Description
Spearmen were the lifeblood of German tribal forces. Brought up on the traditions of feasting and raiding, they craved the opportunity to prove themselves against a worthy enemy. Having scant regard for the dangers that lay ahead, whipped into frenzy by chant and song, and armed with bone-tipped spears and javelins, the ferocity of their initial attack was both feared and renowned. The 'furor teutonicas', as it was labelled by the Romans, did not resemble the disorganised mass favoured by the Celts. Instead, the Germans attacked in ordered columns or in a wedge formation, known as the 'boarhead'.
