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Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne
Opus: Research & Creativity at IPFW
2015 IPFW Student Research and Creative
Endeavor Symposium
IPFW Student Research and Creative Endeavor
Symposium
3-27-2015
Massacre in the Teutoburg Forest: Rome's Defeat
and Germania's Triumph
Andrew Hakes
Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne
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Recommended Citation
Hakes, Andrew, "Massacre in the Teutoburg Forest: Rome's Defeat and Germania's Triumph" (2015). 2015 IPFW Student Research and
Creative Endeavor Symposium. Book 29.
http://opus.ipfw.edu/stu_symp2015/29
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Massacre in the Teutoburg Forest: Rome’s Defeat and Germania’s Triumph
Andrew Hakes
Deparment of History
Arminius was used as a symbol for the German people until after
World War II. His defeat of the Roman oppressors led to a legacy
that lasted many years after his own death. Martin Luther would rename him “Hermann” and the Germans would use him as a source
of nationalism after the Napoleonic Wars. During Germany’s reunification he was used as a symbol of freedom and in some ways
unity. Even the Nazis would use him as a symbol of ethnic pride
and power. Today there are still statues of him in Germany, even
though knowledge of him is not what it once was.
Rome and Germania had been engaged in mixed relations leading up to
9 AD. While both were trading frequently, the Germans had been raiding
into Roman Gaul for some time. This had proven to be mostly harmless
for the Germans, drawing only reactionary attacks from the Romans until
Augustus came to power after Caesar’s death. Seeking a distraction from
his many domestic problems, Augustus used a German raid into Roman
Gaul that involved a Roman Legate as justification for placing five legions
along the Rhine and eventually expanding into Germania. Three of these
five legions would later be involved in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.
Publius Varus was given control over the five Germanic
legions in 7 AD. He attempted to “Romanize” the region
through building projects and the import of Roman citizens. This gave him a false sense of security. In September
of 9 AD one of Varus’ most trusted men, the
German-born Arminius, told him about inevitable rebellions on the eastern side of the Rhine. Trusting his native commander, Varus and an estimated 20,000 troops
began to march to put down these rebellions. Having no
strict tactical integrity and bringing along civilians, Varus
closed in on his target and on September 7th set up camp
for the night. On this night Arminius left his commander for the last time to rally his German allies, planning to
ambush him the next day.
The Roman force, minus Arminius and his native units,
marched again on the 8th through the wet German terrain. At the end of their day long march they were met
by Arminius and his troops. 15,000 Germans, stretched
out along a couple of miles, surrounded the Romans and
harassed them through the night while they built their
camp. It was also on this day that Varus began to realize
the severity of the situation, burning the baggage train
that held their supplies and seeking an escape route.
After the battle the region fell into near anarchy. All but
one Roman settlement east of the Rhine fell to the Germans. Arminius had also located and severed the head
of Varus, which he sent to a nearby ruler as a way to say
“join-us.” This backfired, as the ruler sent the head to
Rome which further infuriated the Romans. Along with
the head of Varus, Arminius captured the standard of every legion involved in the battle, which he handed out as
gifts to the tribes who helped him fight. Little did Arminius know it, but these actions awoke the sleeping giant
that was Rome and parts of Germania would soon be set
ablaze.
The Romans were unable to march on the 9th due to increasingly deteriorating weather conditions. On the 10th Varus decided to march, with a course set to the “Kalkriese Berg”, where
Arminius was lying in wait. The weather had shrunk the size of
the usually large Kalkriese to 200 meters wide in some places.
Arminius and his men, hidden behind Roman-esque defensive
fortifications, slaughtered the Romans as they passed through
the Kalkriese. Fearing all was lost Varus committed suicide,
thereby ending almost any hope of the Roman forces making
it out alive. Over the next day Arminius carried out mop-up
duties to kill the remaining Roman troops. 15-20,000 Romans
were either killed or enslaved during the battle, and all of the
three legions lost their standards, the symbol each legion carried into battle (also known as an aquila).
Monument dedicated to a
Roman centurion who fell in
the battle.
My research on the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest examined
the short-term effects the battle had on the Roman state and
military, and the long-term effects it had on Europe. It is an
important episode in history because of the damage inflicted
on the Roman army by usually divided Germanic tribes. Roman defeat in this pivotal battle shaped the European world.
An examination of the results of the engagement shows that
the slaughter of Roman troops carried out by the Germanic
people damaged the Roman psyche for years, led to a ruthless
revenge campaign by the Romans, and the near deification
of Germanicus, the general assigned to restore Roman pride
and authority. In the long-term the battle separated Europe
into two spheres: the Roman world and “untouched” lands. It
also served as a source of pride for the German people, which
would eventually develop into nationalistic feeling up into the
21st century. Overall, Roman defeat in the Teutoburg Forest
ended their hopes of campaigning further into Germany, and
effectively shaped the European continent.
The first general assigned to restore Roman authority was Tiberius. He
spent most of his time reassuring the people of Gaul that they were safe,
until he was recalled to Rome to assist the ailing Emperor Augustus.
Put in his place was Germanicus, who would soon become one of the
most popular figures in Rome. He began his incursions into Germany
as a way to restore morale after some of his troops began to mutiny. For
two years Germanicus exacted Roman vengeance upon the Germanic
tribes; defeating Arminius, multiple tribes, and even visiting the site of
the massacre, for which he received an imperial reprimand. While never
permanently gaining any more territory in Germania, the Romans did
restore some of their pride and exact retribution for their fallen comrades. Germanicus’ exploits also elevated him to near God-like status in
Rome, which was met with caution by some politicians.
News of the defeat reached Rome as they were preparing a triumph for Tiberius. Rome entered a state
of shock. The Emperor Augustus reportedly roamed
his palace for months, refusing to groom himself,
yelling “Quinctilius Varus, give me back my legions!”
All foreigners were ordered to leave the city, distrust
of Germans skyrocketed, and all Germans in Augustus’ bodyguard unit were reassigned out of fear
of mixed loyalty. Eight legions were placed along the
Rhine and plans were developed to restore Roman
dominance and authority in Germania.
Prior to the Massacre in the Teutoburg Forest Rome
was expanding on almost every front. Incursions
were being made across the Rhine River and it appeared that all was going well. Roman defeat marked
the last time they would successfully gain territory
in Germania, and set the boundaries for the Roman
and “untouched” worlds. These two worlds would
develop along different paths, and eventually people
from the “untouched” lands would overwhelm and
lead to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.