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Battle of Teutoburg Forest Part III: THE END
THE END The length of this battle is uncertain, for many historians believe the length of the conflict may have lasted for an hour to three days (Eidsmoe). Although the total duration of the battle is disputed, the outcome is clearly agreed upon. Arminius and his army blatantly annihilated the Roman forces in a rather rapid time, which was considered a near impossible feat. The substantial amounts of casualties suffered by the Romans were quite significant. At the conflict’s commencement, the three legions contained an estimated 20,000 troops. By the battle’s end, less than 1,000 Romans survived. Inconsequently, the Germanic tribes’ death tool was scant, only losing 500 men to the Roman spears. Seeing that his army was being completely eradicated, Varus preformed the only valorous option he could see. “But rather than face the ignominy of defeat, Varus committed suicide…” (Eidsmoe). The legions had indubitably fallen apart, in which Rome could never reconstruct the garrisons. Arminius had won and he would become a national hero for his ingenious tactics of flabbergasting Varus’ legions.
The Significance of the Result “This loss of the three legions was one of the worst defeats in Roman history” (Gill). The outcome of this war greatly impacted the intentions of northern expansion for Rome. This loss influenced Augustus’ strategy toward the barbaric lands of Germania. After several more conflicts between Rome and the Germanic tribes, Augustus concluded that northern expansion should be halted. Thus, the boarder of Roman territory stretched to the River Rhine, where it would stay indefinitely. This lone battle immobilized the Roman war machine from spreading its influence to the North. Hence, northern Germany and the Scandinavian countries were spared of the Roman dominion. This defeat could have very well had been one of the most catastrophic events to occur during the Roman Empire. To defeat Varus’ legions at the height of the Roman Empire significantly affected Roman confidence, which would take many years for the Romans to officially recover. The symbol of Hermann would live on in Germanic culture and become a sign of German unity and independence, for it they would have been defeated; a majority of Germanic culture would have gone astray. “The contribution of Arminius to Germania and western civilization history is truly immeasurable” (“Arminius”).
The Suicide of Varus
Hermann: The Symbol of Unity and Independence
