Ancient authors on the issue of the Varus Battle

Current Sources

All descriptions and mentions of the Varus Battle and its effects report on these events from the Roman point of view. There are no descriptions showing the Germanic perspective because the Germanic tribes did not leave written lore behind. This fact should always be kept in mind when reading ancient sources. Even Tacitus who committed himself to objectivity as his highest aim as an author - »sine ira et studio«, meaning »without anger and eagerness« - did not write devoid of affection and rejection. Besides one has to consider that - except Strabon and Velleius Paterculus - none of the authors experienced the Varus Battle as a contemporary. Many therefore report second- handed and use older descriptions of rather varying and no longer verifiable quality.

Strabon

Strabon was probably born in winter 64 / 63 BC in Amaseia, Asia Minor, and came of a family with good reputation who cultivated a friendship with the Pontic royal family. Educated by various well-known philosophers he arrived in Rome travelling via Egypt and Greece. There he writes historical and a geographical work in Greek. As usual, he made use of already published sources and seldom of contemporaries. His dry, sober and unemotional style corresponded to the prevailing taste. The precise year of his death around 23 AD is unknown.

»Geographiká Hypomnémata« - »Geographical Notes« was the name of the work - frequently quoted, gladly used by others in the ancient world. In contrast to many other works of Strabon, it has been preserved. Its quality varies due to the different levels of records and data Strabon used.

Velleius Paterculus

The Roman historian (Caius) Velleius Paterculus was born around 20/19 BC. He came of a family of the equestrian class and passed through several positions in his military career. In the years 1 - 4 AD, he accompanied Caius Iulius Caesar to the Parthians in the Middle East. Then in 9 AD, he took part in Tiberius’ campaigns in Pannonia and in Germania in 9 - 11 AD as well as in Tiberius’ triumphal procession in 12 AD in Rome. A last reference to his biography is provided by the dedication of his last work which is dated 30 AD or shortly before then. The year of his death is unknown.

»Historia Romana« - Velleius’ historical work is usually called »Compendium of Roman History«, the ancient name is unknown. It consists of two parts. In order to write about events in the past, he used the works of other authors, whereas he described Tiberius’ expeditions as a contemporary. His historical work is the only preserved description of Augustus’ and Tiberius’ times from the view of a contemporary witness.

Tacitus

Publius Cornelius Tacitus was born around 55 AD and raised in a distinguished family. In Rome, he served several Emperors in various posts during his military career. In 78 AD, he married the daughter of Iulius Agricola, the Conqueror of Britannia. Later, Tacitus wrote Iulius Agricola’s biography. In times of Emperor Trajan, he was governor of the province Asia. The exact year of his death is unknown, but is estimated around 116/120 AD.
In addition to »Germania«, a description of the country and the people living there, and other smaller works, his chief works were the book »Historiae« (meaning »histories«) and the book »Annales« (in English »annals«).

»Annales ab excessu divi Augusti« - »Annals, from the death of deified [Emperor] Augustus« was supposedly the complete title of one of his main works. In this book, Tacitus recounts - following his principle »sine ira et studio« (which means »without anger and eagerness« and therefore as objective as possible; Annals 1,1,3) - the events of the years 14 - 68 AD in a strictly chronological order. Unfortunately, some parts have been lost.
Due to his accurate style and his adherence to the moral code of senator aristocracy, Tacitus is one of the most important sources of Roman history, even if his judgement of certain persons, e.g. Emperor Tiberius, was neither objective nor correct.

Sueton

Caius Suetonius Tranquillus was born around 70 AD presumably in North Africa. He came of a family of the equestrian class, worked as an advocate at first and eventually came to Rome with the assistance of his friend Plinius the Younger. There he served in imperatorial service and finally held the influential position of emperor’s secretary (»ab epistulis«) at Hadrian’s Court. In 121 AD, he was dismissed and lived as a private scholar in Rome for an indefinite period of time.

»De vita Caesarum« - »Lives of the Caesars« (best known in English as »The Twelve Caesars«) is the name of his preserved chief work, in which he describes the lives of the twelve Roman Emperors from Caius Iulius Caesar to Domitian. He used a fixed scheme which even subordinated historical facts if necessary.
The purpose of his works was to amuse his readers, gladly using anecdotes and not write in the style of a pernickety historian.
Many of his other works are lost. Only the chapters about the poets Terenz and Horaz from his book »On Famous Men« (»De viri illustribus«) are extant.

Florus

Lucius (or Publius) Annaeus Florus composed an epitome of Roman history in the early 2nd century AD. He availed himself of historical works written by [older/elder] historians. His principle source supposedly was Livius.

»Epitome de Tito Livio ...« - »Epitome of the Histories of Titus Livy ...« is the name of his work in which he describes the epochs of Rome’s history corresponding to the phases of a human life. His merit lies more in his elaborate rhetorical style than in historical accuracy.

Cassius Dio

Born around 150 AD, Cassius Dio Cocceianus held high offices in his home town Nicaea in Bythinia (Asia Minor), just like his father had done. He passed through the classic Roman career of a public servant and was governor of the provinces Africa, Dalmatia and Upper Pannonia. Due to his austerity against the soldiers, he antagonised the Praetorian Guards so that he had to assume his second consulate as a colleague of Emperor Severus Alexander outside of the city boundaries of Rome. Hereafter, he returned to Bythinia and probably died around 235 AD.

Only fragments remain of his work »Roman History« (»Romaïkè Historía«), consisting of eighty books and written in Greek. The work in the style of an annual was structured in centuries. He mentions the older authors used for his works by name, including Polybios and Livius. His detailed description of the time after Marcus Aurelius which he depicts - while in imperatorial service - as a contemporary witness is of particular value. Especially due to his contemporary perspective, Cassius Dio is one of the most important sources of Roman history.