Expert: Maria - 2/26/2004

Question
Hello Maria,
I'd like the most  accurate  information  about the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Could you help me, please? Many thanks in advance.

Answer
Hello Don,

here are the info you asked me.

The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest was fought in 9 AD, on a summer day, maybe in August,2nd  half  or September,1st half.
[See the Roman historian Velleius Paterculus who in his 'Roman History', book II, chapter 117, tells of a 'summer campaign' (‘aestiva'in Latin).
I must add however that some scholars say that this date is probably September 9, but it is uncertain.

As for the precise location of this battle, for centuries it was not known where exactly it took place, but now  it is believed to be at Kalkriese, near  Osnabrück (a town in the Westphalian half of Lower Saxony, Germany), where in the mid 1980s a British soldier discovered large numbers of bronze coins and lead slingshot "bullets".
Further archaeological excavations have revealed fragments of armour, numerous coins which  are stamped "VAR" (for "VARUS") as the issuer, and even the face mask from a legionary helmet.  Over 3000 items were discovered, along with human remains, which supports the theory that Kalkriese is the place of the massacre.

So, this famous battle  was between Germanic tribes, under the war leader Arminius, chief of the tribe of the Cherusci,  and Roman armies, under the command of Publius Quinctilius Varus.
Three Roman legions, i.e.  the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth , which had crossed the Rhine River in order to subdue Germanic tribes and extend Rome's frontier eastward, were trapped in the forest of Teutoburg and annihilated by Arminius' warriors. The Germans also took the Eagles (battle standards) of the legions, a major insult to Roman pride, since the standards were considered minor deities. Varus was said to have taken his own life, although this is impossible to verify, since there were no survivors.

This 'clades Variana', i.e.the defeat of the Roman general Varus, who towards the end of the battle, upon seeing that his army was going to be completely destroyed, and fearing capture or slaughter, committed suicide by falling upon his sword,  was one of Rome's biggest military catastrophes and upset Emperor Augustus very much.
In fact, according to Suetonius (Life of Augustus, charter 23), when the emperor knew what had happened , is said to have uttered the famous and plaintive appeal: " Varus, give me back my legions! (In Latin,”Vare, redde mihi legiones”) and took the decision that never again would any other legion be named the XVII,the XVIII or the XIX.

To conclude, I must point out that the battle of the Teutoburg Forest stopped Roman expansion in Germany, so that subsequently the Empire withdrew to the west bank of the Rhine and recognized it as the Roman-German frontier, though Roman legions commanded by Germanicus did  manage a victory over Arminius (16 AD)  who about three years later  was killed, reportedly by a member of his own family.

Hope this can help you.
Best regards
Maria