The Battle of Teutoburg Forest, described by Velleius Paterculus

[Excerpted from Readings in Ancient History: Illustrative Extracts from the Sources. II. Rome and the West. William Stearns Davis, ed. and tr. (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1913, pp. 203-204]

In the years 12 to 9 B.C. the vast region known as Germany had been brought under Roman control by Drusus, the stepson of Augustus. Up to 9 A.D. it seemed likely that the whole country and its inhabitants would be peacefully Romanized. How this scheme came to nought, thanks to the folly of Varus the Roman governor, and the patriotism of the chieftain Arminius (or Hermann), is told by the contemporary historian Velleius Paterculus. The event was an important one: - for the first time in history the Roman eagles were forced back.

Quintilius Varus [the new governor of Germany] was born of a noble rather than an illustrious family; he was of a mild disposition, and of a sedate manner, and being rather indolent both in mind and body was more accustomed to ease in a camp than action in the field. How far be was from despising money, Syria-where he had been governor-gave the proof; for when he went there the province was rich and he was poor; when be departed it was poor and he was rich! On appointment to the command in Germany, he imagined that the inhabitants had nothing human but their voice and limbs, and that creatures who could be tamed by the sword might be civilized by [the intricacies of] law. With this notion, once in the heart of Germany, as if among a most peace- loving folk, he spent the summer deciding litigation, and ordering the pleadings before a tribunal- [The Germans, though exasperated by such strange proceedings, pretended to be grateful for them] and they at length lulled Varus into such a perfect security that he fancied himself a city praetor [at Rome] handing out justice in the Forum, instead of commanding an army in the middle of Germany.

It was at this time, that a young man of high birth, Arminius, son of the German prince, Segimer, -- brave in action, quick in understanding and with an activity of mind far beyond his barbarian condition, a youth who had regularly accompanied our army in the former war, and had been made a Roman citizen and even an eques, -- took advantage of the general's indolence to perpetrate an act of atrocity; cleverly judging that a man is most easily destroyed when he is most secure, and that security very often is the commencement of calamity. He communicated his thoughts at first to a few, then to more friends, assuring them that the Romans might readily be surprised. Then he proceeded to add action to resolution, and fixed a time for executing the plot. Notice of his intent was given to Varus by Segestes, a German of high credit and rank; but fate was not to be opposed by warnings, and had already darkened the Roman general's vision. . . .

Varus refused to credit the information, asserting that "he felt a trust in the good will of the [subject] people, proportioned to his kindness to them." And after this first warning there was no time for a second.

[The Roman army was therefore surprised in the forest by the Germans of Arminius.] An army unrivaled in bravery, the flower of the Roman troops in discipline, vigor and military experience, was thus brought through supine leadership, the perfidy of the foe, and a cruel Fortune into an utterly desperate situation. The troops did not even have the opportunity of fighting, as they wished . . . and hemmed in by woods, lakes and the bands of ambushed enemies, were entirely cut off by those foes, whom they bad used to slaughter like cattle. Their leader, Varus, showed some spirit in dying, though none in fighting -for, imitating the example of his father and grandfather, he ran himself *through with his sword. Of the two praefects of the camp Lucius Eggius gave an honorable example, but Ceionius one of baseness, for after the bulk of the army had perished,

Ceionius advised a surrender, preferring to die by the executioner than in battle. Numonius Vala, Varus's lieutenant, a man hitherto of good reputation, this time proved guilty of foul treachery, for leaving the infantry unguarded he fled with the allied cavalry, trying to reach the Rhine. But Fortune avenged his crime; he perished in this act of deserting his countrymen. The savage enemy mangled the half-burned body of Varus.[1] His head was cut off and sent to Marobodus [a barbarian king] and by him sent to the Emperor; and so at length received honorable burial in the sepulcher of his family.

1. The Romans in their last stand seem to have tried to burn his body on a funeral pyre.