Statue of Germanicus, about AD 40, from Gabii
Germanicus, adopted son of Tiberius and commander on the Rhine, carved about AD 40 and found at Gabii; now in the Louvre (Ma 1238). He died in 19, and the statue belongs to the cult of a popular prince the regime found easier to honour dead than alive.
Drusus opened the Rhine frontier and died there in 9 BC; his son Germanicus went back after the Varian disaster to recover the eagles and make a point. Neither campaign produced a province east of the river. What they produced was a defended line, a set of legionary bases that became cities, and a reputation that made Germanicus dangerous to Tiberius — which is the part Tacitus is most interested in. See Rome's generals on the Rhine frontier.
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