Battle of Teutoburg Forest
9 CE · Germany
The Battle of Teutoburg Forest was fought in 9 CE in Germany between Germanic tribes led by the Cherusci vs the Roman Empire; decisive Germanic victory; three Roman legions were destroyed.
Battle of Teutoburg Forest: quick facts
- Date
- 9 CE
- Location
- Germany
- Belligerents
- Germanic tribes led by the Cherusci vs the Roman Empire
- Commanders
- Arminius vs Publius Quinctilius Varus
- Result
- decisive Germanic victory; three Roman legions were destroyed.
- Era
- 🏺 Ancient Greece & Rome
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest?
Arminius, a Romanized Germanic chieftain, lured three Roman legions under Varus into a devastating ambush in the dense Teutoburg Forest. Over 15,000 Roman soldiers were annihilated over three days of fighting. Emperor Augustus reportedly cried 'Varus, give me back my legions!' The defeat permanently halted Roman expansion east of the Rhine and shaped the future boundary between Latin and Germanic Europe.
Did you know?
The site of the Teutoburg Forest battle was lost for nearly 2,000 years until an amateur archaeologist discovered Roman coins and military artifacts at Kalkriese Hill in 1987.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Teutoburg Forest on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.