Ironheart

The second track on our new XONE CD “The 4th Dimension”,
is the epic story Ironheart. This is the true story of the first time that a people oppressed by Rome, fought back and won! In 9 AD, Germanic Goths under the command of a former Roman Auxiliary Arminius (Hermann the German) routed 3 Roman Legions under the Command of Quinctilius Varus at Teutoburger Wald near modern day Detmold, Germany.

In 9 AD, the Roman Empire had pushed its northern border to the Rhine River, and Rome was attempting to push it North to the Elbe River. Standing right in the way of this were a bunch of loose knit tribes
Inhabiting the Teutoburger Forest. The Romans would conquer an area and immediately tax the people living there to subjugate the inhabitants to Roman rule. It was a model that worked.

To subjugate The Teutoburger Forest tribes, Publius Quinctilius Varus was assigned Governor of the area. Varus had earned his reputation governing Syria, where he bled the land and people dry with heavy taxes,
filling his own pockets along the way from the revenues. He came to Germania with the same idea in mind and instituted his will harshly.

Working as a auxiliary Commander and Aide to Varus was Arminius, a young native german who had served in Rome’s Auxiliary fighting insurrection in Illyria (Bosnia). He had returned home to work with the Roman government. What he witnessed was his people completely subjugated to Varus’ taxes and Rome’s will.

Arminius, also known as Hermann the German, decided to lead a rebellion against Varus and his Legions. He united the Forest tribes with his own Cherusci Tribe, and planned the destruction of Rome in his land.
Since Arminius was trusted by Varus, Arminius was able to lead Varus into a trap. Arminius reported to Varus that tax collectors in some of the villages had been killed. Varus ordered his 3 Legions to follow him into the Teutoburger Wald. Once inside the forest, and cut off from his base and supplies, Varus was in a bad situation.

Arminius’ Germans attacked Varus in a bog, and terrorized the Romans using hit and run tactics. The Roman Legions were a hard bunch of soldiers, but they were outnumbered. Arminius sent his cavalry to Varus rearguard to completely cut off all Roman communication and supply.
After three days, of continued, sporadic attacks by the Germans, the Romans realized how grim their situation was. 3 Roman Standards had been lost, two captured by the Germans and one that fell into the bog, and was never seen again. The Roman Standard was a holy symbol to Roman soldiers, and the loss of three had a definite morale effect on the dwindling number of remaining troops holding out. Varus and his commanders accepted their hopeless position, and each fell on their swords rather than be taken alive.

Some had tried to rebel against Rome and failed. The Jews at Masada, the Egyptians had both lost. Even Arminus had helped defeat rebellion in Illyria. But in his homeland, Arminius had dealt the first blow in a long line of changing fortunes for Rome. His destruction of three Legions was felt in Rome, and its echo was felt over the next 300+ years, culminating in the Visigoth defeat of Rome at the Battle of Adrianople in 379 A.D.

Our story begins, as an old, battle-weary Arminus tells his tale to a young Cherusci boy, so that the story may live on…

Ironheart
(Lyrics)

Intro:
Old man, will you tell me the story,
Of how our people became free
If I can see it through your eyes
Then I know I can believe,
that what I've heard is true,
it really was you...

Verse A:
My village was strong and we lived off the land
and from these surroundings I grew into a man.
I sought my own fortune, so I took up the sword
and served under Rome against Illyria.

But then Rome sought to tame a leash on our land
They came here to rule us with an iron hand.
Quintilius Varus came to govern my home
and where did this leave me, now that I served Rome.

Transition

Verse B:
(Now) Varus' methods had been tested before,
I've heard it said that Syria can breathe no more.
Economic enslavement was Varus' plan,
Collecting taxes, he became a rich man.

So he levied his tributes among my own kin,
even though I now served under him.
I played along to make him feel that he had my side,
and all the while I was plotting Rome's demise.

I brought him news of Romans killed by the tribes,
refusing to pay any part of his bribes.
So Varus took his Army marching North to the call,
He marched them right into Teutoburger Wald.

Transition:

Chorus A:
We shall drive out the invader
I lead my men into victory's halls
with these blades we shall defend the righteous
we strike to war by the clarion's call.

Chorus B:
For so long my sword's been forsaken
Now it causes Roman blood to flow
Enticing Varus into a nightmare
so that we can strike the final blow.

Verse C:
I will catch them deep in the mountains
where a phalanx can't be deployed
They will soon become overextended
3 Roman Legions will be destroyed.

Ironhearted I burn with vengeance
I cannot let despair take hold
We must strike while we're still able
and Varus must be forced to fall on his sword

Verse D:
I broke with our tactics to give us a chance,
No other peoples' faced Legions and lived to dance
Auxiliary tribesmen led them into the trap
and we sprung it on them with a resounding snap.

We waited until they had come into the bog
and snuck up on them in the midst of the fog
I then sent my cavalry far to their rear,
raiding their supply lines, I stranded them here.

Transition:

Chorus A:
Now we destroy the invader,
piece by piece he is devoured whole.
(Our) war cries echo throughout the night air
No Roman soldier shall know sleep at all.

Chorus B:
By the hour they grow weaker and weaker,
Their retreat is confused and slow
We have captured 2 Roman Standards,
while the third lies in the swamp below.

Verse E:
In the howling wind and hammering rain
we strike the Roman Lines again and again
This continues for three days and then
the Roman Leadership now sees the end

Ironhearted I burn with vengeance
I have let all contempt take hold
One last strike while they're disabled
and Varus is forced to fall on his sword

Outro:
Well Rome wasn't built in one day,
and it won't be destroyed in one either.
but it's presence will slowly decay,
as I ring the death knell of an empire.

so Goths we shall remain,
a people united in name...
all for one in the same.

And this Ironheart once believed
That if Rome could be forced to flee
to the banks of the Rhine on her knees.

That Legion after Legion would fall
Romans and conscripts, et al...
onward to Adrianople...
And this Ironheart still believes…