How many legionnaires were actually slaughtered in The Battle of Teutoberg Forest?
Three Roman legions were almost totally destroyed in the battle where they were ‘surprised’ by an attack of Germanic tribesmen in the Teutoberg forest, year AD 9.
The average size of a Roman legion was approximately 6,000 men —100 men to a ‘century’, six ‘centuries’ to a ‘cohort’, and ten cohorts to a legion. In the first century AD, nobody on either side kept detail rosters of active personnel nor their losses, thus your guess is as good as mine.
One artist’s view of the Battle of the Teutoberg Forest, AD 9.
Probably most of them. I believe there are some mentions of bloodied legionaries stumbling back over the Rhine weeks later in the sources. And there seems to be some information that is known about what decisions the Roman leadership took on the final day of the battle after Varus had committed suicide, which was probably taken from survivors.
But I don’t think anyone of note (i.e. the equestrian rank) survived. Anyone who escaped the main column would have found themselves dozen if not hundreds of miles from friendly territory amongst forests and swamps swarming with people who wanted to kill them. And their armour and clothing would have made them stand out like sore thumbs. I believe there is a tomb stone somewhere though that mentions a Roman centurion who was a survivor of Teutonburg.
Imperator Publius Quinctillius Varus had 3 legions with him in Teutoberg forest, according to Cassius Dio, which makes approximately 15000 men, 5000 per legion. However, the number of men in a Roman legion could vary, from 3000 to 6000 men. That said, given that these were new, fresh legions, I’m inclined to say that the number of men in each would be closer to the 6000 mark. That, combined with the various peoples that tended to follow Roman armies (armourers, slave dealers, prostitutes, etc) would make around 20000. Also, several of the Romans had their wives and children with them, which would add to the body count.
All in all, I’d say that 20000 is about right. But that is a rough guesstimate.
I believe it was virtually the entirety of three legions which would have been about 15,000 men if the legions were up to strength.
None. Legionaires are the Foreign chaps that join the French Army. Spain has it’s version too. A Roman soldier was a legionary (legionarius) plural legionaries (Legionarii).
None.
A soldier of the Roman legions is called a legionary.
A legionnaire is a member of a modern military 7nit such as the French Foreign Legion.
It depends very much on how well Varus handles the situation, but I’d give the Zulus the edge.
On numbers and troop quality, they’d be roughly equivalent. It’s not clear how many troops the Romans had, but estimates I’ve seen put them around the 15–20k Zulus involved at Islandlwana. Both sides had substantial numbers of veteran warriors.
They’re also closely matched on tactics and doctrine. The Zulu “horns of the bull” approach is just another label put on an approach to warfare we’ve seen over and over through history: engage the enemy with your center, and try to flank him with one or both of your wings. Even if the Romans didn’t use the same strategy, there’s every chance they’d know it when they saw it and respond appropriately.
What gives the Zulus the advantage is equipment. Both sides involve infantry fighting with short spears and large shields. The Romans have significantly better armor, but the Zulus have an ace in the hole: guns. They only had a modest number of rifles and muskets which were clearly inferior to British arms, but an obsolete firearm in the late 19th century is still nearly 1900 years better technology than anything the Romans had. Properly deployed, they’d give the Roman an exceptionally nasty surprise and soften them up sufficiently to win the battle conventionally.
The Romans lost three legions to the Germans in 9 AD in the Teutoburg Forest. All Roman accounts stress the completeness of the Roman defeat. Nearly half of all Roman legions in existence were sent to the Balkans to end the revolt. Modern historians have regarded Arminius' victory as one of Rome's greatest defeats.
Born a prince of the Cherusci tribe, Arminius was part of the Roman friendly faction of the tribe. Following the transfer of eight of eleven legions present in Germania to the Balkans, only three legions faced the Germanic tribesmen. Arminius took this opportunity to secretly plot a Germanic revolt against Roman rule, which culminated in the ambush and destruction of three Roman legions in the Teutoburg Forest. There have been many battles fought in the confines of forested regions.
In 9 CE, Arminius — trusted by the local commander Publius Quinctilius Varus — reported a local rebellion, reports which had been fabricated by Arminius himself. Varus decided to quell this uprising immediately, expediting his response by taking a detour through territory that was unfamiliar to the Romans, as suggested by Arminius, who accompanied him, directing the Roman line of march along a route that would facilitate an ambush.
An alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius of the Cherusci ambushed and decisively destroyed the three Roman legions and their auxiliaries, led by Varus, whose entire army, totaling over 20,000 men, was annihilated and three Legionary Eagles were lost. [Legio XVII, Legio XVIII, and Legio XIX] Recent archaeological finds show the long-debated location of the three-day battle was almost certainly near Kalkriese Hill, about 12 miles (20 km) north of Osnabrück. When defeat was certain, Varus committed suicide by falling on his sword. Arminius's success in destroying three entire legions and driving the Romans out of Germany was one of the most devastating defeats Rome suffered in its history, and a high point of power for the Germanic tribes for centuries.
Roman attempts to reconquer Germany quickly failed, although they did manage to break Arminius's alliance. In 15 and 16 AD, Roman troops managed to recapture two of the three legionary eagles lost in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Arminius's influence held an allied coalition of Germanic tribes together in opposition to the Romans but after defeats in 14, 16, and 17 AD by the Roman general Germanicus Julius Caesar, nephew of the Emperor Tiberius, his influence waned, and in 21 AD Arminius was assassinated on the orders of rival Germanic chiefs who feared his growing power.
See:
Typical for which time and place? Even under the best circumstances, legions were not stationed in stable areas. So, if there was no “war,” there was a low level war.
For example, let us example the legion stationing when Septimius Severus ruled:
As I said, legions were stationed at the “sore spots.” Why was there one in Spain? The Cantabric tribes waged a low level conflict for centuries.
Why the stack of legions in Dacia? Even conquered, the population was restive and the frontier was exposed to raids and invasion.
The German lines were a series of forts. Legionaries spent their lives chasing German raiders.
Why three legions in backwater Britain? Chasing those Picts. Septimius got so frustrated, he invaded Scotland and waged a wasteful war there.
Judaea? The Jews and their rebellions kept the legions busy.
Why stack 6 legions next to Parthia/Armenia? War was almost permanent state of affairs on that frontier.
My point?
On every front, when there was “Pax Romana,” legionaries were beating down rebellions and invasions and raids. The vast majority of these were never mentioned.
Indeed, during the empire, entire legions were “lost.” Historians, try as they might, cannot find the fate of some legions. Many were just destroyed in battle. For example, Domitian lost two legions in Dacia. Only one was named. Many lost legions just stop showing up in records. In addition, some legions were rebuilt if pieces survived. During the famed Boudicca Revolt, the IX Hispano was destroyed. Its commander and some cavalry managed to escape. The legion was rebuilt and it was kept on the roster.
Tacitus details the reconstruction of the IX Hispano:
Its strength was increased by the Caesar, who sent over from Germany two thousand legionaries, eight cohorts of auxiliaries, and a thousand cavalry. Their advent allowed the gaps in the ninth legion to be filled with regular troops;
So, 2,000 regulars and 8 cohorts (8 times 480 equals 2880 soldiers), totaling 4,880 infantry, were sent from Germany to reconstruct the IX’s. Even under the most optimistic assessment (some claim a legion was 4800 men, some say 6,000), at least 80 percent percent of the legion had been destroyed. It was “reconstructed” and maintained on the list of legions. This was not unique.
One of the legions that defeated Boudicca, the XIII, was destroyed once in Gaul, reconstructed, returned to the roster. Later, at the end of the Anthony/Octavian war, Octavian rebuilt the legion with transfers from disbanded units.
Simply put, if a province was peaceful, it would not have a legion stationed there.
I have read a legionary had a 1 in 3 chance of reaching retirement when accounting for wars, injury and disease.
https://www.quora.com/
Comments
Post a Comment