Calamitas atrocissima (Teutoburgi-erdő, Kr. u. 9)
Calamitas atrocissima (Teutoburg Forest, A. D. 9)

Summary/Abstract: In step with the traditions of the Roman Empire Augustus conducted an expansionist foreign policy. Julius Caesar having started campaigns against the Germans along the northern borders, Augustus wished to continue this expansionism, indeed, he wanted to outdo the military successes of his adopter. This process began with the establishment of trading relations that were advantageous for the Germans as well. Some Germanic aristocrats were also persuaded to cooperate with the Romans. However, the increased military presence of the Romans, the introduction of Roman jurisdiction, which ignored Germanic traditions, and the considerable increase in taxes resulted in discontent among the Germans. In A. D. 9, Arminius, a young, ambitious Germanic chieftain started an uprising against the Romans. He sat a trap for Roman proconsul Varus and his three legions. More than twenty thousand Roman troops fell in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, which was the worst defeat inflicted on Augustus during his long and successful reign. The article analyses the historical situation before the battle, and the battle itself on the basis of Greek and Roman authors. It descibes the lives of the commanders, Varus and Arminius, and scrutinizes their respective roles in the course of battle. It analyses the effect this serious defeat had on Augustus and on Roman policy, and discusses the effect that the figure of Arminius and the myth surrounding him have had on the cultural and intellectual life of Germany.

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