Dale Pollard
The Romans and the Greeks wrote quite a bit about two tribes that migrated into their neck of the woods from the isolated North between 113 and 101 BC. No direct records or remarks from these tribes, known as the Cimbri or Teutones, survive but those who fought them felt the need to jot it down. They were huge, terrifying, and some even took them to be something other than human. The king of the Teutones was especially freaky. Here’s what the old folks had to say about them.
Lucius Annaeus Florus (Epitome of Roman History, Book I, Chapter 38)
“King Teutobochus himself, who had been accustomed to vault over four or five horses at a time, could scarcely mount a single one when he was led in the triumph; and he was a conspicuous object in the rest of the procession of captives because of his extraordinary height.”
Plutarch (Life of Marius, Chapter 24)
While describing the entire army (or several of their warriors), Plutarch says the following:
“…uttering a strange and savage cry, not like that of human beings… their bodies were wonderful for their size, and they were in no way like any other men of that time.”
He briefly notes the king’s size as well. He spake thus:
“Marius ordered Teutobod, the king of the Teutons, to be brought out in chains; for he was seen to be of immense and prodigious stature (Life of Marius, Chapter 27).
Velleius Paterculus (Roman History, Book II)
Writing in the 1st century AD, Roman historian Paterculus detailed the panic that throttled Rome during the first scraps of the Cimbrian invasion. He makes it sound as though the tribal army was more like a plague of giants. He spoke thusly:
“Then appeared the Cimbri and the Teutones… a huge multitude of young men, of immense physical size and monstrous strength.”
What Happened to the Giants?
The post-fall and post-flood world began with the slow decline in height and strength of the giant races. Thoughtful theories and speculations are proposed, such as the deterioration of their DNA through genetic lines, radical changes in the earth’s atmosphere, and possible health-related issues. While the more scientific explanation(s) could shed light on their decline and ultimate disappearance, the commonsense philosophy of Occam’s razor indicates that the most simplistic answers are often the closest to the truth. The simple answer? Many accounts describing giants depict them as mighty warriors. Their heads were highly coveted as trophies of war, and any giant-slayer was surely bound to be immortalized in history. The many harrowing attempts to kill a giant on the battlefield were successful and those men reached legendary status— their stories told for thousands of years (2 Samuel 23.8-38).
In the Bible, the through-line is clear. When giants show up, God is about to prove who’s bigger. In a world full of giants, no matter who you’re up against– God’s got your back.
