Editing Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (section)

==Background==
{{Main|Early Imperial campaigns in Germania}}

=== Geopolitical situation ===
[[File:Teutoburgo.svg|thumb|Map showing the defeat of [[Publius Quinctilius Varus]] at [[Kalkriese]]]]
[[Image:Druso in Germania per Wikipedia.JPG|thumb|Invasions of [[Nero Claudius Drusus|Drusus I]] in 12–8 BC]]
[[Image:Germania Enobarbo e Tiberio.jpg|thumb|Invasions of [[Tiberius]] and [[Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (consul 16&nbsp;BC)|Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus]] in {{circa|3 BC – AD 6}}]]

The [[Roman Republic]] expanded rapidly in the first century BC, most notably under [[Julius Caesar]], who conquered most of western Europe and parts of the British Isles in the [[Gallic Wars]] (58–50 BC). These mostly were against the [[Gauls]], but also included battles with various [[Germanic tribes]].{{Sfn|McNally|2011|pp=9–10}} Caesar twice crossed the Rhine river, but the engagements were inconclusive.{{Sfn|Gilliver|2003|pp=43–49|p=}}{{Sfn|Gilliver|2003|pp=50–51}} His conquests ended as [[Caesar's civil war]] (49–45 BC) drew near.{{Sfn|Gilliver|2003|pp=83–88}}

Continental Europe was mostly neglected by Rome for the next two decades, as power struggles wracked the Republic. Troops previously garrisoned in Gaul were pulled out in 31 BC for the showdown between [[Octavian]] and [[Mark Antony]] at the [[Battle of Actium]]. The Gauls promptly rebelled, and Roman control was not regained until 28 BC.{{Sfn|McNally|2011|p=10}}

27 BC saw drastic change for both Gaul and Rome as a whole. The Roman Republic reorganized into the [[Roman Empire]], with Octavian the first emperor. Octavian, now styled Augustus, aimed to solidify control of Gaul by dividing the region into three smaller provinces that emphasized the strategic importance of the Rhine valley. Troops were kept near the Rhine,{{Sfn|McNally|2011|p=10}} though policy towards the Germanic lands remains unclear. Two main theories exist. The first is that Augustus simply sought to cement the Rhine as the Northern border of the Empire; the second that the border was far more fluid, and that the troops were focused on maintaining order in the Empire more than on preventing Germanic intrusion. The Germans operated with apparent impunity anyway, as exemplified by the crushing defeat in the [[Clades Lolliana|Lollian disaster]] in 16 BC.{{Sfn|McNally|2011|pp=10–11}}

The Lollian disaster prompted a reorganization of the legions in Gaul, which was completed by 12 BC, when Augustus sought finally to tame the Germanic tribes. He began by making his stepson [[Nero Claudius Drusus|Drusus I]] governor of Gaul. Drusus campaigned against the Germans from 11–9 BC, earning a series of victories, despite considerable obstacles, before his untimely death in a riding accident in 9 BC. His elder brother and future emperor [[Tiberius]] was given command of Germany in 8 BC. Tiberius continued his brother's campaign against the [[Sugambri]], extending ''de facto'', if not ''de jure'' Roman rule, but he fell out of political favor and chose exile in 6 BC. He was, in turn, succeeded by [[Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (consul 16 BC)|Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus]], who had been [[Roman consul|consul]] in 16 BC. Ahenobarbus suppressed a number of local uprisings and then crossed the [[Elbe]] river, the first and last Roman general to do so. As the turn of the century approached, the Romans felt secure about Germany, reassured by thriving cross border trade and relative peace.{{Sfn|McNally|2011|pp=10–13}}

In early AD 6, Legatus [[Gaius Sentius Saturninus]]<ref>Velleius 2, 195.</ref><ref>Velleius 2, 109.</ref> and Consul Legatus [[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (consul 6)|Marcus Aemilius Lepidus]] led a massive army of 13 legions and their entourage, totaling around 100,000 men (65,000 heavy infantry [[Legionary|legionaries]], 10,000–20,000 [[Roman cavalry|cavalrymen]], [[Auxiliaries (Roman military)#Archers|archers]], and 10,000–20,000 civilians) against [[Maroboduus]],<ref name="livius Varus">{{cite web |date=September 2010 |title=Publius Quinctilius Varus (46 BC – 9 AD) |url=https://www.livius.org/q/quinctilius/varus.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140428164647/http://www.livius.org/q/quinctilius/varus.html |archive-date=2014-04-28 |access-date=2020-03-26 |publisher=www.livius.org}}</ref><ref name="livius Legio XVII">{{cite web |url = https://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/xvii.html |date = September 2010 |title = Legio XVII |publisher = www.livius.org |access-date = 2020-03-26 |archive-date = 2015-01-26 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150126042505/http://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/xvii.html |url-status = dead }}</ref> the king of the [[Marcomanni]], who were a tribe of the [[Suebi]].{{efn|Following their defeat at the hands of Drusus I in 9&nbsp;BC, the Marcomanni had fled into the territory of the [[Boii]], from which they formed an alliance with the [[Hermunduri]], [[Quadi]], [[Semnones]], [[Lugii|Lugians]], Zumi, Butones, Mugilones, Sibini, and [[Lombards|Langobards]].<ref>Strabo 7, 1, 3; Velleius 2, 108, 2; 2, 109, 2f.; Tacitus, ''Annals'', [[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 2#45|II.45]]</ref>}}

However, Tiberius was then forced to turn his attention to the ''[[Bellum Batonianum]]'', also known as the Great Illyrian Revolt, which broke out in the Balkan province of [[Illyricum (Roman province)|Illyricum]]. Led by [[Bato I|Bato the Daesitiate]],<ref>Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, p. 216, {{ISBN|0-631-19807-5}}. "Further east the formidable Daesitiates of central Bosnia retained their name. The great rebellion of All 6 had been led by their chief Bato, and their relatively low total of 103 ''[[decuriae]]'' likely reflects..."</ref> [[Bato II|Bato the Breucian]],<ref>Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992, p. 207, {{ISBN|0-631-19807-5}}. "The rising began among the Daesitiates of central Bosnia under their leader Bato but they were soon joined by the Breuci. The four-year war which lasted..."</ref> [[Pinnes of Pannnonia|Pinnes of Pannonia]],<ref>The Cambridge Ancient History, Vol. 10: The Augustan Empire, 43&nbsp;BC–AD 69 (Volume 10) by Alan Bowman, Edward Champlin, and Andrew Lintott, 1996, page 176: "... Daesitiates was soon matched by rebellion of the Breuci in Pannonia, headed by Pinnes and another Bato. ..."</ref> and elements of the Marcomanni, it lasted nearly four years. Tiberius had to stop his campaign against Maroboduus and recognise him as king<ref name="ReferenceA">Velleius Paterculus, ''Compendium of Roman History'' 2, 109, 5; [[Cassius Dio]], ''Roman History'' 55, 28, 6–7</ref> so that he could then send eight legions ([[Legio VIII Augusta|VIII ''Augusta'']], [[Legio XV Apollinaris|XV ''Apollinaris'']], [[Legio XX Valeria Victrix|XX ''Valeria Victrix'']], [[Legio XXI Rapax|XXI ''Rapax'']], [[Legio XIII Gemina|XIII ''Gemina'']], [[Legio XIV Gemina|XIV ''Gemina'']], [[Legio XVI Gallica|XVI ''Gallica'']] and an unknown unit)<ref name="livius Legio V">{{cite web | url = https://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/v_alaudae.html | date = September 2010 | title = Legio V Alaudae | publisher = www.livius.org | access-date = 2020-03-26 | archive-date = 2015-04-26 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150426044251/https://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/v_alaudae.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> to crush the rebellion in the [[Balkans]].

After his return from Rome to Gaul, Arminius became a trusted advisor to [[Publius Quinctilius Varus|Varus]], the governor of the newly created [[Germania Antiqua|Roman province of Germania]],<ref name="Bordewich">{{cite web |url = http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/ambush.html |date = September 2005 |title = The Ambush That Changed History |author = Fergus M. Bordewich |work=[[Smithsonian Magazine]] |access-date = 2008-10-17}}</ref> even as he secretly constructed an alliance of Germanic peoples that had traditionally been enemies. These probably included the Cherusci,<ref name="livius Varus" /> [[Marsi (Germanic)|Marsi]],<ref name="livius Varus" /> Chatti,<ref name="livius Varus" /> and Bructeri.<ref name="livius Varus" /> These were some of the fifty Germanic tribes at the time.<ref name="Spiegel">{{cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/battle-of-the-teutoburg-forest-germany-recalls-myth-that-created-the-nation-a-644913.html |title= Battle of the Teutoburg Forest: Germany Recalls Myth That Created the Nation |last1=Crossland |first1=David |date=August 28, 2009 |website=[[Spiegel Online|Spiegel Online International]] |publisher=[[Der Spiegel]] |access-date=January 16, 2015}}</ref> Using the collective outrage over Varus' tyranny, insolence and cruelty to the conquered,<ref name="ancientlibrary Drusus">{{cite web |date=September 2010 |title=Drusus in Ancient Library |url=http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/1092.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012134033/http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/1092.html |archive-date=2012-10-12 |access-date=2010-09-13 |publisher=Ancient Library}}</ref> Arminius was able to unite the disorganized groups who had submitted to Rome, and maintain the alliance until the most opportune moment to strike.<ref name="Edward Shepherd Creasy - Germans under Arminius Revolt Against Rome">{{cite web | url = http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Great_Events_by_Famous_Historians,_Vol._2/Germans_under_Arminius_Revolt_Against_Rome | year = 1905 | title = Germans under Arminius Revolt Against Rome | publisher = Edward Shepherd Creasy, [[s:The Great Events by Famous Historians/Volume 2|The Great Events by Famous Historians, Vol. 2]]}}</ref>[[Image:Hermannsweg02.jpg|thumb|The Teutoburg Forest on a foggy and rainy day]] Following Rome's transfer of forces to the Balkans, only three legions faced the Germanic tribesmen.<ref name="livius Legio V"/> This was the opportunity for Arminius to defeat Varus.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> While Varus was on his way from his summer camp west of the River Weser to winter quarters near the [[Rhine]], he heard reports of a local rebellion; these had been fabricated by Arminius.<ref name="livius Legio XVII" /> [[Edward Shepherd Creasy]] writes that "This was represented to Varus as an occasion which required his prompt attendance on the spot; but he was kept in studied ignorance of its being part of a concerted national rising; and he still looked on Arminius as his submissive vassal".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Creasy |first1=Edward Shepherd |title=The Six Decisive Battle of the World |journal=The Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature, Science, and Art |volume=14 |date=1848 |page=230 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-p5EAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA230 |publisher=Leavitt, Trow, & Company}}</ref>