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The Battle That Stopped Rome: Emperor Augustus, Arminius, and the Slaughter of the Legions in the Teutoburg Forest
In AD 9, a Roman traitor led an army of barbarians who trapped and then slaughtered three entire Roman legions: 20,000 men, half the Roman army in Europe. If not for this battle, the Roman Empire would surely have expanded to the Elbe River, and probably eastward into present-day Russia. But after this defeat, the shocked Romans ended all efforts to expand beyond the Rhine, which became the fixed border between Rome and Germania for the next 400 years, and which remains the cultural border between Latin western Europe and Germanic central and eastern Europe today.
This fascinating narrative introduces us to the key protagonists: the emperor Augustus, the most powerful of the Caesars; his general Varus, who was the wrong man in the wrong place; and the barbarian leader Arminius, later celebrated as the first German hero. In graphic detail, based on recent archaeological finds, the author leads the reader through the mud, blood, and decimation that was the Battle of Teutoburg Forest.
This fascinating narrative introduces us to the key protagonists: the emperor Augustus, the most powerful of the Caesars; his general Varus, who was the wrong man in the wrong place; and the barbarian leader Arminius, later celebrated as the first German hero. In graphic detail, based on recent archaeological finds, the author leads the reader through the mud, blood, and decimation that was the Battle of Teutoburg Forest.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2004
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September 6, 2021
02/06/2021 (**)
Perplesso.
Finito, ho pensato che fosse uno dei saggi più strani e malcongeniati che mi sia mai capitato di leggere; letto il risvolto, dove si precisa che l'autore è un eminente antropologo, collegate le varie perplessità, mi sono fatto una idea più chiara.
Il saggio, che al netto di bibiografia e indice consta di 220 pagine, è composto da un incredibile, lunghissimo preludio che arriva fino a pagina 151; le rimanenti 70 pagine, riguardanti la battaglia di Teutoburgo nel suo svolgimento, sono perlopiù divagazioni, fra cui:
- un intero capitolo dedicato ai tipi di ferite e morti (!) a cui i legionari romani e i guerrieri germanici sono, presumibilmente, andati incontro, con truculenti e del tutto inutili dettagli (che in una battaglia antica si morisse perlopiù per emorragia a seguito di ferite da taglio o di punta oppure per sventramento o per decapitazione, non credo sia una novità). L'ho letto sbalordendo;
- un altro capitolo dedicato agli usi e costumi dei Germani nel festeggiare la vittoria e consacrarla ai propri dei (riassumibile in 2 pagine);
- poi qualche pagina dedicata alle conseguenze della battaglia, prive di qualunque analisi strategica, politica e militare degna di questo nome.
Oltre all'incredibile (letteralmente) capitolo sui 101 modi di morire o essere feriti in una battaglia dell'antichità, la premessa è talmente lunga da andare a trattare, sommariamente, addirittura dell'evoluzione della tattica e delle armi romane dalla fondazione al I secolo d.C., dell'invasione della Gallia di Cesare, dell'inquadramento della figura di Augusto, dalla nascita fino alla presa del potere (un intero capitolo!). La quasi totalità degli argomenti trattati è di assoluta inutilità per quel che concerne l'argomento del libro (che, giusto per ricordarlo, è la battaglia di Teutoburgo).
Un capitolo dell'interminabile preludio (Preludio alla battaglia: le attività belliche nell'Europa romana) è talmente dispersivo e colmo di dettagli inutili, spesso ripetuti più volte, da essere fastidioso; quello precedente, poi, è dedicato più che al comandante germanico, Arminio, agli usi e costumi dei popoli germanici del tempo, con descrizione dettagliata della dieta, degli attrezzi utilizzati per coltivare (vanghe, rastrelli, falci - ma dai?), dei riti funebri, ecc.
Peraltro, il libro era partito tutto sommato bene, descrivendo - nei primi due capitoli - il luogo della battaglia (ritrovato di recente) e riportando i resoconti degli storici romani. Poi si è perso, come i legionari di Varo fra le paludi germaniche, affogando in un infodump paradossale e incoerente come mai mi era capitato di vedere in un saggio di storia.
Sulle conclusioni dell'autore, che quella di Teutoburgo sia stata la battaglia più importante della storia d'Europa, segnando di fatto un confine culturale e linguistico sul Reno per i secoli successivi, non concordo.
Teutoburgo è un episodio, grave, all'interno di una storia lunga, quella di Roma antica, fatta anche di catastrofiche sconfitte (Canne e Arausio, per dirne due di gran lunga peggiori per dimensioni). Le spedizioni oltre Reno del nipote di Tiberio, Germanico, qualche anno dopo la battaglia (culminate nella duplice, grande vittoria di Idistaviso e del Vallo Angriviano), dimostrarono come la forza militare dei Romani fosse del tutto intatta e che, alla lunga, essi avrebbero finito inevitabilmente per prevalere.
La decisione di Tiberio di fermare il nipote e sospendere la campagna sta tutta lì, in quel "alla lunga". La Germania Magna, ossia l'immenso territorio delimitato a est dal Reno, a sud dal Danubio e a ovest dall'Elba-Moldava, era una landa desolata, spopolata, coperta solamente da fitte foreste e infinite paludi. Lo sforzo militare e economico necessario per sottomettere e poi (soprattutto) cooptare e annettere di fatto tale territorio all'Impero venne valutato dalla classe politica del tempo superiore ai benefici che Roma ne avrebbe potuto trarre, sotto ogni aspetto.
Tale decisione, razionale nel breve periodo, sacrificava tuttavia un aspetto fondamentale, che doveva essere ben noto all'imperatore e all'elite romana e che aveva suggerito prima a Augusto e poi a Tiberio di tentare l'occupazione, nonostante la ben nota povertà del territorio e le divergenze culturali molto profonde con le tribù indigene, difficilmente assimilabili. Senza poi parlare delle gigantesche spese in infrastrutture che sarebbero seguite (strade, ponti, acquedotti, nuove città con fognature e edifici pubblici, nuovi campi legionari, molte fortificazioni, oltre all'indispensabile centuriazione di un territorio che comprendeva quasi per intero l'odierna Germania!).
Per capire, basta prendere una cartina geografica e vedere quanto più corto in termini di chilometri sarebbe stato il limes posto sull'Elba-Moldava (o sull'Elba-Morava, forse ancora meglio) rispetto a quello che si stava consolidando su Reno e Danubio: ciò significava un enorme risparmio di uomini e mezzi a guardia dell'Impero, su un confine peraltro molto più sicuro perché molto più lontano dal cuore del territorio romano e delle sue province occidentali più importanti (la Gallia, ma soprattutto l'Italia). La famosa difesa in profondità, che i politici e i militari romani perseguivano esattamente come quelli moderni, poiché allontanare il nemico e le sue possibili incursioni da regioni produttive di enorme importanza, anche fiscale, è semplice buon senso, ieri come oggi.
Quindi, nessun ghiribizzo da parte di boriosi politici romani né una mera dimostrazione di potenza. Le spedizioni oltre Reno erano una parte di una intelligente politica espansionistica volta a consolidare i confini di un entità amministrativa già enormemente estesa (troppo, probabilmente, per le tecnologie del tempo: il problema era già evidente allora) su linee il più possibile sicure e ridotte in dimensioni e sviluppo. Il disastro di Teutoburgo non fu niente di irrisolvibile, qualcosa di simile a un incidente di percorso, ma il suo fantasma continuò a aleggiare nelle menti degli imperatori e dei loro consiglieri. Valeva la pena rischiare una o più legioni per conquistare quei territori disabitati e privi di risorse?
La risposta fu no, e sul lungo periodo fu probabilmente un grosso, grossissimo errore strategico. Teutoburgo quindi incise, ma non fu quel punto di svolta epocale che l'autore riporta.
Per quel che riguarda il saggio, non lo consiglio. Puoi dare in mano un argomento storico a un giornalista e, se capace e al netto di qualche imprecisione e qualche leggerezza, potrà trarne un libro piacevole. Gli antropologi (di cui non ho molta stima, visti altri trascorsi deludenti) è meglio si occupino di altro.
Perplesso.
Finito, ho pensato che fosse uno dei saggi più strani e malcongeniati che mi sia mai capitato di leggere; letto il risvolto, dove si precisa che l'autore è un eminente antropologo, collegate le varie perplessità, mi sono fatto una idea più chiara.
Il saggio, che al netto di bibiografia e indice consta di 220 pagine, è composto da un incredibile, lunghissimo preludio che arriva fino a pagina 151; le rimanenti 70 pagine, riguardanti la battaglia di Teutoburgo nel suo svolgimento, sono perlopiù divagazioni, fra cui:
- un intero capitolo dedicato ai tipi di ferite e morti (!) a cui i legionari romani e i guerrieri germanici sono, presumibilmente, andati incontro, con truculenti e del tutto inutili dettagli (che in una battaglia antica si morisse perlopiù per emorragia a seguito di ferite da taglio o di punta oppure per sventramento o per decapitazione, non credo sia una novità). L'ho letto sbalordendo;
- un altro capitolo dedicato agli usi e costumi dei Germani nel festeggiare la vittoria e consacrarla ai propri dei (riassumibile in 2 pagine);
- poi qualche pagina dedicata alle conseguenze della battaglia, prive di qualunque analisi strategica, politica e militare degna di questo nome.
Oltre all'incredibile (letteralmente) capitolo sui 101 modi di morire o essere feriti in una battaglia dell'antichità, la premessa è talmente lunga da andare a trattare, sommariamente, addirittura dell'evoluzione della tattica e delle armi romane dalla fondazione al I secolo d.C., dell'invasione della Gallia di Cesare, dell'inquadramento della figura di Augusto, dalla nascita fino alla presa del potere (un intero capitolo!). La quasi totalità degli argomenti trattati è di assoluta inutilità per quel che concerne l'argomento del libro (che, giusto per ricordarlo, è la battaglia di Teutoburgo).
Un capitolo dell'interminabile preludio (Preludio alla battaglia: le attività belliche nell'Europa romana) è talmente dispersivo e colmo di dettagli inutili, spesso ripetuti più volte, da essere fastidioso; quello precedente, poi, è dedicato più che al comandante germanico, Arminio, agli usi e costumi dei popoli germanici del tempo, con descrizione dettagliata della dieta, degli attrezzi utilizzati per coltivare (vanghe, rastrelli, falci - ma dai?), dei riti funebri, ecc.
Peraltro, il libro era partito tutto sommato bene, descrivendo - nei primi due capitoli - il luogo della battaglia (ritrovato di recente) e riportando i resoconti degli storici romani. Poi si è perso, come i legionari di Varo fra le paludi germaniche, affogando in un infodump paradossale e incoerente come mai mi era capitato di vedere in un saggio di storia.
Sulle conclusioni dell'autore, che quella di Teutoburgo sia stata la battaglia più importante della storia d'Europa, segnando di fatto un confine culturale e linguistico sul Reno per i secoli successivi, non concordo.
Teutoburgo è un episodio, grave, all'interno di una storia lunga, quella di Roma antica, fatta anche di catastrofiche sconfitte (Canne e Arausio, per dirne due di gran lunga peggiori per dimensioni). Le spedizioni oltre Reno del nipote di Tiberio, Germanico, qualche anno dopo la battaglia (culminate nella duplice, grande vittoria di Idistaviso e del Vallo Angriviano), dimostrarono come la forza militare dei Romani fosse del tutto intatta e che, alla lunga, essi avrebbero finito inevitabilmente per prevalere.
La decisione di Tiberio di fermare il nipote e sospendere la campagna sta tutta lì, in quel "alla lunga". La Germania Magna, ossia l'immenso territorio delimitato a est dal Reno, a sud dal Danubio e a ovest dall'Elba-Moldava, era una landa desolata, spopolata, coperta solamente da fitte foreste e infinite paludi. Lo sforzo militare e economico necessario per sottomettere e poi (soprattutto) cooptare e annettere di fatto tale territorio all'Impero venne valutato dalla classe politica del tempo superiore ai benefici che Roma ne avrebbe potuto trarre, sotto ogni aspetto.
Tale decisione, razionale nel breve periodo, sacrificava tuttavia un aspetto fondamentale, che doveva essere ben noto all'imperatore e all'elite romana e che aveva suggerito prima a Augusto e poi a Tiberio di tentare l'occupazione, nonostante la ben nota povertà del territorio e le divergenze culturali molto profonde con le tribù indigene, difficilmente assimilabili. Senza poi parlare delle gigantesche spese in infrastrutture che sarebbero seguite (strade, ponti, acquedotti, nuove città con fognature e edifici pubblici, nuovi campi legionari, molte fortificazioni, oltre all'indispensabile centuriazione di un territorio che comprendeva quasi per intero l'odierna Germania!).
Per capire, basta prendere una cartina geografica e vedere quanto più corto in termini di chilometri sarebbe stato il limes posto sull'Elba-Moldava (o sull'Elba-Morava, forse ancora meglio) rispetto a quello che si stava consolidando su Reno e Danubio: ciò significava un enorme risparmio di uomini e mezzi a guardia dell'Impero, su un confine peraltro molto più sicuro perché molto più lontano dal cuore del territorio romano e delle sue province occidentali più importanti (la Gallia, ma soprattutto l'Italia). La famosa difesa in profondità, che i politici e i militari romani perseguivano esattamente come quelli moderni, poiché allontanare il nemico e le sue possibili incursioni da regioni produttive di enorme importanza, anche fiscale, è semplice buon senso, ieri come oggi.
Quindi, nessun ghiribizzo da parte di boriosi politici romani né una mera dimostrazione di potenza. Le spedizioni oltre Reno erano una parte di una intelligente politica espansionistica volta a consolidare i confini di un entità amministrativa già enormemente estesa (troppo, probabilmente, per le tecnologie del tempo: il problema era già evidente allora) su linee il più possibile sicure e ridotte in dimensioni e sviluppo. Il disastro di Teutoburgo non fu niente di irrisolvibile, qualcosa di simile a un incidente di percorso, ma il suo fantasma continuò a aleggiare nelle menti degli imperatori e dei loro consiglieri. Valeva la pena rischiare una o più legioni per conquistare quei territori disabitati e privi di risorse?
La risposta fu no, e sul lungo periodo fu probabilmente un grosso, grossissimo errore strategico. Teutoburgo quindi incise, ma non fu quel punto di svolta epocale che l'autore riporta.
Per quel che riguarda il saggio, non lo consiglio. Puoi dare in mano un argomento storico a un giornalista e, se capace e al netto di qualche imprecisione e qualche leggerezza, potrà trarne un libro piacevole. Gli antropologi (di cui non ho molta stima, visti altri trascorsi deludenti) è meglio si occupino di altro.
March 12, 2013
I found this book at a the Amarynth Bookstore on Davis in Evanston while looking for birthday gifts for my brother and niece. Having read in the journal Ancient World that the location of the battle of Teutoberg had recently been discovered, and given the importance of that event, I made the purchase.
In fact, the battlesite was first identified in the eighties and the author, an archeologist at the University of Minnesota specializing in the European cultures of the period, participated in more recent digs, some of the findings of which are illustrated in the text.
For one like me, grounded in classical antiquity, this book was most illuminating as regards the lifeways of the Germanic peoples in the first century of this era. As regards the Romans, there wasn't much to learn. Indeed, the whole book is written on an introductory level.
Students of warfare in classical antiquity may be most interested in the very detailed reconstruction of the battle and its immediate aftermath. Although substantially hypothetical, no eyewitness accounts surviving, the grounds for the author's surmises are clearly given. Classicists may also benefit from reading what amounts to a work of ancient history written from the perspective of archeology and cultural anthropology. Sadists will certainly enjoy the detailed graphic descriptions of the means and ways of death and injury during the period.
In fact, the battlesite was first identified in the eighties and the author, an archeologist at the University of Minnesota specializing in the European cultures of the period, participated in more recent digs, some of the findings of which are illustrated in the text.
For one like me, grounded in classical antiquity, this book was most illuminating as regards the lifeways of the Germanic peoples in the first century of this era. As regards the Romans, there wasn't much to learn. Indeed, the whole book is written on an introductory level.
Students of warfare in classical antiquity may be most interested in the very detailed reconstruction of the battle and its immediate aftermath. Although substantially hypothetical, no eyewitness accounts surviving, the grounds for the author's surmises are clearly given. Classicists may also benefit from reading what amounts to a work of ancient history written from the perspective of archeology and cultural anthropology. Sadists will certainly enjoy the detailed graphic descriptions of the means and ways of death and injury during the period.
March 29, 2010
Sometimes even exciting historical events can be dry and boring to read about but Wells puts this together in an interesting and unique way. He uses written accounts from Roman historians and archaeological evidence. He pieces it together in a chapter by chapter way dealing with events that led up to the slaughter of the Roman legions, the battle itself, and what went on after the fact. One of the better straight history books I've read lately.
May 8, 2024
The Battle of Teutoburg Forest in A.D. 9 has always stood out to me in the historical record as a point of interest. During my undergraduate studies, I took a course on the history of Ancient Rome. From that textbook, the relation of Emperor Caesar Augustus wringing his hands while wandering the palace repeating “Varus, give me back my legions!” was always the most interesting aspect of that course. Very little was said about the battle in that text, aside from Germanic tribal warriors having ambushed and annihilated 3 Roman Legions.
Peter Wells attempts to retell the story, but the background of his work reveals why so little information seems to be available on the events in the Teutoburg Forest in the year A.D. 9. First of all, there are no contemporary accounts of the battle. The vast majority of Roman participants were killed, while the German victors possessed no form of writing. Because of this paucity of written history, Wells relies heavily upon archaeological evidence from excavations in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
For those to whom archaeology is a dry topic, this work will likely not hold much appeal. However, the information shared by Wells is enlightening on Roman history and that of early Northern European and Germanic peoples.
Peter Wells attempts to retell the story, but the background of his work reveals why so little information seems to be available on the events in the Teutoburg Forest in the year A.D. 9. First of all, there are no contemporary accounts of the battle. The vast majority of Roman participants were killed, while the German victors possessed no form of writing. Because of this paucity of written history, Wells relies heavily upon archaeological evidence from excavations in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
For those to whom archaeology is a dry topic, this work will likely not hold much appeal. However, the information shared by Wells is enlightening on Roman history and that of early Northern European and Germanic peoples.
September 3, 2009
The Battle That Stopped Rome is a mixed bag but overall succeeds in the author's intent of writing a historical (if often speculative) account of a battle over two thousand years ago in a way easily accessible to the non-academic world. Drawing on classical sources such as Tacitus and Cassius Dio as well archeology of the battlesite, Wells crafts a gripping narrative of desperate close quarters fighting that does an admirable job of capturing the terror and destruction of fighting in an age of swords, axes, spears and javelins.
Nevertheless, The Battle That Stopped Rome is not without its flaws. Peters is often redundant covering certain aspects of the material repetatively as if the book was either written as a series of lectures strung together or needed to inflate his overall word count. Undoubtedly because of the paucity of sources, much of the work is based on a reasoned possibility of what the facts and archeology tell or infer. There are other interpretations and while Wells does briefly cover some of them, he is not always as clear as he possibly should have been about where established fact slips into historical supposition.
Despite the flaws, The Battle That Stopped Rome is a solid read that is worthwhile reading for any non-academics interested in the early Roman Empire, the Germanic tribes of the 1st Centuries AD and BC, or archeology. Wells avoids being overly dry or intellectually pompous and presents his material in a way that makes his book readable for people of all ages and ability. It won't strike a lot of new ground for anyone already well versed in the history of ancient Rome but as an introdution to the era and a glimpse of what it was like to soldier in that time, The Battle That Stopped Rome is a very good place to start.
Nevertheless, The Battle That Stopped Rome is not without its flaws. Peters is often redundant covering certain aspects of the material repetatively as if the book was either written as a series of lectures strung together or needed to inflate his overall word count. Undoubtedly because of the paucity of sources, much of the work is based on a reasoned possibility of what the facts and archeology tell or infer. There are other interpretations and while Wells does briefly cover some of them, he is not always as clear as he possibly should have been about where established fact slips into historical supposition.
Despite the flaws, The Battle That Stopped Rome is a solid read that is worthwhile reading for any non-academics interested in the early Roman Empire, the Germanic tribes of the 1st Centuries AD and BC, or archeology. Wells avoids being overly dry or intellectually pompous and presents his material in a way that makes his book readable for people of all ages and ability. It won't strike a lot of new ground for anyone already well versed in the history of ancient Rome but as an introdution to the era and a glimpse of what it was like to soldier in that time, The Battle That Stopped Rome is a very good place to start.
October 3, 2020
Very good, but too short, and not enough information on things. If it had been more in-depth I would have rated it high, but I would still read another book by the author.
March 22, 2024
Maybe it's just me and my odd obsession with peculiar, lesser-known tales of history. Maybe it was my preparation for teaching a 6th Grade Unit on Germany and the Holocaust, a plan that led me to Tacitus and his varied accounts of the ancient world, a rabbit trail that ultimately led me to the Battle of Teutoberg Forest. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the Gladiator soundtrack I had playing in the background as I read every page of this book. Whatever it was, whatever setting I created for myself before I even opened to the first chapter, the fact remains that Peter Wells still could have disappointed me. Or he could have merely satisfied my expectations, putting together a so-so interpretation of what may have happened, beyond anyone's full or likely understanding.
Instead, Wells engineered one of the most brilliant retellings of ancient history that I've read in a year. He weaves a thin, respectful line between text-based knowledge and archaeological imagination, letting readers know when he's veering away from concrete evidence, here and there, for the benefit of a narrative that might otherwise come across dry and lifeless. The Battle of Teutoberg Forest--more like the Massacre at Teutoberg Forest--deserved a long-awaited author like Peter Wells, someone thorough enough in his academic studies to make us feel, as historical consumers, a combined sense of awe and empathy for both sides of a now-buried conflict more than 2,000 years old.
Instead, Wells engineered one of the most brilliant retellings of ancient history that I've read in a year. He weaves a thin, respectful line between text-based knowledge and archaeological imagination, letting readers know when he's veering away from concrete evidence, here and there, for the benefit of a narrative that might otherwise come across dry and lifeless. The Battle of Teutoberg Forest--more like the Massacre at Teutoberg Forest--deserved a long-awaited author like Peter Wells, someone thorough enough in his academic studies to make us feel, as historical consumers, a combined sense of awe and empathy for both sides of a now-buried conflict more than 2,000 years old.
April 17, 2020
This history of the Battle of Teutoburg Forest was very well written and concise. The story of "the Lost Legions" was one I remembered from High School. I didn't realize that the battlefield had largely been discovered between 1987-1990. The author does an excellent job of going through the history of the period, the archeological evidence, and his "assumed story" of the battle itself. For any that don't know, Germanic tribes, under Arminius, annihilated three Roman Legions, over 10% of the Roman Military, almost to a man. Apparently a handful of legionaries escaped, but probably less than 50 with over 16,000 killed. Such an amazing defeat altered plans of Roman expansion beyond the Rhine. A great book for military and Roman history nerds!!
September 12, 2021
A lot of history books about battles and warfare tend to bore me, but what I liked about this one is how Wells goes more into the context of the battle. There are no first hand accounts of Teutoberg itself, but he does a good job looking at archaeology vs Roman sources to piece together the situation leading up to the battle and the aftermath. He tries to create Roman and Germanic tribe life and contextualize how and why the battle even happened in the first place, and to me he does it in a very accessible way. A solid peak at the time period surrounding Teutoberg, as well as a solid analysis of what likely happened at the battle itself.
August 24, 2021
Reasonable book about the battle its influence, especially for a non German/European - like me.
February 29, 2024
I am not sure for whom this book was written; I am sure it was not for me. It is massively disappointing. I had fondly hoped that it might have been a scholarly gathering of recent archaeological and archival historical research. Silly me. Above all else it bespeaks an attempt to fill a book to match the title. Accordingly, we have sections on iron-manufacturing techniques, and on village life (“The people cultivated beans, peas, and lentils in garden plots. They grew flax both for its oil and for making linen. They raised cattle for dairy products, meat, hides, and bone and to pull plows” “small communities such as those in the villages and farms of this region develop social rules governing the selection of marriage partners from outside”). And there is a lot of incidental information about Augustus and his family.
Worse, however, than the padding with mundane and unsurprising information is the sensational description of the encounter at Teutoberg. “The battlefield was a scene of utter horror and human devastation that we can scarcely imagine.” Despite this, Peter S Wells valiantly plunges into imagining, and the text then overflows with lurid detail. “Men shrieked in agony as the spear points penetrated their flesh, or moaned in pain as their lives ebbed away. Blood flowed everywhere, spurting from punctured arteries, and oozing from gaping wounds. Some spears tore open men’s abdomens, and their intestines spilled out onto the blood-soaked track. The stench of blood quickly enveloped the entire landscape.” His imagination extends beyond the battle scene: “Like their Roman counterparts, the Germans had offered their devotions to the gods they worshipped, seeking protection in the battle to come. But those devotions failed to calm most of the men. They did not want to be there waiting for the Romans to arrive, and they did not want to kill anyone. But they had to join in this effort or risk endless ridicule, or worse.”
To supplement the limited amount known of Arminius, leader of the Germanic soldiers, Wells sets his guesswork going: “Arminius may have used his high social status among his people to organise a contingent of a few hundred men to join an auxiliary unit to serve with the Roman legions. He probably had a variety of motives for joining the Roman military.… And even from the start of his military service, he may have had his grand plan in mind”. The hypothesising is not limited to Arminius: “The Germans may have created an obstacle to limit the Romans’ choice, forcing them onto the narrow passage. They may have dug away a large portion of the track that led out across the depression, exposing open water where land had been, and on the other side of the water arranged brush and saplings to look like natural vegetation.” (All my emphases.)
The Battle That Stopped Rome is obviously intended for an American market, so measurements are all in imperial units, which is frustrating. Throughout the book, the quality of the maps is abysmal. One matter which occupies my mind these days (although it is not raised at all in Wells’s book) is whether we overlay our consideration of ancient history with too much of a sense of present national polities. Would, for example, a villager in Greater Germania have felt any different emotions depending upon whether the marauders razing his or her village were from another village in Greater Germania, or were Roman? For certain individuals, such as Vercingetorix, the answer is presumably, yes. For most, however, I suspect the source of the attackers was not of paramount importance.
If you know anything at all about Teutoberg, or even about the Roman empire, I shouldn’t bother with this book. If, however, you are the parent of a ten-year-old with an enquiring mind, it is worth considering.
Worse, however, than the padding with mundane and unsurprising information is the sensational description of the encounter at Teutoberg. “The battlefield was a scene of utter horror and human devastation that we can scarcely imagine.” Despite this, Peter S Wells valiantly plunges into imagining, and the text then overflows with lurid detail. “Men shrieked in agony as the spear points penetrated their flesh, or moaned in pain as their lives ebbed away. Blood flowed everywhere, spurting from punctured arteries, and oozing from gaping wounds. Some spears tore open men’s abdomens, and their intestines spilled out onto the blood-soaked track. The stench of blood quickly enveloped the entire landscape.” His imagination extends beyond the battle scene: “Like their Roman counterparts, the Germans had offered their devotions to the gods they worshipped, seeking protection in the battle to come. But those devotions failed to calm most of the men. They did not want to be there waiting for the Romans to arrive, and they did not want to kill anyone. But they had to join in this effort or risk endless ridicule, or worse.”
To supplement the limited amount known of Arminius, leader of the Germanic soldiers, Wells sets his guesswork going: “Arminius may have used his high social status among his people to organise a contingent of a few hundred men to join an auxiliary unit to serve with the Roman legions. He probably had a variety of motives for joining the Roman military.… And even from the start of his military service, he may have had his grand plan in mind”. The hypothesising is not limited to Arminius: “The Germans may have created an obstacle to limit the Romans’ choice, forcing them onto the narrow passage. They may have dug away a large portion of the track that led out across the depression, exposing open water where land had been, and on the other side of the water arranged brush and saplings to look like natural vegetation.” (All my emphases.)
The Battle That Stopped Rome is obviously intended for an American market, so measurements are all in imperial units, which is frustrating. Throughout the book, the quality of the maps is abysmal. One matter which occupies my mind these days (although it is not raised at all in Wells’s book) is whether we overlay our consideration of ancient history with too much of a sense of present national polities. Would, for example, a villager in Greater Germania have felt any different emotions depending upon whether the marauders razing his or her village were from another village in Greater Germania, or were Roman? For certain individuals, such as Vercingetorix, the answer is presumably, yes. For most, however, I suspect the source of the attackers was not of paramount importance.
If you know anything at all about Teutoberg, or even about the Roman empire, I shouldn’t bother with this book. If, however, you are the parent of a ten-year-old with an enquiring mind, it is worth considering.
February 8, 2019
THE BATTLE THAT STOPPED ROME by Peter S. Wells.
Mr. Wells is “professor of anthropology at the University of Minnesota and the author of the award-winning THE BARBARIANS SPEAK.”
According to accounts by two great chroniclers of Rome, Tacitus and Cassius Dio, in A.D. 9 a chieftain named Arminius led a massive army of Germanic warriors - ‘barbarians’ - in the annihilation of some twenty thousand Roman soldiers.
The battle truly changed the course of European and world history.
The readability of this book is superb. The index is very helpful. Indeed, all the access points are helpful and easy to follow.
I liked the mention of Museums, Roman Remains and Archaeological Parks in Appendix 3. Most have web sites where one can access their collections. I was especially interested in the Westfalisches Romermuseum Haltern in Haltern, Germany.
Information in the book included the history of The Battle and its aftermath; The Romans and their history; Augustus; Arminius; Military organization and history of the Romans and the Germanic tribes; Germanic tribes and settlements. (For me, History comes alive when written in such a superb narrative style.)
THE BATTLE THAT STOPPED ROME consists of a Preface; 12 chapters; a list of illustrations; a list of maps; important dates; appendices - 1,2 and 3; sources and suggestions for further reading; acknowledgements; illustration credits and an index.
Professor Wells muses on a very important point in the last chapter, ‘The Meaning of the Battle’.
We must be very careful in our assessments of the past - There is a text-based understanding of the past and an archaeological-based understanding of the past. I like the quote given by novelist Tim O’Brien - “In any war story, but especially a true one, it’s difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen.”
I truly enjoyed reading this book and learning about this very important battle, Roman History of the period, and the Germanic tribes - with a lot of geography thrown in!
I would highly recommend this book.
Mr. Wells is “professor of anthropology at the University of Minnesota and the author of the award-winning THE BARBARIANS SPEAK.”
According to accounts by two great chroniclers of Rome, Tacitus and Cassius Dio, in A.D. 9 a chieftain named Arminius led a massive army of Germanic warriors - ‘barbarians’ - in the annihilation of some twenty thousand Roman soldiers.
The battle truly changed the course of European and world history.
The readability of this book is superb. The index is very helpful. Indeed, all the access points are helpful and easy to follow.
I liked the mention of Museums, Roman Remains and Archaeological Parks in Appendix 3. Most have web sites where one can access their collections. I was especially interested in the Westfalisches Romermuseum Haltern in Haltern, Germany.
Information in the book included the history of The Battle and its aftermath; The Romans and their history; Augustus; Arminius; Military organization and history of the Romans and the Germanic tribes; Germanic tribes and settlements. (For me, History comes alive when written in such a superb narrative style.)
THE BATTLE THAT STOPPED ROME consists of a Preface; 12 chapters; a list of illustrations; a list of maps; important dates; appendices - 1,2 and 3; sources and suggestions for further reading; acknowledgements; illustration credits and an index.
Professor Wells muses on a very important point in the last chapter, ‘The Meaning of the Battle’.
We must be very careful in our assessments of the past - There is a text-based understanding of the past and an archaeological-based understanding of the past. I like the quote given by novelist Tim O’Brien - “In any war story, but especially a true one, it’s difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen.”
I truly enjoyed reading this book and learning about this very important battle, Roman History of the period, and the Germanic tribes - with a lot of geography thrown in!
I would highly recommend this book.
September 3, 2021
“The Battle that Stopped Rome” is a much-needed and immersive dive into one of history’s greatest battles: the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. In the dark wooded hinterlands of modern-day Germany, the Roman governor-general Varus stumbles into an ambush laid by a one-time ally of Rome: Arminius. Within the narrow confines of the Kalkriese area, Arminius’s Germans slaughter three entire Roman legions, one of Rome’s worst military defeats. In the aftermath, Augustus turns away from expanding eastward across the Rhine, largely confining Rome to conquests in the Near East.
The book reconstructs much of the battle based on studied conjecture and recent archaeological excavations. While historians almost always prize the written word above all, archaeology holds the key to a more grounded understanding of the past: as one of many examples, archaeologists unearthed a constructed dirt mound-wall that the Germans undoubtedly used to surprise the marching Roman legions.
Is the Teutoburg Forest Battle truly a turning point in history? Even if the Romans had won the specific battle against Arminius, they would likely have lost the war, Akon more to a counterinsurgency effort in modern Vietnam or Afghanistan.
No matter it’s relative weight in the historical record, this book puts us right in the spot of the bloodied legions, aggrieved Germans, and lamenting Emperor Augustus, a difficult thing to pull off for ancient battles.
The book reconstructs much of the battle based on studied conjecture and recent archaeological excavations. While historians almost always prize the written word above all, archaeology holds the key to a more grounded understanding of the past: as one of many examples, archaeologists unearthed a constructed dirt mound-wall that the Germans undoubtedly used to surprise the marching Roman legions.
Is the Teutoburg Forest Battle truly a turning point in history? Even if the Romans had won the specific battle against Arminius, they would likely have lost the war, Akon more to a counterinsurgency effort in modern Vietnam or Afghanistan.
No matter it’s relative weight in the historical record, this book puts us right in the spot of the bloodied legions, aggrieved Germans, and lamenting Emperor Augustus, a difficult thing to pull off for ancient battles.
December 17, 2017
The Battle that Stopped Rome by Peter S. Wells is an in-depth historical account of the crushing defeat of three Roman legions at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD. The Germanian chieftain named Arminius led a massive army of Germanic warriors that annihilated almost 20,000 Roman soldiers. The effect of this battle was catastrophic and ultimately led to Emperor Augustus's decision not to expand and strengthen a series of military bases along the Rhine frontier. The book was well-written and engaging. It thoroughly discusses the background that led up to the battle and its aftermath. The book provides an excellent overview of the historical figures associated with the battle: Rome's first Emperor, Augustus; General Commander of Three Roman Legions, Publius Varus; and Germanian Prince and Roman auxiliary commander, Arminius. Author Wells provides an overview of Roman military tactics and the weaknesses Arminius took advantage of. The book also brought out the brutality of the war from both the Germanian and Roman perspectives. The lesson learned by Ancient Rome is a reminder that a smaller, well-equipped army can bring an empire to its knees, as evidenced by the Viet Nam war. I highly recommended this book for any reader who loves Ancient Roman history.
August 24, 2017
Otterrete lo stesso risultato in meno tempo su Wikipedia. L'argomento trattato mi ha senz'altro interessato, vista anche la particolarità e l'oscurità dell'evento storico narrato. A mio avviso il libro è però troppo tedioso quando si dilunga (e non di rado) nell'elencazione dettagliata dei vari reperti archeologici rinvenuti qua e là sugli scenari presunti del massacro. Particolarmente mirabile è poi il paragrafo in cui l'autore ci illumina rivelandoci che sui campi di battaglia gli uomini morivano in seguito a lacerazioni degli organi vitali (dovute a ferite da taglio o da punta), per emorragie o per la combinazione di entrambe...davvero? Mi rendo conto che ci sia stata la necessità di rimpolpare una tematica che, considerata nella sua essenza ed insieme ai suoi riferimenti e citazioni, avrebbe altrimenti occupato sì e no una ventina di pagine. A tal riguardo su Wikipedia è presente una trattazione altrettanto soddisfacente che riporta anche una diversa versione dell'andamento della battaglia, secondo alcuni storici romani dell'epoca, citata anche da Wells in quanto è da sempre stata la ricostruzione più accreditata. Ecco, a mio avviso sarebbe bastata quella.
February 23, 2015
Not being very knowledgeable about Roman history, I was a little apprehensive starting out, thinking more or less that I would have a difficult time catching up on Roman events. However, this book is written with people like me in mind. My Roman history background is limited the existence of the 2 Roman empires; East and West, the persecution of the early Christians and the relationship of Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony with Cleopatra. This book fills up some of the holes in my knowledge about Roman military policies, the history of rise of Augustus and their regard for the Germainic tribes east of the Rhine. Drawing from modern archaeological discoveries and ancient Roman historical texts, tt tells the story of a battle that annihilated three Roman legions and effectively stopped the expansion of the Roman Empire past east of the Rhine. The author also attempts to fill up gaps in archaeologists’ knowledge of the battle with his own imagination which made the flow and story of the battle easy to follow.
April 28, 2013
I found this book at the University book store just prior to a trip to Germany and it caught my attention. After numerous shelvings, I have now just finished it after about 6 years.
This book probably has more teeth as an academic paper than it does as riveting historical narrative. There are a few assertions in the book - like the fact that the German tribes east of the Rhine became more militaristic following Rome's conquest of Gaul, as evidenced by weapons burials - that are repeated no less than 20 or so times in various contexts. While this may indicate academic rigor, it certainly encumbers an interesting read.
For my money, the juiciest parts are the biographical information about Arminius and the Cherusci tribe, and the political maneuverings by Augustus and the Roman generals leading up to and following the battle.
This book probably has more teeth as an academic paper than it does as riveting historical narrative. There are a few assertions in the book - like the fact that the German tribes east of the Rhine became more militaristic following Rome's conquest of Gaul, as evidenced by weapons burials - that are repeated no less than 20 or so times in various contexts. While this may indicate academic rigor, it certainly encumbers an interesting read.
For my money, the juiciest parts are the biographical information about Arminius and the Cherusci tribe, and the political maneuverings by Augustus and the Roman generals leading up to and following the battle.
September 18, 2012
This was a relative quick read about a battle where German tribes defeated 3 legions of the Roman army. It was a pivotal battle in 9 AD in that the Rhine river became the dividing line between the Roman empire and the Germanic tribes. If the Romans had not been ambushed, then it is most likely that Germany would have not been a country or it would be much smaller than it is now. The event is interesting, but like many events of that time period, there is not much to go off of. The author is an archaeologist who is using the archeaological evidence to build a case for what he thinks happened, which has its speculative ideas. Not the best writing in that it switches from a historical fiction style in some chapters to a dry archaeological textbook style in others.
January 24, 2021
A decent representation of recent archaeological finds (as of early 2000s) crossed with historical texts taken in context of their times and places (e.g. Romans were probably biased in their depictions).
The book has some editing issues - certain topics are repeated excessively, such as depictions of likely injuries sustained. The book also makes lots of references to other parts of the book with "above" or "below", even though the referenced text or images may be pages away.
The book has some editing issues - certain topics are repeated excessively, such as depictions of likely injuries sustained. The book also makes lots of references to other parts of the book with "above" or "below", even though the referenced text or images may be pages away.
February 10, 2018
Interesting view of little known Roman defeat
Well written history of a significant Roman defeat by the "barbaric" Germans in Germany. Geographical, archeological, and Roman descriptions of the battle included. Easy reading.
Well written history of a significant Roman defeat by the "barbaric" Germans in Germany. Geographical, archeological, and Roman descriptions of the battle included. Easy reading.
December 27, 2020
An engaging book that draws from both historical and archeological sources to cover every aspect of this amazing battle, from both the Roman and the Germanic perspective. Highly recommend. (Also, the paperback felt oddly soft and was nice to hold.)
August 16, 2019
I duplicated, then lost my original review, so I'm doing this one from memory.
As a history guy, I enjoyed the hard facts, but also thought that some of the creative non-fiction added to the book. If I have one complaint, it was that there wasn't enough of it to carry the weight of the history being provided.
It is obvious that a lot of research went into the book. And given some of the other books, fiction and non-fiction, that I have read on this subject, the material collaborates much of what I have read.
Overall, I think the book would be a bit more scholarly than all but the most hard core amateur historians would want to read. It has lots of good details that are fascinating to collect and examine individually and as a whole. But this is not light, Sunday afternoon reading purely for entertainment value only.
If you want some of the history, but have it built around characters and plot in a fictional setting, read Harry Turtledove's, "Give Me Back My Legions!"
Overall, my history background meant that I could enjoy this and it was worth the time spent reading. But I wouldn't let this book be the first or only one you read on this subject.
As a history guy, I enjoyed the hard facts, but also thought that some of the creative non-fiction added to the book. If I have one complaint, it was that there wasn't enough of it to carry the weight of the history being provided.
It is obvious that a lot of research went into the book. And given some of the other books, fiction and non-fiction, that I have read on this subject, the material collaborates much of what I have read.
Overall, I think the book would be a bit more scholarly than all but the most hard core amateur historians would want to read. It has lots of good details that are fascinating to collect and examine individually and as a whole. But this is not light, Sunday afternoon reading purely for entertainment value only.
If you want some of the history, but have it built around characters and plot in a fictional setting, read Harry Turtledove's, "Give Me Back My Legions!"
Overall, my history background meant that I could enjoy this and it was worth the time spent reading. But I wouldn't let this book be the first or only one you read on this subject.
November 9, 2021
Overall I enjoy any book about my ancestors and the destruction of those who would attempt to occupy our lands but this book wasn't quite what I was expecting. I found it to be very surface level. While I understand historical accounts are limited more specifically limited to only those of the enemy, this book left me with less than I was hoping it would. It was more of a biography of Augustus, Varus and Arminius and a little about the differing cultures than about the battle itself. His illustrations had to be searched for when the author referenced them which made it difficult to visualize and continue the flow of reading.
The book was an easy read however and didn't get overly detailed about specific tactics. The author attempted briefly to demonstrate the emotions the warriors must have felt but it just didn't quite do it for me overall.
3 stars as a completely uninformed reader might have some reference to the battle afterwards but for the more informed reader it left me a bit disappointed. This book would be a good starting point but a self styled historian might be left knowing little more than was already common knowledge.
The book was an easy read however and didn't get overly detailed about specific tactics. The author attempted briefly to demonstrate the emotions the warriors must have felt but it just didn't quite do it for me overall.
3 stars as a completely uninformed reader might have some reference to the battle afterwards but for the more informed reader it left me a bit disappointed. This book would be a good starting point but a self styled historian might be left knowing little more than was already common knowledge.
January 9, 2026
I appreciated the thoroughness of background given for this battle in Roman history. As the title suggests, this did essentially stop Roman advancement in the northern Germanic territories and Rome never advanced much further than the Teutoburg forest. The major issue was that the battle claimed three legions, which were the majority of Roman forces in the north, and it took a great deal of time and finances to put out more military forces in the area. Also appreciated was the background given for Arminius who was a native German whose ethnic heritage was presumed to be eclipsed by Roman training and employment but was truly weaponizing himself against Rome using their strategic planning. He is similar to the modern day enemies which are trained as proxy fighters by foreign militaries to fight battles in other areas of the globe only to reject the powers that trained them and institute their own regimes. The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest should be a cautionary tale for homogeny in beliefs and culture when trying to advance militarily and/or socioeconomically in the world.
February 24, 2021
I have yet to read Mr Murdochs‘ alternative account of this battle, but! You need to cast your mind back 2000 years and try to imagine life then. For the question arises, how do you kill 25,000 men. Varus‘s army would have been strung out over at least 2.5 miles marching six abreast. The Roman army were professional seasoned veterans facing basically farmers. The logistics of gathering, feeding, movingly such a rebellious force would have been incredible, yet it was achieved. Mr Wells quite rightly goes into some depths of cause and history of Rome in Germany. What is missing is why the Germans were prepared to risk everything on a gamble. To take on the greatest army the world had yet known and be prepared to face dire retribution win or lose. There’s a lot missing from Mr Wells narrative but there is very little known or written about this era of German history. So yes, I’d recommend reading it but don’t expect answers.
October 1, 2024
To me, a Western Civ instructor, this book was oddly disappointing.
It read like a lecture an instructor would give to a class. It is a good lecture, and the information given is good, but it didn't satisfy me.
The book makes good use of recent architectural finds, such as that the Germans had built a sod wall to aid in their ambush of the Romans, but so much of the book seemed to be about things other than the actual battle, and there was a lot of repetition. (In his writings, Julius Caesar despised the Germans, yet in real life he often employed them as auxiliaries with his armies. This is something told to us several times.)
I guess I wasn't the intended reader for this book.
It read like a lecture an instructor would give to a class. It is a good lecture, and the information given is good, but it didn't satisfy me.
The book makes good use of recent architectural finds, such as that the Germans had built a sod wall to aid in their ambush of the Romans, but so much of the book seemed to be about things other than the actual battle, and there was a lot of repetition. (In his writings, Julius Caesar despised the Germans, yet in real life he often employed them as auxiliaries with his armies. This is something told to us several times.)
I guess I wasn't the intended reader for this book.
January 26, 2025
The core of the book is Wells' thesis that the Roman defeat at the Teutoburg Forest was the result of Roman leaders disregarding social and economic changes toward militarism among the Germanic tribes east of the Rhine. Wells does a good job backing up this narrative by comparing the Roman sources (largely written) to the Germanic remains (entirely archeological).
I found the book to be a pretty breezy read, but some of that is due to Wells repeating himself often. This has its pros and cons. Pros being that it makes internalizing the information a bit easier, cons being that you'll learn about Roman garum consumption more than twice. It's for this reason that I give four stars rather than five. It didn't bother me, but your mileage may vary.
I found the book to be a pretty breezy read, but some of that is due to Wells repeating himself often. This has its pros and cons. Pros being that it makes internalizing the information a bit easier, cons being that you'll learn about Roman garum consumption more than twice. It's for this reason that I give four stars rather than five. It didn't bother me, but your mileage may vary.
June 24, 2019
Solid, if imperfect.
The book can be repetitive at times, and also a little meandering - so you'll have to make your peace with the digressions (most, if not all, of which are still pretty interesting and add to the book). The book also suffers from having to stretch rather limited hard evidence to create a narrative; not an uncommon problem in writing histories, but still something worth being aware of.
In terms of learning how the Germans pulled it off, and why it was basically the death-blow for Rome's efforts north of the Rhine, the book lives up to its title and is an easily-digestible, pleasant-to-read history.
The book can be repetitive at times, and also a little meandering - so you'll have to make your peace with the digressions (most, if not all, of which are still pretty interesting and add to the book). The book also suffers from having to stretch rather limited hard evidence to create a narrative; not an uncommon problem in writing histories, but still something worth being aware of.
In terms of learning how the Germans pulled it off, and why it was basically the death-blow for Rome's efforts north of the Rhine, the book lives up to its title and is an easily-digestible, pleasant-to-read history.
November 28, 2020
An eminently readable exercise in accessibility, Wells does a terrific job marrying the exploration of historical sources with archaeological developments.
In doing so he gives a “voice” to the non literary Germanic participants of a battle waged over two thousand years ago.
Some would find his continued recirculating of the ideas, aims, and content of Roman historical sources redundant, I believe it lends ready accessibility to a complicated, relatively obscure topic.
One leaves this book with a solid understanding of both Roman and Germanic military organization, cultural values, religious rituals, and more. Recommended.
In doing so he gives a “voice” to the non literary Germanic participants of a battle waged over two thousand years ago.
Some would find his continued recirculating of the ideas, aims, and content of Roman historical sources redundant, I believe it lends ready accessibility to a complicated, relatively obscure topic.
One leaves this book with a solid understanding of both Roman and Germanic military organization, cultural values, religious rituals, and more. Recommended.
July 7, 2023
This is a good short book about the battle, and the background and context. I wanted to learn more and this fit the bill. The book tends to repeat itself, it could have been more concisely written (or edited). My grandparents are from that area of Germany and their clan have lived in that area probably since the days of this battle. It was interesting point of view that there were no "Germans" per se, they considering themselves different tribes. Very much like many of the colonial stories that followed.
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