How Arminius Led a Germanic Defeat of Rome

NARRATOR: The Teutoburg Forest near Detmold, Germany - the 50-meter-high Hermann Monument towers above its surroundings. Hermann is the German equivalent of the Latin name Arminius. Arminius was a Cheruscan chieftain, a member of Germanic nobility. He lived from approximately 27 B.C. to A.D. 21 and led a Germanic rebellion against Romans. He is still considered a champion of freedom.

DR. MICHAEL ZELLE: "It's very difficult to judge who exactly Arminius was. We have the historical figure, who we are trying to get a more complete picture of through historical and archaeological research. He is very hard to grasp. We have some general facts about him and are trying to use them to get a more exact idea of who he was."

NARRATOR: This larger-than-life painting depicts the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, which took place in A.D. 9. Under Arminius's leadership, the Germanic tribes destroyed three Roman legions - a triumph. The Varian Disaster was a turning point in European history, as it halted the Roman advance, showing the limits of their might.

How did it play out? The Roman consul Varus was leading 22,000 troops to their winter encampment. Arminius, however, succeeded in drawing Varus and his soldiers into the forest. Arminius had entrenched his forces there in the undergrowth; the Romans failed to notice. Arminius gave the command to attack and caught the Romans by surprise. The most potent army in the ancient world was defenseless. Today it is hard to say just how many soldiers Arminius had under his command, but his numbers were fewer than the three Roman legions. Arminius succeeded in destroying one-eighth of the entire Roman army. In just one single battle, the expansion of the Roman Empire was halted. Today Arminius is still hailed as the liberator and unifier of the German tribes. In 1875 this monument was constructed in his honor in Detmold in Germany.