Battle of Teutoberg Forest

read a little paperback book about the supposed 5 bloodiest battles in history in 4th grade
considerable license was taken to dramatize it, riveting for a 4th grader
three legions dissappeared without a trace
that tale of Arminius's duplicity largely spurred my interest in history :wink:

If I recall correctly it ended with Augustus berating Varus's memory for the loss of the Legions
and the reported portent of a winged Victory statue that ominously changed direction in a storm and pointed away from the frontier and towards Roma

This battle reverberated through the centuries as this author points out:

http://www.livius.org/te-tg/teutoburg/teutoburg01.htm

"In the nineteenth century, the battle became a powerful national symbol. In 1806, the French army of Napoleon Bonaparte decisively beat the armies of the German states. The humiliation was too big for the Germans, who started to look to the battle in the Teutoburg Forest as their finest hour. As Napoleon spoke a romanic language and presented himself as a Roman emperor, it was easy for the Germans to remind each other that they had once before defeated the welschen Erbfeind - an untranslatable expression that refers to the Latin speaking archenemies of Germany. The Teutoburg Forest became the symbol of the eternal opposition between the overcivilised and decadent Latin and the creative and vital Germanic people, between old France and new Germany."

There's a website, which give some explanations (especially re the German website):

KALKRIESE/VARUSSCHLACHT (clades variana)

[Osnabrück is nowadays in Lower Saxony (not Saxony as noted by Badboy, and known to be the second signatory town for the Westphalian Peace)(for the Protestant countries; the other town is Münster).]

Just looked through panzade's link: it certainly is better than mine.

battle of teutoburg forest
growing up in germany we used to sing (lustily)ALS DIE ROEMER FRECH GEWORDEN ... (when the romans got cocky ... ). went on a bicycle tour with some friends about 1951/2 when we visited the monument. cycled from hamburg to hameln, moehnetal sperre and on to mainz; the way back took us through the sauerland, bremerhaven and back to hamburg in two weeks. hbg

I just spent an hour on that site.Remarkable author and a fascinating history.