Arminius and the Battle of Teutoburg Forest

     Prologue:   In 9 AD, Publius Quinctilius Varus, governor of Germania, led the XVII, XVIII, and XIX Legions, six cohorts of auxiliaries, and three wings of cavalry from their fortifications on the Weser River north and east towards rumors of an impending uprising among locals related to him from a supposed trustworthy and reliable source, Arminius. What was to result from Varus’ decision to march from the Roman encampments would have an impact on the shape of Western Culture for the next 2000 years.

Statue of Arminius

  Publius Quinctilius Varus was appointed governor of the parts of Germania under Roman control in 7 AD, after several high profile political positions as governor in Africa and Syria. He also served as consul with (later emperor) Tiberius in 13 BC. He was from an unimportant family, the Quinctilii, that may have been influential in Roman politics in years past, but have become rather impoverished. He was tied to the Julii family through his marriage(second) to Augustus’ grandniece, Vispania Marcella. Varus was well favored by Augustus, and had both military and economic success from his prior positions, hence his appointment as governor of Germania.

  Arminius( also known under the Germanic name, Hermann), was from the Cherusci Tribe, in what is now modern West-Central Germany. He was the son of Segimerus, a chief among the Cherusci. During his youth, he was employed by the Roman military as an auxiliary, eventually making a name for himself, and achieving the rank of Equite(knight) and receiving Roman citizenship. After his service, Arminius returned to his tribe, with the plan of uniting various Germanic peoples against a more common threat, the ever encroaching Roman Empire. Successfully he unites the Cherusci, Bructeri, Chatti and Marsi, and plans an ambush of Varus and his three legions, auxiliaries and attendants in a dense and narrow part of what is collectively known as Teutoburg Forest.

Battle Map of Teutoburg

The Battle:   As Varus marched his legions and attached soldiers and cavalry through a very narrow part of the forest, his line was stretched dangerously long. It was at this opportunity that Arminius gave the signal, and the Germans began their attack. Typical Germanic warfare of the past consisted of mass and disorganized assaults against an enemy, trying to rout the opposing army with sheer numbers. Arminius, having had experience with the Roman army, knew that such assaults would prove futile against a disciplined and well armored Roman legion. By hiding his men among the tree line on both sides of the narrow path, Arminius had his men swarm down on both flanks of the Romans, engaging them in a pincer-like grip. The Romans were unable to successfully form up at the onslaught of the battle. They were stretched too thinly, and were unaccustomed to the type of one-on-one fighting that made the Germans and Gauls famous for their bravery. The Germans engaged in hit and run tactics; after engaging and killing many Roman soldiers, they would retreat back into the wood lines, and hurl missiles at the Romans. This spread panic among the legionnaires, who were too frightened to chase the tribesmen into the forest proper.

  After the first day battle, the Romans managed to set up night camp, and in the morning attempted to break away from the Germans, heading northwards into more open country, which eventually closed up into another forest that the Romans tried to use to make their escape. Attempting another night maneuver, the Romans marched straight into another trap that Arminius had set. At the foot of the Kalkreise Hill, Arminius had set up earthwork defenses, and recent archaeological findings have discovered that the walls used in the earth work were at least 15ft thick. The Romans found themselves trapped between the hill, the forest, and the Great Swamp. The Romans legionnaires fought to the last man, while the cavalry fled, leaving their comrades to their doom. Publius Quinctilius Varus, and many of his officers, in typical Roman fashion, committed suicide by falling upon their swords. It is estimated that 20,000 Romans died in the battle, a serious blow to both Roman pride and aspirations.

The Aftermath:   The Battle of Teutoburg Forest is one of the major turning points in Western Culture. After their defeat, Tiberius did manage to lead a somewhat successful campaign against various Germanic tribes, but these actions were more punitive in nature than conquering tours. The Romans now understood that a serious campaign to conquer Germania Interior was impossible, so they fortified their forts along the natural border of the Rhine River. What the defeat of the Romans accomplished was 1.) a physical and mental blow to Roman arms and pride, and 2.) the preservation of Germanic culture, which would later in history so dominate the military and political scenes of Europe for centuries to come. The Romans were used to victory; despite a few lost battles throughout their history, the Roman army had a track record of victories unmatched by any group of people in history until that point.

     If one considers Alexander the Great, and his conquering of the known world as a comparison, then they would have to consider this: Alexander had a reported army of around 40,000 men, excluding auxilaries and mercanies. He conquered territory after territory within a 13 year span, and after his death, his empire fell apart. The Romans, on the other hand, had centuries of experience in warfare, and for the most part held on to the territories they conquered. The Defeat at Teutoburg devastated Roman morale; as seen through archaeological finds in Northern Germany, the Romans made a hasty retreat back to the safety of the west side of the Rhine, leaving hordes of personal effects behind in the process.