These are the words of Caius Cominius Dolabra on the Suebi and Ariovistus

Well, it was much like Gaius Julius says in his book you know, except that there was only about twice as many of the Germans as of us and there when they isolated us to squeeze our supplies we thought they had us. Until Gaius Julius revealed that they were waiting because of some omen, then we were happy and wanted to fight them.

So you know, we lined up the army as usual, we were on the left, facing the Suebi themselves strengthened by selected warbands from the other tribes. That was no fun, those irrumatores are huge and fierce, and their blows shatter helmets and splits shields if not warded off right. We were hard pressed. Normally there would be skirmishing first and we would have time to throw our Pila, but not this time. They could not be restrained or they hoped to overwhelm us with their sheer size and force. First a wave of warriors charged with sword and shield, bare-chested and with incredible force to try and break our line. They almost succeeded, our line has never wavered such, but it held and then their second wave formed into Phalanxes as I am told Alexander and Pyrrhus used and pressed on. It was incredibly frustrating, for we could not reach them and they kept pushing. Some of us, myself included dived under the spears or jumped over them in an attempt to reach the wielders, but again our line wavered under the pressure, and again new warbands hurled themselves against us through gaps opening up in the phalanx for it. This time the bodyguards of the chieftains; huge, fierce men in chainmail and with long swords and shield. Some few of them used huge axes in two hands and others threw away their shield to chop better with two hands on their long swords. They towered above us and broke into our ranks in many places. I tell you, I almost wanted to flee then, I have never as an adult been so afraid, not even at Dyrrachium when Pompei beat us so bad and we fled with our tails between our legs. No, I was afraid, and some of the others even wet their pants. But then, when all looked worst, the reserves came streaming and saved our asses while the German left had broken so our cavalry was moving behind and the Legions flanking the Germans. That broke them and they routed, having committed their last reserves to break us. But contrary to what Gaius Julius says, the bodyguards that had not fallen stood their ground to the last. I saw none of them flee; they all had to be cut down to the last man. Not that many slaves were taken even from the fleeing, for they too would turn and fight when we came up, none surrendered. All those camp followers, wives and such that could not get away killed themselves as well.



There was a rumour that the Haerudes/Haerudi robbed loads of gold from the Aedui by, but none knows anything.