Object Metadata
Germanic troops repeatedly inflict heavy losses weapons on the slowly advancing army of Varus.

Related Conflict :Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
Perpetrator (Group) :
  • Origin: Germanic, Age: adult, Activity: soldier, Reaction: attack
  •  
    Victim (Group) :
  • Roman Army of Augustus Origin: Mixed, Age: adult, Activity: soldier, Reaction: fight back, Direct Consequence: losses
  •  
    Third Party (Person) :
  • Publius Quinctilius Varus Origin: Roman, Age: adult, Activity: commander/general
  •  
    Level :intersocial
    Source :Lucius Cassius Dio, Roman History 56.21.3 Paste CTS-Link
    Time Periode :Roman Empire
    Century :A.D. 1
    Year :A.D. 9
     
    Context :battle
    ambush
    Motivation :tactical/strategical
    Weapon :bow
    javelin
    Long-Term Consequence :death
     
    Original Text :αὐτοῦ τε οὖν ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο, χωρίου τινὸς ἐπιτηδείου, ὥς γε ἐν ὄρει ὑλώδει ἐνεδέχετο, λαβόμενοι, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο τάς τε πλείους ἁμάξας καὶ τἆλλα τὰ μὴ πάνυ σφίσιν ἀναγκαῖα τὰ μὲν κατακαύσαντες τὰ δὲ καὶ καταλιπόντες, συντεταγμένοι μέν πῃ μᾶλλον τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἐπορεύθησαν, ὥστε καὶ ἐς ψιλόν τι χωρίον προχωρῆσαι, οὐ μέντοι καὶ ἀναιμωτὶ ἀπήλλαξαν. ἐντεῦθεν δὲ ἄραντες ἔς τε ὕλας αὖθις ἐσέπεσον, καὶ ἠμύνοντο μὲν πρὸς τοὺς προσπίπτοντάς σφισιν, οὐκ ἐλάχιστα δὲ δὴ κατ᾽ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἔπταιον: συστρεφόμενοι γὰρ ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ, ὅπως ἀθρόοι ἱππῆς τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ὁπλῖται ἐπιτρέχωσιν αὐτοῖς, πολλὰ μὲν περὶ ἀλλήλοις πολλὰ δὲ καὶ περὶ τοῖς δένδροις ἐσφάλλοντο. τετάρτη τε ἡμέρα πορευομένοις σφίσιν ἐγένετο, καὶ αὐτοῖς ὑετός τε αὖθις λάβρος καὶ ἄνεμος μέγας προσπεσὼν οὔτε ποι προϊέναι οὔθ᾽ ἵστασθαι παγίως ἐπέτρεπεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν χρῆσίν σφας τῶν ὅπλων ἀφείλετο: οὔτε γὰρ τοῖς τοξεύμασιν οὔτε τοῖς ἀκοντίοις, ἢ ταῖς γε ἀσπίσιν ἅτε καὶ διαβρόχοις οὔσαις, καλῶς χρῆσθαι ἐδύναντο. τοῖς γὰρ πολεμίοις, ψιλοῖς τε τὸ πλεῖστον οὖσι καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν καὶ τῆς ἐφόδου καὶ τῆς ἀναχωρήσεως ἀδεᾶ ἔχουσιν, ἧττόν που ταῦτα συνέβαινε. πρὸς δ᾽ ἔτι αὐτοί τε πολὺ πλείους γεγονότες ῾καὶ γὰρ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν πρότερον περισκοπούντων συχνοὶ ἄλλως τε καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ λείᾳ συνῆλθον᾽ καὶ ἐκείνους ἐλάττους ἤδη ὄντας ῾πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς πρὶν μάχαις ἀπωλώλεσαν᾽καὶ ἐκυκλοῦντο ῥᾷον καὶ κατεφόνευον,
     
    Translation :Accordingly they encamped on the spot, after securing a suitable place, so far as that was possible on a wooded mountain; and afterwards they either burned or abandoned most of their waggons and everything else that was not absolutely necessary to them. The next day they advanced in a little better order, and even reached open country, though they did not get off without loss. Upon setting out from there they plunged into the woods again, where they defended themselves against their assailants, but suffered their heaviest losses while doing so. For since they had to form their lines in a narrow space, in order that the cavalry and infantry together might run down the enemy, they collided frequently with one another and with the trees. They were still advancing when the fourth day dawned, and again a heavy downpour and violent wind assailed them, preventing them from going forward and even from standing securely, and moreover depriving them of the use of their weapons. For they could not handle their bows or their javelins with any success, nor, for that matter, their shields, which were thoroughly soaked. Their opponents, on the other hand, being for the most part lightly equipped, and able to approach and retire freely, suffered less from the storm. Furthermore, the enemy's forces had greatly increased, as many of those who had at first wavered joined them, largely in the hope of plunder, and thus they could more easily encircle and strike down the Romans, whose ranks were now thinned, many having perished in the earlier fighting.
     
    Edition :Dio's Roman History. Cassius Dio Cocceianus. Earnest Cary. Herbert Baldwin Foster. William Heinemann, Harvard University Press. London; New York. 1914-.
     
     
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    Created at :2021-03-05 : 12:25:24
    Last changed :2021-03-12 : 01:49:31
    MyCoRe ID :Antiquity_violence_00008146
    Static URL :https://ml-s-eris.rrz.uni-hamburg.de/receive/Antiquity_violence_00008146