Rome's Greatest Defeat: Massacre in the Teutoburg ForestIn AD 9 half of Rome's Western army was ambushed in a German forest and annihilated. Three legions, three cavalry units and six auxiliary regiments - some 25,000 men - were wiped out. It dealt a body blow to the empire's imperial pretensions and was Rome's greatest defeat. No other battle stopped the Roman empire dead in its tracks. Although one of the most significant and dramatic battles in European history, this is also one which has been largely overlooked. Drawing on primary sources and a vast wealth of new archaeological evidence, Adrian Murdoch brings to life the battle itself, the historical background and the effects of the Roman defeat as well as exploring the personalities of those who took part. |
Contents
Introduction This Savage Forest | |
One The Tangled Paths of | |
Two A Wolf or a Shepherd? | |
Three Pore Benighted Eathen | |
Four This Terrible Calamity | |
Five Give Me Back My Legions | |
Six Germanys Might | |
Seven A Second Troy | |
Notes | |
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Common terms and phrases
Ahenobarbus allies ambush ancient appears archaeological archaeologists Arminius armour Asprenas attack Augustus Aulus Caecina Severus auxiliary barbarian Battle of Teutoburg battlefield began bronze Bructeri Caecina Caedicius called camp campaign Cassius Dio cavalry centurions century certainly Chatti Cheruscan Cherusci classical coins Cologne commander crossed death disaster discovery drachmas Drusus eagles Elbe emperor empire evidence excavations fight frontier Gaius Gaul Germanic tribes Germanicus Germany’s governor Haltern Hermann Hermannsdenkmal Herod’s historian horses imperial iron Julius Caesar Kalkriese legionaries Legions XVII literary Lollius Lucius Mainz Marcus Maroboduus military modern museum Nazi never political prehistory province Publius Publius Quinctilius Varus Quinctilius Varus remains revolt Rhine River Lippe River Weser Roman army Roman History Rome Sabinus seen Segestes shield soldiers status Suetonius suggests survived sword Tacitus territory Teutoburg Forest three legions Thusnelda Tiberius town tribal troops uprising Vala Velleius Paterculus victory wall weapons writes Xanten