Battle of the Teutoburg Forest The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ( , " Hermannsschlacht " or " Varusschlacht " ) , described as " clades Variana " ( the Varian disaster ) by Roman historians , took place in 9 CE , when an alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius of the Cherusci ambushed and decisively destroyed three Roman legions and their auxiliaries , led by Publius Quinctilius Varus . Despite several successful campaigns and raids by the Roman army in the years after the battle , they never again attempted to conquer Germania territory east of the Rhine River . Background . The Roman force was led by Publius Quinctilius Varus , a noble from a patrician family related to the Imperial family and an experienced administrative official , who was assigned to consolidate the new province of Germania in the autumn of 6 CE . Early that year , before Varus was commander on the Rhine , " Legatus " Gaius Sentius Saturninus and Consul " Legatus " Marcus Aemilius Lepidus under Tiberius led an army of 65 , 000 heavy infantry legionaries , 10 , 000 – 20 , 000 cavalrymen , archers , 10 , 000 – 20 , 000 civilians ( 13 legions & entourage , probably about 100 , 000 + men ) and was planning a major attack on Maroboduus , the king of the Marcomanni , a tribe of the Suebi who had fled the attacks of Drusus I in 9 BCE into the territory of the Boii , where they formed a powerful tribal alliance with the Hermunduri , Quadi , Semnones , Lugians , Zumi , Butones , Mugilones , Sibini and Langobards . In 4 CE , Tiberius entered Germania and subjugated the Cananefates in Germania Inferior , the Chatti near the upper Weser River , and the Bructeri south of the Teutoburg Forest , and led his army across the Weser . But in 6 CE a major rebellion broke out in the province of Illyricum ( later divided into Pannonia and Dalmatia ) . Led by Bato the Daesitiate , Bato the Breucian , Pinnes of Pannonia , and elements of the Marcomanni and known as the " Bellum Batonianum " , it lasted nearly 4 years . Tiberius was forced to stop his campaign against Maroboduus and recognise him as king and to send his eight legions ( VIII " Augustan " , XV " Apollonian " , XX " Victorious Valerian " , XXI " Predator " , XIII " Twin " , XIV " Twin " , XVI " Gallic " and an unknown unit ) to crush the rebellion in the Balkans . Nearly half of all Roman legions had to be pulled together to end the revolt , which was triggered by neglect , endemic food shortages ( since 22 BCE , following a political crisis in 23 BCE and riots in 22 , 21 and 19 BCE , ended after 8 CE ) , high taxes and harsh behavior of the tax collectors . This campaign , led by Tiberius and " Quaestor " " Legatus " Germanicus under Emperor Augustus , was one of the hardest and most critical for the Roman Empire . During the start of the rebellion in the southern part of Illyricum , Varus was named " Legatus Augusti pro praetore " and had only three legions available . Varus ' name and deeds were well known beyond the empire because of his ruthlessness and crucifixion of insurgents . While feared by the people , he was highly respected by the Roman senate . On the Rhine ( probably at camp " castra " " Vetera " near Xanten or " castra " " Novaesium " near Neuss ) he was in command of the legions XVII , XVIII ( also XIIX ) and XIX ( also XVIIII ) , previously led by General Gaius Sentius Saturninus , who was sent back to Rome and had been given an " ornamenta triumphalia " . The other 2 legions in the winter - quarters of the army at " castrum " " Moguntiacum " ( I " Germanica " , V " Larks " ) were led by Varus ' nephew Second consul Lucius Nonius Asprenas and perhaps Second consul Lucius Arruntius . Varus ' opponent , Arminius , was handed over to the Romans along with his brother Flavus , as tribute by his father and chieftain of the noblest house in the tribe of the Cherusci , Segimerus the Conqueror , as result of the attacks of Drusus I in 11 – 9 BCE . Arminius had lived in Rome as a hostage in his youth , where he had received a military education , and even been given the rank of Equestrian . During his absence Segimerus was declared a coward by other Germanic chieftains because he had bowed down to Roman rule , a crime punishable by death under Germanic law . Between 11 BCE and 4 CE the hostility and suspicion between the Germanic tribes deepened . Trade and politics between the Germanic warlords deteriorated . According to German philologist Maximilian Ihm ( 1863 – 1909 ) , Tacitus wrote that the Chatti were hostile and subjugated the Cherusci but were " pacified " between 4 and 6 CE . According to " Encyclopædia Britannica " , the Cherusci were defeated by the Chatti but this also gives no date . Velleius Paterculus reported that in the years 1 – 4 CE there was unrest in Germania ( " immensum bellum " , immense war ) . After his return from Rome , Arminius became a trusted advisor to Varus , but in secret he forged an alliance of Germanic tribes that had traditionally been enemies ( the Cherusci , Marsi , Chatti , Bructeri , Chauci , Sicambri , and remaining elements of the Suebi , who had been defeated by Caesar in the Battle of Vosges ) , but whom he was able to unite due to outrage over Varus ' tyrannous insolence and wanton cruelty to the conquered and who had hitherto submitted in sullen hatred to the Roman dominion . " . . . Stratagem was , therefore , indispensable ; and it was necessary to blind Varus to their schemes until a favorable opportunity should arrive for striking a decisive blow . . . " " British historian Edward Shepherd Creasy ( 1812 – 1878 ) " While Varus was on his way from his summer camp west of the Weser river to winter headquarters near the Rhine , he heard reports of a local rebellion , fabricated by Arminius . ( Despite recent finds indicating a Roman presence near the modern city of Minden , its location remains disputed ; other sites near Minden or Rinteln have been suggested by the historian Hans Delbrück ( 1848 – 1929 ) and the military writer Kurt Pastenaci ( 1894 – 1961 ) , respectively . ) " . . . This was represented to Varus as an occasion which required his prompt attendance at the spot ; but he was kept in studied ignorance of its being part of a concerted national rising ; and he still looked on Arminius as his submissive vassal . . . " " Edward Shepherd Creasy " Varus decided to quell this uprising immediately and take a detour through territory unfamiliar to the Romans . Arminius , who accompanied him , probably directed him along a route that would facilitate an ambush . Another Cheruscan nobleman , Segestes , brother of Segimerus , father of Arminius ' wife , and opposed to the marriage , warned Varus the night before the departure of the Roman forces , allegedly suggesting that Varus apprehend Arminius along with other Germanic leaders whom he identified as participants in the planned uprising , but his warning was dismissed as the result of a personal feud . Arminius then left under the pretext of drumming up Germanic forces to support the Roman campaign , but led his troops , who must have been waiting in the vicinity , in attacks on surrounding Roman garrisons . Recent archaeological finds place the battle at Kalkriese Hill in Osnabrück county , Lower Saxony . On the basis of Roman accounts , the Romans must have been marching northwestward from what is now the city of Detmold , passing east of Osnabrück ; they must then have camped in this area prior to being attacked . Battles . Varus ' forces included three legions ( Legio XVII , Legio XVIII , and Legio XIX ) , six cohorts of auxiliary troops ( non - citizens or allied troops ) and three squadrons of cavalry ( " alae " ) , most of which lacked combat experience with Germanic fighters under local conditions . The Roman forces were not marching in combat formation , and were interspersed with large numbers of camp - followers . As they entered the forest ( probably just northeast of Osnabrück ) , they found the track narrow and muddy ; according to Dio Cassius a violent storm had also arisen . He also writes that Varus neglected to send out advance reconnaissance parties . The line of march was now stretched out perilously long — estimates are that it surpassed , and was perhaps as long as . It was then suddenly attacked by Germanic warriors armed with light swords , large lances and narrow - bladed short spears called " fremae " . The Germanic warriors surrounded the entire Roman army and rained down javelins on the intruders . Arminius , who had grown up in Rome as a citizen and become a Roman soldier , understood Roman tactics very well and could direct his troops to counter them effectively , using locally superior numbers against the dispersed Roman legions . The Romans managed to set up a fortified night camp , and the next morning broke out into the open country north of the Wiehen Hills , near the modern town of Ostercappeln . The break - out cost them heavy losses , as did a further attempt to escape by marching through another forested area with the torrential rains continuing . The rain prevented them from using their bows because sinew strings become slack when wet , and rendered them virtually defenseless as their shields also became waterlogged . The Romans undertook a night march to escape , but marched into another trap that Arminius had set , at the foot of Kalkriese Hill . There , the sandy , open strip on which the Romans could march easily was constricted by the hill , so that there was a gap of only about 100 m between the woods and the swampland at the edge of the Great Bog . The road was blocked by a trench , and , towards the forest , an earthen wall had been built along the roadside , permitting the Germanic tribesmen to attack the Romans from cover . The Romans made a desperate attempt to storm the wall , but failed , and the highest - ranking officer next to Varus , " Legatus " Numonius Vala , abandoned the troops by riding off with the cavalry ; he was overtaken by the Germanic cavalry and killed , according to Velleius Paterculus . The Germanic warriors then stormed the field and slaughtered the disintegrating Roman forces ; Varus committed suicide . Velleius reports that one commander , " Praefectus " Ceionius , shamefully surrendered and later took his own life , while his colleague " Praefectus " Eggius heroically died leading his doomed troops . Around 15 , 000 – 20 , 000 Roman soldiers must have died ; many of his officers are said to have taken their own lives by falling on their swords in the approved manner . Tacitus wrote that many officers were sacrificed by the Germanic forces as part of their indigenous religious ceremonies , cooked in pots and their bones used for rituals . Others were ransomed , and some common soldiers appear to have been enslaved . All Roman accounts stress the completeness of the Roman defeat . The finds at Kalkriese , where , along with 6 , 000 pieces ( largely scraps ) of Roman equipment , there is only one single item — part of a spur — that is clearly Germanic , indicate minimal Germanic losses . However the victors would have removed the bodies of their fallen , and their practice of burying their warriors ' battle gear with them must have contributed to the lack of Germanic relics . Several thousand Germanic soldiers were deserting militiamen who wore Roman armour , which would thus show up as " Roman " in the archaeological digs , and the Germanic tribes wore less metal and more perishable organic material . The victory was followed by a clean sweep of all Roman forts , garrisons and cities — of which there were at least two — east of the Rhine ; the remaining two Roman legions , commanded by Varus ' nephew Lucius Nonius Asprenas , were content to try to hold that river . One fort ( or possibly city ) , Aliso , possibly located in today ' s Haltern am See , fended off the Germanic tribes for many weeks , perhaps a few months , before the garrison , which included survivors of Teutoburg Forest , broke out under Lucius Caedicius and reached the Rhine . Aftermath . Upon hearing of the defeat , the Emperor Augustus , according to the Roman historian Suetonius in " De vita Caesarum ( " On the Life of the Caesars " ) " , was so shaken that he stood butting his head against the walls of his palace , repeatedly shouting : The three legion numbers were not used again by the Romans , unlike other legions that were restructured – unique in Roman history , except for the XXII " Deiotariana " legion , which may have been disbanded after heavy losses against the Jewish rebels in the Bar Kokba revolt ( 132 – 136 CE ) in Judea . The battle abruptly ended the period of triumphant Roman expansion that followed the end of the Civil Wars 40 years earlier . Augustus ' stepson Tiberius took effective control , and prepared for the continuation of the war . Legio " II Augusta " , " XX Valeria Victrix " , and " XIII Gemina " were sent to the Rhine to replace the lost legions . Arminius sent Varus ' severed head to Maroboduus , king of the Marcomanni , the other most powerful Germanic ruler , with the offer of an anti - Roman alliance . Maroboduus declined , sending the head to Rome for burial , and remained neutral throughout the ensuing war . Only thereafter did a brief , inconclusive war break out between the two Germanic leaders . Roman retaliation . Germanicus ' campaign against the Germans . Though the shock at the slaughter was enormous , the Romans immediately began a slow , systematic process of preparing for the reconquest of the country . In 14 CE , just after Augustus ' death and the accession of his heir and stepson Tiberius , a massive raid was conducted by the new emperor ' s nephew Germanicus . He attacked the Marsi in a surprise attack . The Bructeri , Tubanti , and Usipeti were roused by the attack and ambushed Germanicus on the way to the winter quarters , but were defeated with heavy losses . The next year was marked by two major campaigns and several smaller battles with a large army estimated at 55 , 000 – 70 , 000 men , backed by naval forces . In spring 15 CE , " Legatus " Caecina Severus invaded the Marsi a second time with about 25 , 000 – 30 , 000 men , causing great havoc . Meanwhile , Germanicus ' troops had built a fort on Mount Taunus from where he marched with about 30 , 000 – 35 , 000 men against the Chatti . Many of the men fled across a river and dispersed themselves in the forests . Germanicus next marched on Mattium and burned the city down . After initial successful skirmishes in summer 15 CE , including the capture of Arminius ' wife Thusnelda , the army visited the site of the first battle . According to Tacitus , they found heaps of bleached bones and severed skulls nailed to trees , which they buried , " . . . looking on all as kinsfolk and of their own blood . . . " . Under Germanicus , the Romans marched another army , along with allied Germanic auxiliaries , into Germania in 16 CE . He forced a crossing of the Weser near modern Minden , suffering some losses to a Germanic skirmishing force , and forced Arminius ' army to stand in open battle at Idistaviso in the Battle of the Weser River . Germanicus ' legions inflicted huge casualties on the Germanic armies while sustaining only minor losses . A final battle was fought at the Angivarian Wall west of modern Hanover , repeating the pattern of high Germanic fatalities , which forced them to flee . In summer 16 CE , Caius Silius marched against the Chatti with 33 , 000 men . Germanicus invaded the Marsi a third time and devastated their land . With his main objectives reached and winter approaching , Germanicus ordered his army back to their winter camps , with the fleet incurring some damage from a storm in the North Sea . After a few more raids across the Rhine , which resulted in the recovery of two of the three legions ' eagles lost in 9 CE , Tiberius ordered the Roman forces to halt and withdraw across the Rhine . Germanicus was recalled to Rome and informed by Tiberius that he would be given a triumph and reassigned to a new command . Germanicus ' campaign had been taken to avenge the Teutoburg slaughter and also partially in reaction to indications of mutinous intent amongst his troops . Arminius , who had been considered a very real threat to stability by Rome , was now defeated . Once his allied Germanic coalition had been broken and honour avenged , the huge cost and risk of keeping the Roman army operating beyond the Rhine was not worth any likely benefit to be gained . Later campaigns . The third legionary standard was recovered in 41 CE by Publius Gabinius from the Chauci during the reign of Claudius , brother of Germanicus , according to Cassius Dio in Roman History Book LX { Book 60 } Chapter 8 . Possibly the recovered " aquilae " were placed within the Temple of Mars Ultor ( " Mars the Avenger " ) , the ruins of which stand today in the Forum of Augustus by the Via dei Fori Imperiali in Rome . The last chapter was recounted by the historian Tacitus . Around 50 CE , bands of Chatti invaded Roman territory in Germania Superior , possibly an area in Hesse east of the Rhine that the Romans appear to have still held , and began to plunder . The Roman commander , Publius Pomponius Secundus and a legionary force supported by Roman cavalry recruited auxiliaries from the Vangiones and Nemetes . They attacked the Chatti from both sides and defeated them , and joyfully found and liberated Roman prisoners , including some from Varus ' legions who had been held for 40 years . Impact on Roman expansion . From the time of the rediscovery of Roman sources in the 15th century , Teutoburg Forest has been seen as a pivotal clash , which ended Roman expansion into northern Europe . This notion became especially prevalent in the 19th century , where it formed an integral part of the mythology of German nationalism . More recently , some scholars have begun to question this interpretation and have pointed out reasons why the Rhine was a much more practical boundary for the Roman Empire than any other river in Germania . Logistically , armies on the Rhine could be supplied from the Mediterranean via the Rhone , Saône and Mosel , with a brief stretch of portage . Armies on the Elbe , on the other hand , would have to have been supplied either by extensive overland routes or ships travelling the hazardous Atlantic seas . Economically , the Rhine was already supporting towns and sizeable villages at the time of the Gallic conquest . Northern Germania was far less developed , possessed fewer villages , and had little food surplus and thus a far lesser capacity for tribute . Thus the Rhine was both significantly more accessible from Rome and better equipped to supply sizeable garrisons than the regions beyond , and there were also practical reasons to fall back from the limits of Augustus ' expansionism in this region . After Arminius was defeated and dead , Rome tried to control Germania east of the Rhine and north of the Danube indirectly , by appointing client king s . Italicus , a nephew of Arminius , was appointed king of the Cherusci , and Vangio and Sido became vassal princes of the powerful Suebi . Site of the battle . For almost 2 , 000 years , the site of the battle was unidentified . The main clue to its location was an allusion to the " saltus Teutoburgiensis " in section i . 60 – 62 of Tacitus ' " Annals " , an area " not far " from the land between the upper reaches of the Lippe and Ems Rivers in central Westphalia . During the 19th century , theories as to the site abounded , and the followers of one theory successfully argued for a long wooded ridge called the Osning , around Bielefeld . This was then renamed the Teutoburg Forest . Late - 20th - century research and excavations were sparked by finds by British amateur archaeologist Major Tony Clunn , who was casually prospecting at Kalkriese Hill ( ) with a metal detector in hopes of finding " the odd Roman coin " . He discovered coins from the reign of Augustus ( and none later ) , and some ovoid leaden Roman sling shot . Kalkriese is a village administratively part of the city of Bramsche , on the north slope fringes of the Wiehen , a ridge - like range of hills in Lower Saxony north of Osnabrück . The site , some 70 km from Detmold , was first suggested by 19th - century historian Theodor Mommsen , one of the " founding fathers " of modern research into ancient history . The initial systematic excavations were done by the archaeological team of the " Kulturhistorisches Museum Osnabrück " under the direction of Professor Wolfgang Schlüter from 1987 . Once the dimensions of the project had become apparent , a foundation was created to organise future excavations and build and operate a museum on the site , and to centralise publicity work and documentation . Since 1990 the excavations have been directed by Susanne Wilbers - Rost . Excavations have revealed battle debris along a corridor almost 15 miles from east to west and little more than a mile wide . A long zig - zagging wall of peat turves and packed sand apparently had been constructed beforehand : concentrations of battle debris before it and a dearth behind it testify to the Romans ' inability to breach the Germans ' strong defense . Human remains appear to corroborate Tacitus ' account of their later burial . Coins minted with the countermark , distributed by Varus , also support the identification of the site . As a result , Kalkriese is now perceived to be the site of part of the battle , probably its conclusive phase . The " Varusschlacht Museum and Park Kalkriese " includes a large outdoor area with trails leading to a re - creation of part of the earthen wall from the battle and other outdoor exhibits . An observation tower , which holds most of the indoor exhibits , allows visitors to get an overview of the battle site . A second building includes the ticket center , museum store and a restaurant . The museum houses a large number of artifacts found at the site , including fragments of studded sandals legionaries lost , spearheads , and a Roman officer ' s ceremonial face - mask , which was originally silver - plated . Alternative theories on the battle ' s location . Although the majority of evidence has the battle taking place east and north of Osnabrück and the end at Kalkriese Hill , some scholars and others adhere to older theories . Moreover , there is controversy among " Kalkriese - adherents " as to the details . The German historians Peter Kehne and Reinhard Wolters believe that the battle was probably in the Detmold area , and that Kalkriese is the site of one of the battles in 15 CE . This theory is , however , in contradiction to Tacitus ' account . A large body of opinion , including the scholars at the Kalkriese Museum ( Susanne Wilbers - Rost , Günther Moosbauer , historian Ralf Jahn and British author Adrian Murdoch , see below ) , believe that the Roman army approached Kalkriese from roughly due east , from Minden , Westphalia , not from the south of the Wiehen Hills ( i . e . , from Detmold ) . This would have involved a march along the northern edge of the Wiehen mountains , and would have passed through flat , open country , devoid of the dense forests and ravines described by Cassius Dio . Historians such as Gustav - Adolf Lehmann and Boris Dreyer counter that the description is too detailed and differentiated to be thus dismissed . Tony Clunn ( see below ) , the discoverer of the battlefield , and a " southern - approach " proponent , believes that the battered Roman army regrouped north of Ostercappeln , where Varus committed suicide , and that the remnants were finally overcome at the Kalkriese Gap . Peter Oppitz argues for a site in Paderborn . Based on a reinterpretation of Tacitus , Paterculus and Florus ' writings , and a new analysis of Dio Cassius ' writings , he proposes that an ambush took place in Varus ' summer camp during a peaceful meeting between the Roman commanders and the Germans . Portrayal in fiction . " Die Hermannsschlacht " is an 1808 drama by Heinrich von Kleist based on the events of the battle . The battle and its aftermath feature in both the novel and television series " I , Claudius " . In the novel , Cassius Chaerea is portrayed as one of the few Roman survivors . A Jewish student ' s report of the battle is a central aspect of " Die Geschwister Oppermann " ( " The Oppermanns " ) , a 1933 novel by Lion Feuchtwanger . A movie named " Die Hermannsschlacht " / " The Hermann Battle " was released between 1993 and 1995 . The first public screening took place in Düsseldorf in May 1995 . In 1996 it was honoured by an international jury in Kiel , where it was presented during an archaeological film festival . It was shown in arthouse cinemas throughout Germany . The actors speak German , and Latin with German subtitles . Famous English artist Tony Cragg has a brief role as a Roman citizen in the palace of Augustus . Teutoburg Forest can be played in the video game " " and " " . A 1955 novel , " The Lost Eagles " , written by Ralph Graves , gave a fictitious account of a Varus relation , Severus Varus , working to recover the lost eagles of Teutoburg Forest and the family ' s honor . The story follows the historical recovery of the eagles in the campaigns of Germanicus . The 1992 detective novel ( with a 2007 radio play adaptation ) , " The Iron Hand of Mars " by English historical novelist Lindsey Davis , uses the battle and its aftermath as extensive backstory of her character Marcus Didius Falco ' s adventures on the Limes Germanicus in 71 CE . The battle , its consequences to Rome and to the local tribes and the ongoing local trade in " memorabilia " from the disaster are used as plot devices . The 2009 novel " Give Me Back My Legions ! " by Harry Turtledove covers the battle and the events leading up to it . In 2009 the historico - fictional novel " Arminius ; a German romance " by English historic novelist Lorna Pearson was published . This covers events from the approach to the battle until Arminius ' death 12 years later , using subsequent German myth from Siegfried to the Thousand - Year Reich as a filter . " Die Sendung mit der Maus " , a re - enactment for children ' s television using Playmobil toys to represent the Roman legions German nationalism . The legacy of the Germanic victory was resurrected with the recovery of the histories of Tacitus in the 15th century , when the figure of Arminius , now known as " Hermann " ( a mistranslation of the name " Armin " which has often been incorrectly attributed to Martin Luther ) , became a nationalistic symbol of " Pan - Germanism " . From then , Teutoburg Forest has been seen as a pivotal clash that ended Roman expansion into northern Europe . This notion became especially prevalent in the 19th century , when it formed an integral part of the mythology of German nationalism . In 1808 the German Heinrich von Kleist ' s play " Die Hermannsschlacht " aroused anti - Napoleon ic sentiment , even though it could not be performed under occupation . In 1847 , Josef Viktor von Scheffel wrote a lengthy song , " Als die Römer frech geworden " ( " When the Romans got cheeky " ) , relating the tale of the battle with somewhat gloating humour . Copies of the text are found on many souvenirs available at the Detmold monument . The battle had a profound effect on 19th century German nationalism along with the histories of Tacitus ; the Germans , at that time still divided into many states , identified with the Germanic tribes as shared ancestors of one " German people " and came to associate the imperialistic Napoleon ic French and Austro - Hungarian forces with the invading Romans , destined for defeat . As a symbol of unified Romantic nationalism , the " Hermannsdenkmal " , a monument to Hermann surmounted by a statue , was erected in a forested area near Detmold , believed at that time to be the site of the battle . Paid for largely out of private funds , the monument remained unfinished for decades and was not completed until 1875 , after the Franco - Prussian War of 1870 – 71 unified the country . The completed monument was then a symbol of conservative German nationalism . The battle and the Hermannsdenkmal monument are commemorated by the similar Hermann Heights Monument in New Ulm , Minnesota , USA , erected by the Sons of Hermann , a support organization for German immigrants to the United States . Hermann , Missouri , USA , claims Hermann ( Arminius ) as its namesake and a third statue of Hermann was dedicated there in a ceremony on 24 September 2009 , celebrating the 2 , 000th anniversary of Teutoburg Forest . In Germany , where since the end of World War II there has been a strong aversion to celebrating the nation ' s militaristic past , widespread celebration of the battle ' s 2 , 000th anniversary was avoided . Sources . Ancient sources . The following is a list of all known references to the battle from the literary sources of classical antiquity . Though the account provided in the " Roman History " is the most detailed of these , Dio Cassius ' almost two - century removal from the event and his use of detail mentioned by no earlier author render it much more likely to be a literary re - imagining than a reliable historical record .