Teutoburg Forest — Rome's Most Catastrophic Defeat
Arminius was a chieftain of the Cherusci tribe who had served in the Roman auxiliary forces, earned Roman citizenship, and been admitted to the equestrian order. He used this knowledge of Roman military methods to plan the destruction of the force that occupied his homeland. In September 9 CE he invited Varus — who trusted him as a Roman ally — to take his column of three legions through the Teutoburg Forest (the Saltus Teutoburgiensis) to quell a rebellion that Arminius had fabricated. The column of perhaps 20,000 soldiers plus camp followers entered the forest in marching order, strung out over 15 kilometres. Germanic warriors emerged from the trees on all sides simultaneously. The Romans could not form battle lines in the dense forest. Over three days the column was destroyed piecemeal as it attempted to march and fight simultaneously through increasingly impossible terrain. Varus fell on his sword on the third day. The news reached Augustus at Rome. Suetonius records that the emperor went several months without cutting his hair and beard, banging his head against the wall and crying out 'Varus, give me back my legions!' The Rhine became and remained Rome's eastern German frontier. Arminius was killed by his own kinsmen in 21 CE.
- Year: 9 CE
- Category: Military
