08-26-2006, 06:41 PM
Both Tacitus and Strabo tell us that Arminius had a son, who, according to the latter, was named Thumelicus. Thusnelda, Arminius' wife, was pregnant when she fell into Germanicus' hands with the complicity of her father, Segestes. "A son was born to Arminius' wife: he was brought up at Ravenna. I shall write elsewhere of the ironical fate in store for him." (Annals 1.58 ) Unfortunately, the part of the Annals that contains Thumelicus' story appears to have been lost to time. Thumelicus next seems to appear at the age of three when he along with his mother and other prisoners taken from the German tribes were paraded in Germanicus' triumph. (Geography 7.1.4)
As I understand it, Thumelicus' story seems to be lost after the age of three. Searching the internet (not a definitive source, but often a decent place to find leads), one finds mention that Thumelicus became a gladiator who died in the arena before the age of 30. From what I gather, the notion is based on a combination of the idea that a gladiator school existed at Ravenna and Tacitus' comment about Thumelicus' "ironical fate" (or in other translations -- "suffered an insult" or "the mockery with which he had to contend"). I wonder how much of the gladiator angle is based on fact, informed conjecture or on the book, "Thumelicus, der Sohn Armins" written during the 1930s by Walter Heichen which depicts Thumelicus as a gladiator. To my way of thinking, Thumelicus would have been more useful to Rome as a pawn in the politics of the German tribes than as an amusement in the arena.
What is known about Thumelicus' life? Is there more to the gladiator story than what I have found? And was there any particular reason for keeping Thumelicus and Thusnelda at Ravenna?
Thank You
Emil
As I understand it, Thumelicus' story seems to be lost after the age of three. Searching the internet (not a definitive source, but often a decent place to find leads), one finds mention that Thumelicus became a gladiator who died in the arena before the age of 30. From what I gather, the notion is based on a combination of the idea that a gladiator school existed at Ravenna and Tacitus' comment about Thumelicus' "ironical fate" (or in other translations -- "suffered an insult" or "the mockery with which he had to contend"). I wonder how much of the gladiator angle is based on fact, informed conjecture or on the book, "Thumelicus, der Sohn Armins" written during the 1930s by Walter Heichen which depicts Thumelicus as a gladiator. To my way of thinking, Thumelicus would have been more useful to Rome as a pawn in the politics of the German tribes than as an amusement in the arena.
What is known about Thumelicus' life? Is there more to the gladiator story than what I have found? And was there any particular reason for keeping Thumelicus and Thusnelda at Ravenna?
Thank You
Emil
Emil Bosman
