Two thousand years ago today, one of the most decisive and devastating battles of Roman times was raging at the northern edge of the empire. The Battle of Teutoburg Forest was to have a pivotal effect on Rome's strategy in central and northern Europe and was probably the deciding factor in keeping the empire's boundaries not much further north than the Danube for the following four centuries.
Between 10,000 and 20,000 Roman soldiers lost their lives in the battle against Germanic tribes and the circumstances and timing were a hard psychological blow to emperor Augustus back in Rome. The defeat came as a massive shock and set-back at a time when the Roman army seemed to have no equal and was able to conquer with little resistance. However, the alliance of Germanic tribes, led by Arminius, were able to decimate three legions using tactical knowledge of the Teutoburg forest itself, as well as the elements of surprise and knowledge of Roman fighting tactics.
ARCHEOLOGICAL FINDS
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