Hermann the Cheruscan
Born: 18/17 BC
Known for: Germanic chieftain who famously defeated three Roman legions in one of the most decisive ambushes of antiquity.
Died: AD 21
Age: 37-38
Allegiance: Cherusci tribe (Germanic); Coalition of Germanic tribes opposing Roman expansion
Conflicts: Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (9 CE)
Cause of Death: Murdered by opponents within his own tribe who felt that he was becoming too powerful.
Resting Place: Unknown / unrecorded historically
Spouses: Thusnelda
Arminius (18/17 BC–AD 21; Hermann in German) 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 deprovincialization of Germania Magna, and modern historians regard it as one of Imperial Rome's greatest defeats. 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 and a turning point in human history.
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 defeated a rival, the Marcomanni king Maroboduus. Arminius sought to become a king and was assassinated in 21. He was remembered in Germanic legends for generations afterwards. 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.
During the unification of Germany in the 19th century, Arminius was hailed by German nationalists as a symbol of German unity and freedom. 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.
