Battle of the Teutoburg Forest

by Emanuele Maria Pinto

One of the most controversial facts that characterizes the long history of the Roman Empire is certainly what happens in Teutoburg.

The Teutoburg Forest is no longer that of two thousand years ago so to make you understand where the events take place we have come to baden-wuttemberg in the black forest and explored the original place after more the 2000 years.

If you do a search on the internet you will find that it is called the Battle of Teutoburg but I absolutely disagree because it was not a battle but a real massacre.

It is the 9th and the Emperor Augustus has been ruling for 36 years now, the provinces of Germany, according to him, are pacified, his aim is to move the border of the Roman Empire from the Rhine to the Elbe river 400 kilometers further north.

To do this he decides to send Varo and his right arm Arminius, a Cherusco who grows up in Rome. Arminius becomes a Roman citizen, makes a long and brilliant career in the army. At that moment he is at the head of a cavalry unit of about 600 people, he takes advantage of the fact that he returned to Germany together with Varo to unite under his command all the tribes that were absolutely not in favor of the domination of Rome in Germanic land.

Then with a stratagem he pushes Varus and his three legions into the depths of a forest; the Teutoburg Forest.

He had understood, knowing the way of fighting of the Legions, that facing in the open field would have been a certain defeat and therefore with a stratagem he channels the army into this forest.

We do not know why Varo decides to enter with the legions and all the following of civilians who were there near the forest.

It is the night of September 8, it rains and the legions move with difficulty among the trees and the muddy ground. Arminius and his men first attack the tail of the caravan then attack the head in a massacre that will last for four days and four nights. The death toll atrocious and the three regions disappear permanently.

Tacitus dismisses the matter in the annales with little more than a page.

It tells that Augustus’ reaction was to not shave for several days and to walk through the rooms of his palace saying;

Varo Varo Give me back my legions!

And he concludes by writing at that moment

Rome loses Germany but Germany loses Rome!

I think a better Epitaph could not be found.