Since the emergence of mankind, people have constantly fought with each other for power and wealth, for new lands and someone’s political ambitions. But among the huge number of large and small battles there are those that not only influenced the history of individual nations, but also changed the very vector of the development of civilization.
These include the rout of the Roman legions in the Teutoburg Forest (9 A.D.). This battle immortalized the name of the leader of the Cherusque tribe - Arminius, who has been considered the national hero of the German people for more than three millennia.
The background of the battle
The beginning of the 1st century of a new era is the heyday of the Roman Empire, which successfully captured all new territories, subjugating numerous tribes and nationalities. And the matter is not only in the military power of the legionnaires, but also in the organization of rigid state power and a bureaucratic apparatus on annexed lands.
The conquest and subjugation of disparate and warring German tribes was not a difficult task for Rome.
During the reign of Caesar Augustus, the power of the empire spread to the territory from the Rhine to the Elbe. Here was founded a province named by Germany, the governor appointed by Rome ruled and managed affairs, and 5-6 legions were enough to maintain order.
Change of situation
The Roman governor, clever and far-sighted Sezius Saturin, managed not only to subjugate most of the Germanic tribes, but also to attract the leaders of the empire, who were flattered by the attention of a powerful state.
However, as governor of Saturin was replaced by Publius Quintilius Var, who arrived in the German province from Syria, where he got used to a pampered life, slavishness and reverence. Considering the local tribes harmless, he dispersed the legions subordinate to him throughout the country and was more concerned about collecting tributes. It was his short-sighted policy that led to the Teutoburg Forest becoming the grave for thousands of selected Roman warriors.
The consequences of the indiscretion of the Roman governor
Var, not paying attention to the discontent of local residents, introduced predatory taxes and Roman laws, largely contrary to the usual law of the Germans, whose norms were considered sacred.
Unwillingness to follow foreign laws was brutally suppressed. Violations awaited the death penalty and offensive punishments for free Germans with rods.
For the time being, the indignation and protests of the common people were invisible, especially since the leaders of the tribes, seduced by Roman luxury, were loyal to both the governor and the imperial authorities. But soon their patience came to an end.
The initially unorganized and spontaneous protest was led by the ambitious leader of the Cherynian tribe Arminius. This was a very remarkable person. In his youth, he not only served in the Roman army, but also received the status of a rider and a citizen, as he was distinguished by courage and intelligence. Quintillius Var was so sure of his allegiance that he did not want to believe the numerous denunciations of the impending rebellion. Moreover, he loved to feast with Arminius, who was an excellent conversationalist.
Last trip to Vara
We can learn about what happened in the year 9 when the legions of Var entered the Teutoburg Forest from the “Roman History” of Dion Cassius. According to historians, this area was located somewhere in the upper reaches of the Ems River, which at that time was known as Amiziya.
In the fall of this year, Var left his cozy summer camp and with three legions set off towards the Rhine. According to one version, the governor was going to suppress the rebellion of a distant Germanic tribe. According to another, Quintillius Var, as usual, simply sent troops to the winter apartments, so he was accompanied by a large convoy during the campaign.
The legionnaires took their time, not only loaded carts, but also roads blurred by autumn rains, delayed their movement. For some time, the army was accompanied by a detachment of Arminius, who allegedly was going to take part in the suppression of the rebellion.
Teutoburg Forest: rout of Roman legions by Germans
Heavy rain and streams spilling into the torrential streams forced the soldiers to move in disorganized units. This is what Arminius took advantage of.
His warriors lagged behind the Romans and, not far from Weser, attacked and killed several disparate groups of legionaries. Meanwhile, the head detachments, which had already entered the Teutoburg Forest, faced an unexpected obstacle from fallen trees. As soon as they stopped, spears flew at them from the dense thickets, and then the German warriors jumped out.
The attack was unexpected, and the Roman legionnaires were not used to fighting in the forest, so the soldiers only fought back, but on the orders of Vara, who sought to get out into the open, they continued to move.
Over the next two days, the Romans, who managed to leave the Teutoburg Forest, repelled the enemy's endless attacks, but either because of Var's inability to take decisive actions, or because of a number of objective reasons, they did not go on the counterattack. The weather also played a role. Due to the incessant rain, the Roman shields became soaked and became completely unbearable, and the bows were unsuitable for shooting.
Defeat in the Dar gorge
But the worst was yet to come. The point in the prolonged beating of the Roman legions was set by the battle in the dense gorge overgrown with dense forest. Numerous German troops rushing from the slopes mercilessly destroyed the legionnaires rushing in panic, and the battle turned into a bloody massacre.
The Romans attempt to break out of the gorge back into the valley was unsuccessful - their own convoy blocked the way. Only the cavalry of the legate of Vala Numonia managed to escape from this meat grinder. Realizing that the battle was lost, the wounded Quintilius Var committed suicide by throwing himself on a sword. A few more officers followed his example.
Only a few of the legionnaires managed to escape from the terrible German trap and escape to the Rhine. The main part of the army was destroyed, the same fate befell women with children traveling with a convoy.
Battle results
The consequences of this battle are hard to overestimate. The defeat of the Roman legions in the Teutoburg Forest frightened the emperor Augustus so much that he even dismissed the German bodyguards and ordered them to expel all the Gauls from the capital, fearing that they would follow the example of their northern neighbors.
But this is not the main thing. The battle in the Teutoburg Forest put an end to the conquest of the Germans by the Roman Empire. A few years later, the consul Germanicus made three campaigns for the Rhine in order to suppress the rebellious tribes. But it was, rather, an act of revenge, rather than a politically justified step.
The legions never again ventured to establish permanent fortifications on German lands. Thus, the battle in the Teutoburg Forest stopped the spread of Roman aggression to the north and northeast.
In memory of this battle, which turned the tide of history, a statue of Arminius in height of 53 meters was erected in the city of Detmold in 1875.
The film "Herman Heruski - the battle in the Teutoburg Forest"
Many books have been written on the history of the battle, among them are fiction books, for example, The Legionnaire by Luis Rivera. And in 1967, the film was shot according to the plot described. This is to some extent a symbolic picture, because it is a joint production of Germany (then Germany) and Italy. The importance of cooperation will become clear when you consider that Italy, in fact, is the heiress of the Roman Empire, and in Germany, during the time of fascism, the victory of Arminius, who was considered a national hero, was in every way extolled.
The result of the joint project was a very good film in terms of historical authenticity, which shows the battle in the Teutoburg Forest. It is attractive to the audience not only for this, but also for the talented play of such actors as Cameron Mitchell, Hans von Borsodi, Antonella Lualdi and others. In addition, this is a very dynamic and spectacular picture, and the shooting of numerous battle scenes is admirable.