How Tacitus depicted Germanic

1)Tacitus tells of the germans appearance-

Tacitus wrote: "For my own part, I agree with those who think that the tribes of Germany are free from all taint of intermarriages with foreign nations, and that they appear as a distinct, unmixed race, like none but themselves. Hence, too, the same physical peculiarities throughout so vast a population. **All** have fierce blue eyes, **red hair**, huge frames, fit only for a sudden exertion.."

2)roman Tacitus AGAIN ON GERMANS and their appearance(as well as britains)-

Who were the original inhabitants of Britain, whether they were indigenous or foreign, is as usual among barbarians, little known. Their physical characteristics are various, and from these conclusions may be drawn. **The red hair and large limbs of the inhabitants of Caledonia point clearly to a German origin**

3)
"[126] It was in this same year that Domitian made his pompous expedition
into Germany, from whence he returned without ever seeing the enemy.

[127] Caligula in like manner **got a number of tall men with their hair
dyed red to give credit to a pretended victory over the Germans**."

4)
"Emporer Caius proclaimed with the intent of making his triumph more imposing, captives and deserters from Gaul and **caused them to dye their hair red, and to assume German names**. Domitian did the same thing."

(My personal adendum-
The unmixed germans of ceasars time looked rather uniformly as Boris Becker would look today.. his phenotype is not the common appearance of that population in our times, however, nor would it be representative neccesarily of the SORBS or WENDS who compose a large part of the modern german states ancestry pool.)

ON THE GAULS-

1) Ammianus Marcellinus (330-400 AD) writes : "The Gauls are generally tall, with white skin, **blond hair** and frightful and ferocious eyes. Their mood is quarrelsome and extremely arrogant. "

2)Diodorus Siculus ON Gauls Celts-
"Their aspect is terrifying . . . They are very tall in stature, with ripling muscles under clear white skin. Their **hair is blond, but not naturally so: they bleach it**, to this day, artificially, washing it in lime and combing it back"

Height of EVEN Gaulish WOMEN exceeds roman MALES-

"The Gallic women are not only equal to their husbands in stature but rival them in strength as well." ~Diodorus Siculus

A 'bonus'-

Suggestion to explain modern Britain's AMH Ht over-concentration (unintentionally) explained / Ceasars Gallic wars-

"Ten and even twelve have wives common to them, and particularly brothers share wives with brothers, and fathers with their sons; "

Conclusion-
The modern construct of German=Blond, and Celt / Gaul=Red hair, is basically a NDSAP eugenics construct, from a time when even the Irish were often claimed (rediculously) as not europeans.. the history of these populations at the onset of their conquest is documented well by romans. This is not a exhaustive list of citations.. but it gets point across that the modern phentypic constructs of today do not at all mirror the assumptions of the times we infer our own impressions upon.

LASTLY- to the posters who are concerned over the complexion of gauls, romanians, etc..
I make no remark on appearance to OFFEND..

the reality IS romanians are generally darker than most nothern/western europeans, we are composed of celts, slavs, romans, turks, and as such this is not to be surprised, but the Y-dna Hg is overwhelmingly european for us, as it is for the shorter/darker modern gallo-roman french.
All europeans are my brothers, and I care not what your complexion is, but the reality is, modern french do not in any way resemble the rather uniform appearance of the tribal gauls, nor the do the modern germans resemble the uniform appearance of the tribal germanic peoples, so if you have a explanation OTHER than wholesale intermixture with invading/surrounding population with dominant/darker phenotype, be my guest..
BTW, I tried to post links to quotes, and your system will not let me as I have too few posts to be accepted..


http://www.eupedia.com/forum/showthread.php?24932-Genetic-make-up-of-France/page2