But not him.
I'll give you one more chance, barbarian.
[grunts softly]
[spits]
[Gernot grunting]
-[Varus] Metellus. -[Gernot panting]
The tribes don't understand this.
According to their law,
a man cannot sentence another man to die.
There is no Germanic law.
There is only Rome.
They must learn.
[slow, ominous music plays]
[ominous music intensifies]
[whimpers]
[sobs]
[breathes heavily]
[haunting music plays]
[mumbling indistinctly]
[sniffling]
[continues mumbling]
[Runa in English] Ansgar is a favorite of the gods.
Because he survived?
Because he's been to the kingdom of death, and he returned.
It seems he still has a task to complete up here.
What task must I complete?
What do the gods want?
Only Woden, the father of the gods, can see what will happen.
That's why he sacrificed his own eye.
If you are truly meant to fight, the gods will send you a sign.
The past shadows…
become the light of coming days.
[Folkwin] A sign?
It's complete bullshit. I hate oracles.
You don't believe gods send us signs?
I believe in my sword.
And I will do everything I can to avenge your brother,
if you want that.
I don't want to wait for a sign.
Then let's make our own.
We'll capture the most valuable thing to them.
Their holy symbol.
-How will you do that? -Not me.
Us.
Then they'll all see that you're more than just a swordsman.
And we show everyone that Rome is not invincible.
Let's go bird hunting.
[ominous music plays]
[indistinct chatter]
[growling]
[howling]
[horse neighing]
[Folkwin] If we don't do something now…
soon everything here will belong to them.
But if we manage this…
We're not just taking the Roman eagle, we're taking our people's fear away.
Yes, of course.
I mean, there are worse reasons to die, but…
So this is the plan?
The four of us raid the Roman fort?
[Hanno] How will we even get in?
[Thusnelda] Go through the back, we go through the front.
I've got what every legionnaire wants.
Hello.
[clears throat]
For…
Metellus.
A slave.
For Centurion Metellus.
[in Latin] I wasn't told of this.
-Who is this slave? -[Folkwin shushes]
[in English] A prostitute.
A… a sex slave.
[in Latin] Let them in.
If Metellus doesn't have her, he'll have you.
[groans]
Yeah.
[clears throat]
Call me a sex slave once more and I'll cut your balls off.
-[Eigil] Say we manage to get in. -[Folkwin] Mh.
We just walk up and take the eagle?
No, we'll take care of that.
-[in Latin] Halt. -[Folkwin in English] Hello.
Hello.
You want an orgy?
[Folkwin] Orgy?
Orgy?
Huh? Huh?
[brooding music playing]
[horses neighing]
Roman shits.
[sniffs]
You go first.
Next time, I wanna go through the front.
[Folkwin] Touch her.
Go ahead. Yeah, yeah. Come.
Here, look, yes. Yes.
She's all yours. Look at her.
Everything's exactly where it should be.
You two will make sure we have a way out.
How's that?
-[winces] -[sewage sloshing]
[gagging]
[inhales deeply]
[all laughing]
[both grunting]
[grunting]
[tense music playing]
[Thusnelda grunting]
[grunting]
[panting]
-[grunts] -[neck snaps]
[indistinct chatter]
Quick.
[tense music rises]
Greetings.
[sighs]
I found one.
[Arminius in Latin] Secure the camp.
[yelling] Secure the camp!
[soldiers clamoring]
[Folkwin] A pack of wolves surrounds you.
Teeth bared, ready to mangle you.
What do you do?
[soldier in Latin] Close the gate!
Quickly!
[soldiers clamoring]
[in English] We've got to be hungrier than all the wolves.
Steadfast.
[explosion]
If we're ready to give everything…
[soldier in Latin] Fetch water!
Hurry!
[soldiers shouting]
[in English] We get what we want, and the Romans get…
what they deserve.
[clamoring continues]
[indistinct shouting]
[dramatic music plays]
[Varus in Latin] The eagle is sacred!
The guards will all be punished, just as Mars will punish us.
Give me 100 legionaries, Governor.
Oh, yeah?
I will bring it back.
How do you know where to go?
There are hundreds, thousands of barbarian villages.
I will burn them down, one after another.
And provoke a rebellion?
That's exactly what they want.
I'll look for them.
Give me the Germanic mercenaries.
I'll have the eagle back by tomorrow.
Go to Adjunct Prefect Talio.
I want you to ride out at dawn.
[indistinct chatter]
[man 1 in English] The Romans feast on meat and we get the bones.
[man 2] Shh! Just be quiet.
[in Latin] Where can I find your cohort leader, Talio?
[indistinct shouting]
[fighting]
[shouting]
[crowd yelling in Latin]
What is this?
What the hell are you doing?
The barbarian started it, Dominus.
Is that true?
[panting]
I asked you if that was true.
Forgive me… [pants]
Dominus.
[soldier] They may wear Roman armor,
they may get Roman pay,
but they are and will remain damned barbarians!
[spits]
You're not exactly a model soldier, either.
Dismissed!
[sniffles]
I have a mission from Varus himself.
You and your men will be my support.
We ride out at dawn.
[in English] Men!
Ready your mounts!
We're off come sunrise.
We have to lick Rome's stinking cunt again.
[men laughing]
Is that your humble opinion of our empire, then?
You speak our language?
[whip slashing]
[breathing heavily]
-[wincing] -[Arminius in Latin] That's enough.
[brooding music plays]
[soft, pleasant music plays]
[Vegis in English] They have the eagle! They have the eagle!
The eagle! They have the eagle!
[men beating shields and chests]
[man] Long live Folkwin!
[all cheer]
[man] Long live Thusnelda!
[all cheer]
-[man] Long live Hanno and Eigil! -[all cheer]
[beating continues]
[emotional music plays]
[beating continues]
[all cheering]
[screams in triumph]
[cheers]
[rhythmic drumming]
[crowd cheering]
[breathing heavily]
[exhales loudly]
[panting]
[drums continue beating]
[sighs]
You know what this means?
Yeah.
That we can beat them.
It means blood.
A lot of blood.
Revenge is certain.
How will they even find us, huh?
Between us and the Romans, there are hundreds of villages.
Look there.
Just look.
They're all waiting for a sign.
Look!
[romantic music plays]
[horses neighing]
[Arminius in Latin] You go this way, and you, that way.
[horse neighs]
[drums beating]
[mumbling in English] Come on.
[gentle music plays]
[chuckles]
[man] Romans! Romans!
Romans!
[all clamoring]
Bring it inside.
Close it!
Open the gate.
[tense music playing]
Open the gate!
[slow, dramatic music plays]
[dramatic music rises]
[in Latin and English] Hello, Father.
[closing title music]