A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

Peace 549
the year's yield than to challenge the enemy and earn
a wage of wounds. Indeed, they thmk it dull and lazy
to get by the sweat of your own brow what may be won
by shedding some one else's blood.
rV.
In Time of Peace
When they are not fighting, they spend little time in Idleness.
hunting, much more in doing nothing. They devote Tac. Germ.
themselves to sleeping and eating. Even the bravest and ^^"
most warlike are quite idle, for they give over the care of
house and fields to the women and the old men, and to all
the weaklings of the household. They themselves merely
lounge, for from a strange contradiction of character they
love idleness yet hate peace. It is usual for the tribe, man
by man, to contribute a voluntary gift of cattle or corn
for the chiefs. They accept this as an honor, and it meets
their needs. They take particular pleasure in gifts from
other tribes.
These are sent not only by individuals, but
often by the community, and consist of picked horses,
massive armor, bosses and collars.
also taught them to take money.
In these days we have
It is well known that none of the German tribes live Villages and
in cities. They cannot endure undetached houses. Their homes,
homes are separate and scattered, pitched at the call of jj ^5
river, plain or wood. They build villages, but not as we
do with the buildings all adjoining and connected. Each
man has an open space around his homestead, either as a
protection against risk of fire, or because they do not
know how to build otherwise. They make no use even of
quarry stones or tiles. For all purposes they use timber
roughly hewn with no attempt at beauty or comfort.
Some parts they carefully smear with earth so pure and
bright that it gives the effect of painting and colored de-