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| Arminius: An ostensible Roman? |
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| This catastrophe has a name, a name that is celebrated even today in Germany as the most important event in a purported national history: The Battle of Teutoburg Forest in the year 9 AD; and the battle’s victorious hero is “Herman the Cherusker.” In Detmold Germany, a monumental statue, over 53 meters high, was erected in 1875 to honor this German hero. The bronze figure of this “first liberator of the Germans” is decked out in a winged helmet as it stretches its right hand (and a 500 kg, bronze sword) toward the heavens. More than 125 years after Kaiser Wilhelm personally presided over the inauguration of this monstrosity, it remains a popular destination for excursions. Historically, however, there is nothing authentic about this great bronze giant. The winged helmet, more likely to be found as a prop in an opera by Wagner, was never worn by the Germani. And there has never been a Herman with his arm outstretched; his name was Arminius. Nor was this Arminius the first “German” hero; a thousand years would pass before the Germans recognized themselves as Germans. Furthermore, we do not know whether the Battle of Teutoburg Forest took place in this low mountain range ( which was called Osning until the 17th century) or somewhere else in the surrounding area. The actual Roman defeat that occurred in the year 9 AD, however, remains most thought provoking. |
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