Barbaren is a 2020 German historical war drama TV-show created by Andreas Heckmann, Arne Nolting, and Jan Martin Scharf. The series tells about events during the Roman Empire's German occupation and the resulting rebellion of the Germanic tribes led by Arminius.
The battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD is one of the Roman army's biggest failures. The Germanic tribes, barbarians in the Romans' terminology, dealt a painful blow to the empire, destroying three full-fledged imperial legions and several auxiliary units within three days, forever driving the Romans away from the lands beyond the Rhine.
The German TV series Barbaren, released on Netflix, shows prerequisites and preparations for this battle and about the people who commanded the troops on both sides.
The opening episode of Barbaren is set in a small German village. The local inhabitants are forced to live in old huts made of loose wood and straw. Near there is a small vegetable garden where vegetables grow and livestock graze. The village is surrounded by a dark forest where wolves and other dangerous animals are hiding, ready to raid livestock at any moment.
Emissaries of the Roman Empire come to the village to collect a heavy tax. Residents are trying to explain to the Romans that they do not have such funds, and they cannot fulfill the requirements, asking to reduce the tribute. However, the emissaries are unwilling to make concessions by issuing an ultimatum. Not far from the village is a large camp with several well-armed legions ready to force the Germans to submit to their will.