Talleyrand continued, "Mr. Tacitus made many errors in his descriptions of Germania's geography, rivers, and the like. For instance, he classified the lands of some Baltic peoples and West Slavs as part of Germania.
"Oh, and records in different parts of the book even contradicted one another. For example, it once said that Germanic warriors had no swords and rarely wore helmets or breastplates. They went bare-bodied, at most draping themselves in a thin outer garment. Yet later it said that when Germans married, the husband gave his sword to his wife, while the wife returned armor and such in exchange."
,7
Joseph asked curiously, "You seem very familiar with this book?"
"Indeed, Your Highness." Talleyrand nodded. "When refuting certain crooked doctrines and evil theories, one must first understand their arguments.
"In fact, many historians in our country have been refuting the theory of Germanic origins. You know, some Germans claim that the Franks were all their Germanic brethren."
Joseph did not respond. He remembered that later research had shown that the Franks truly were a branch of the Germans.
As Talleyrand spoke of this, he seemed somewhat excited. "As everyone knows, when Tacitus wrote his book, the Franks had absolutely no connection with secondary peoples such as the Ubii, Batavi, and Marcomanni.
"Later, the ancestors of the Franks conquered southwestward and forged great France. Meanwhile, the tribes of the German Territories continued to live barbaric, untamed lives."
Joseph knew that this was likely France's internal national narrative. Though it might not have been entirely accurate, it was quite convenient to use directly as a tool in a war of public opinion.
He noticed another term Talleyrand had mentioned and asked, "What did you mean just now by 'secondary peoples'?"
Talleyrand curled his lip. "A fabrication by the Prussians. Based