| Arminius | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Statue of Arminius at the Hermannsdenkmal memorial | |||||
| Prince and Chieftain of the Cherusci tribe | |||||
| Predecessor | Segimer | ||||
| Successor | Italicus | ||||
| Born | 18/17 BC Germania | ||||
| Died | AD 21 (aged 37–38) Germania | ||||
| Spouse | Thusnelda | ||||
| Issue | Thumelicus | ||||
| |||||
| Father | Segimer | ||||
| Religion | Germanic | ||||
Arminius (/ɑːrˈmɪniəs/; 18/17 BC–AD 21) was a chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe who is best known for commanding an alliance of Germanic tribes at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9, in which three Roman legions under the command of general and governor Publius Quinctilius Varus were destroyed. His victory at Teutoburg Forest precipitated the Roman Empire's permanent strategic withdrawal and the decolonisation of Germania Magna,[2] and modern historians regard it as one of Imperial Rome's greatest defeats.[3] As it prevented the Romanization of Germanic peoples east of the Rhine, it has also been considered one of the most decisive battles in history[4][5][6][7] and a turning point in human history.[8]
Born a prince of the Cherusci tribe, Arminius was part of the Roman-friendly faction of the tribe. He learned Latin and served in the Roman military, which gained him Roman citizenship, and the rank of eques. After serving with distinction in the Great Illyrian Revolt, he was sent to Germania to aid the local governor Publius Quinctilius Varus in completing the Roman conquest of the Germanic tribes. While in this capacity, Arminius secretly plotted a Germanic revolt against Roman rule, which culminated in the ambush and destruction of three Roman legions in the Teutoburg Forest.
In the aftermath of the battle, Arminius fought retaliatory invasions by the Roman general Germanicus in the battles of Pontes Longi, Idistaviso, and the Angrivarian Wall, and deposed a rival, the Marcomanni king Maroboduus. Germanic nobles, afraid of Arminius's growing power, assassinated him in 21. He was remembered in Germanic legends for generations afterwards.[9] The Roman historian Tacitus designated Arminius as the liberator of the Germanic tribes and commended him for having fought the Roman Empire to a standstill at the peak of its power.[9]
During the unification of Germany in the 19th century, Arminius was hailed by German nationalists as a symbol of German unity and freedom.[10] Following World War II, however, Arminius' significance diminished in Germany due to the rise of anti-militarism, pacifism, and anti-nationalism; the 2,000th anniversary of his victory at the Teutoburg Forest was only lightly commemorated in Germany.[10]
- ^ Schulze, Wilhelm (1904). Zur Geschichte lateinischer Eigennamen. Weidmann. p. 127.
- ^ Dr. Aaron Ralby (2013). "The Roman Legion: Refining Military Organization". Atlas of Military History. Parragon. p. 241. ISBN 978-1-4723-0963-1.
- ^ Murdoch 2012
- ^ Tucker 2010, p. 75
- ^ Cawthorne 2012
- ^ Davis 1999, p. 68
- ^ Creasy 2007, p. 104
- ^ "How the eagles were tamed". The Spectator. 27 March 2004. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
Mommsen referred to the Battle of the Teutoburg forest as a turning-point in world history.
- ^ a b Tacitus. The Annals.2.88. "Assuredly he was the deliverer of Germany, one too who had defied Rome, not in her early rise, as other kings and generals, but in the height of her empire's glory, had fought, indeed, indecisive battles, yet in war remained unconquered. He completed thirty-seven years of life, twelve years of power, and he is still a theme of song among barbarous nations, though to Greek historians, who admire only their own achievements, he is unknown, and to Romans not as famous as he should be, while we extol the past and are indifferent to our own times."
- ^ a b Crossland, David (28 August 2009). "Battle of the Teutoburg Forest: Germany Recalls Myth That Created the Nation". Spiegel Online International. Der Spiegel. Retrieved 16 January 2015.