Tacitus himself was in awe of the importance of family, gender relations and society was to the people of Germania. The early Germanic people were a pure nation. “I concur in opinion with such as suppose the people of Germany never to have mingled by inter-marriages with other nations, but have remained a people of pure, and independent, and resembling none but themselves.”2 This account by Tacitus shows that the Germanic people kept to themselves and were not influenced by the nations around them. This does not mean that they never experienced any other culture, “They have a tradition that Hercules also had been in their country, and other heroes in their songs when they advance to battle.”3 Greek mythology influenced their culture, but the society of Germania was vastly unchanged by outside influence.
Although the society seems pure, their religion was similar to the romans and even other distant regions. “Of all the gods, Mercury is he whom they worship most…Some of the Suevians
Bibliography: 1. Tacitus, Germania. Trans. by Thomas Gordon. Internet Medieval Sourcebook. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/tacitus-germanygord.asp, page number 1-18