2,000 Years Varus Battle – a Retrospective

What Happened at the Time Around the Birth of Christ?

In the year 9 AD, large areas of Germania were occupied by the Romans.

Despite repeated military confrontations and retreats, the Romans advanced further and further into the North and East of Central Europe in the course of two decades. A large part of the Germanic population made peace with Rome, while other tribes were subdued. Since 4 AD, the political situation in Germania had begun to stabilize. Publius Quinctilius Varus, who was appointed governor by Emperor Augustus in 7 AD, was ordered to supervise Germania's transformation into another Roman province. Varus, a military and administrative expert, brought – among other novelties – the Roman jurisdiction and tribute system to Germania.

For a certain amount of time all was quiet between the rivers Ems and Elbe – until those fateful days in the fall of 9 AD. In the early summer of the same year, Rome’s governor Publius Quinctilius Varus had departed with his army of three legions, heading toward the Roman summer camps near the river Weser. In the meantime, his army had been considerably reduced by sickness and casualties, and some men had been left behind on their assigned posts. In fall, the decimated legions made their way back to the security of the fortified winter camps on the river Rhine. However, most of the legionnaires would never reach them. Varus had ignored warnings of a resistance within the Germanic population, for one of his most trusted soldiers, Arminius, son of Cheruscan nobleman Segimer, was conceived to be pro-Roman: The young Germanic warrior, educated in Rome, was a cavalry officer and Roman citizen.

Varus followed a call for support against revolting Germanic tribes and was ambushed by the anti-Roman coalition. Germanic warriors attacked the surprised Romans from behind. Again and again they tackled the several kilometers long, clumsy track consisting of cavalry, legionnaires, supply units, wagons, arms and animals to pull and carry heavy loads. In the Kalkriese basin, more Germanic warriors flung themselves at the surprised Romans.

Hidden behind a rampart erected between the hilly area and the great moor, they assaulted the Roman army's flank. The resistance offered by the Romans was basically ineffective in the almost impassable, unknown terrain. In the impenetrable Germanic woods and swamps, it was impossible for them to establish their strategic battle formation which had so often led to their victory. The carnage went on for three days and nights.

Rain, storm and fights annihilated the Roman troops. Thousands of Roman soldiers died on the battlefield. How many Germanic warriors lost their lives in this battle, we do not know. The surviving Romans either sought refuge in flight; they surrendered or committed suicide like their leader Varus. Facing the shameful defeat, he let himself fall onto his own sword, we are told. When Emperor Augustus received the news that he had lost three of his legions, he is said to have cried out in desperation: »Varus, give me my legions back!«
 

The consequences

For some time, the Romans tried to shake off the shame of their devastating defeat in 9 AD. Their commander Germanicus set out with a large contingent of the Roman forces to retaliate. According to Roman historiographers, he reached the site of the Varus Battle in 15/16 AD and buried the bones of the deceased there. But he, too, was unable to subjugate Germania. Shortly afterwards, the Romans stopped their efforts to incorporate the Germanic area between rivers Ems, Lippe and Elbe into their Empire. In retrospective, the Varus Battle constitutes a distinctive turning point in European history.

The legions of Varus perished – the consequences of this fatal defeat can still be traced today. Some aspects of early Roman settlements are still visible in modern Germany. Many towns, streets and trade routes were established in Roman times. Until today, the borders of countries are based on the layout of the ancient Roman Empire. Even nowadays, the high standard of Roman architecture surprises us. The Romans introduced coins as currency and taught the Germanic tribes to appreciate gold and silver. Before their arrival, the Germanic peoples used to trade consumer goods or paid with amber. The heritage of Rome has significantly influenced the juridical and political system of today’s Europe. The Romans brought Latin scripture and language to the areas they occupied. Latin influenced European languages, especially the modern Romanic languages. It is still considered the language of the educated, of science (just think of medicine) and the church.

Tacitus' writings were also composed in Latin. The annals of the Roman historiographer, lost until the 16th century, depict Cheruscan and Roman cavalry officer Arminius as Germania's liberator. As one of the first printed books, the annals were made accessible to a large audience. The figure of the bold warrior, who overcame the Romans in the Varus Battle, fascinated people. Arminius – or Hermann, as Martin Luther is reported to have dubbed him – became a myth. Especially during the 19th century, he became a national symbol; a figure representing the Germans search for their national identity.

But history caught up with the glorification of Arminius. Two World Wars, violent beyond all imagination, the atrocities of German National Socialism and the division of Germany turned the world upside down. After these experiences, martial heroes went out of fashion.

Instead, Rome was making history once more: The Roman treaties are the basis of today’s European Union, and the Federal Republic of Germany has become an important member of a united Europe. With the reunification of both German states, a peaceful revolution has succeeded. And we should note with a smile that Roman floor heating and the Germanic invention of pants are appreciated by people in many parts of the world.

The Battle Site

For a long time, the mists of history obscured our knowledge about the Varus Battle. At the beginning of the 16th century, the writings of Roman historian Tacitus were rediscovered and eventually reached North Rhine-Westphalian Corvey via Rome. Tacitus' description of the march of Germanicus to the site of the devastating defeat, vaguely described as being »near the Teutoburg forest,« was the basis for exciting speculation about the locale of the Varus Battle, especially in the 18th and 19th century. More than 700 places claimed to be the location of the battlefield. Roman gold and silver coins discovered in the Kalkriese area for centuries eventually convinced famous German historian Theodor Mommsen that Kalkriese must have been the site of the Varus Battle.

In 1987, British amateur archaeologist Major Anthony Clunn followed indications of the Varus Battle in cooperation with the bureau of archaeology of town and county Osnabrück under the auspices of Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schlüter. Clunn found many Roman silver coins and eventually three slingshots for firing lead projectiles – the first weapons proving the presence of Roman soldiers.

Two years later, archaeological excavations began. Bit by bit and trench by trench, the scientists shed light on history. Especially the area where the Kalkriese museum park is located today yielded remarkable finds: coins, weapons, parts of military equipment and remains of Roman articles of daily use. A corroded lump of iron turned out to be a former silver-plated iron face mask of a Roman cavalry helmet. A 400 meter long rampart is still visible in the ground. The presence of human and animal bones proves that heavy fighting took place here in antiquity. Pits filled with bones showing traces of violence as well as several years' exposure to weather indicate that the remains of those who fell were buried years after the battle. This observation corresponds with Tacitus' writings. He reports the later arrival of Roman commander Germanicus and his troops.

Parallel to the excavations, public interest grew: At the beginning of the 1990s, the first information center made the site's history available to visitors. In 2000, the museum park opened, followed by the museum in 2002, which was built by Swiss architects Annette Gigon and Mike Guyer and has won several architecture awards. Architecture, exhibitions and appearance of the park offer visitors many ways of approaching the historic event. Guided tours, pedagogical offers, special exhibitions and activities vividly communicate the history of the Varus Battle, of Romans and Germanic tribes, and provide insight into the scientific investigation of the ancient battlefield of Kalkriese.