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As far back as Pannonia, Arminius had proved his solidarity with Rome, since he had fought in the immediate vicinity of Varus and had accompanied him on campaigns throughout the land. Arminius and his father Sigimer even became guests at the table of the proconsul. Varus seemed to have complete trust in them, especially Arminius who conversed in Latin and dressed as a Roman. He played an important role in Varus’ plans; he would be given central tasks in the future Germanic province.

But this all suddenly changed in the late Summer of the year 9 AD. Roman historians accuse Varus of groundless improvidence and a complete misunderstanding of the situation; He trusted the Germani blindly, while they, true to their nature, were extremely sly and inclined from birth to deception. They had avoided an open uprising because the knew about the Roman legions along the Rhine and in the interior of the Germanic territory. They pretended to stand behind all the obligations to Varus. In truth, however, the tribal chieftains wanted to win back their traditional power and overthrow the foreign tyrants.

The events that followed have been handed down to us: The Germanic noblemen, especially those from the Cherusker tribe, had promised Varus their complete loyalty. They gave him the impression that they would follow the laws of Rome and his instructions even without military force. In this way, they would lure him up to the Weser, far into Cherusker territory. The author of this plan was none other than Arminius. The almost-Roman who was a Roman officer and quite knowledgeable about the imperial army insisted that the legions and auxiliary troops could be overcome. In addition, he offered a strategy that could work – with one condition: That he should serve as supreme commander of the allied uprising. Only centralized command and Roman discipline guaranteed the success of the whole undertaking.

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