Arminius facts for kids

Arminius, also known as Armin or Hermann (b. 18 BC/17 BC in Magna Germania; d. AD 21 in Germania) was a chieftain of the Cherusci. He was able to unite a group of Germanic tribes together to fight the Romans. They destroyed a Roman army in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. This was the greatest military disaster the Romans had ever suffered.

After the battle, Arminius immediately sent Varus' severed head to Maroboduus, king of the Marcomanni, the other most powerful Germanic ruler. Arminius offered an anti-Roman alliance. Marobod declined the offer, sending the head on to Rome for burial, and remained neutral throughout the ensuing war. Only later did a brief, inconclusive war break out between the two Germanic leaders.

Death of Arminius

Five years later, Arminius was killed on the orders of rival Germanic chiefs. Although Arminius could not keep unity among the Germanic tribes, the loss of Roman legions in the Teutoburg forest had a far-reaching effect on the Germanic tribes and the Roman Empire. Germanicus' campaign was the last major Roman military effort east of the Rhine.

Images for kids

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  Relatives of Arminius

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  Magna Germania in 9 AD. The yellow legend represents the areas controlled by the Roman Republic in 31 BC, the shades of green represent gradually conquered territories under the reign of Augustus, and pink areas on the map represent tributary tribes.

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  Varusschlacht, Otto Albert Koch (1909)

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  View over the Teutoburg Forest

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  This Roman sculpture of a young man is sometimes identified as Arminius

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  Arminius says goodbye to Thusnelda, Johannes Gehrts (1884)