Battle of the Teutoburg Forest

Lore & Background

The battle began with an ambush by the Germanic alliance on three Roman legions led by Publius Quinctilius Varus and their auxiliaries. The alliance was led by Arminius, a Germanic chieftain and officer of Varus's auxilia who had received Roman citizenship and a Roman military education, allowing him to deceive the Romans methodically and anticipate their tactical responses. Varus had been appointed to command in Germania in 7 CE, likely for his political acumen rather than military ability, and his forces included the XVII, XVIII, and XIX legions, which had previously been led by General Gaius Sentius Saturninus.

Reader's Guide

The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest is considered one of the most important defeats in Roman history, bringing the triumphant period of expansion under Augustus to an abrupt end. It dissuaded the Romans from pursuing the conquest of Germania, and so can be considered one of the most important events in European history. The provinces of Germania Superior and Germania Inferior were established in northeast Roman Gaul, while territories beyond the Rhine remained independent. Retaliatory campaigns by Tiberius and Germanicus enjoyed success, but the Rhine became the border between the Roman Empire and the rest of Germania. Rome made no major incursion into Germania until Marcus Aurelius during the Marcomannic Wars. Some descendants of the vassal kingdoms that Augustus tried to create in Germania were the ones that invaded Rome in the fourth and fifth centuries.

Did You Know?

• Arminius, the Germanic leader, had received Roman citizenship and a Roman military education.
• The battle is also called the Varian Disaster (Latin: Clades Variana) by Roman historians.
• Only three Roman legions (XVII, XVIII, and XIX) were under Varus's command at the battle.
• The battle possibly occurred near modern Kalkriese.