Historical Tales, Vol 5 | Page 3

training they hastened to gather into larger
bodies, and their resistance, at first feeble, soon became more effective.
The struggle continued until night-fall, by which time the surviving
Romans had fought their way to a more open place, where they hastily
intrenched. But it was impossible for them to remain there. Their
provisions were lost or exhausted, thousands of foes surrounded them,
and their only hope lay in immediate and rapid flight.
Sunrise came. The soldiers had recovered somewhat from the fatigue of
the day before. Setting fire to what baggage remained in their hands,
they began a retreat fighting as they went, for the implacable enemy
disputed every step. The first part of their route lay through an open
plain, where they marched in orderly ranks. But there were mountains
still to pass, and they quickly found themselves in a wooded and
pathless valley, in whose rugged depths defence was almost impossible.
Here they fell in thousands before the weapons of their foes. It was but

a small body of survivors that at length escaped from that deadly defile
and threw up intrenchments for the night in a more open spot.
With the dawn of the next day they resumed their progress, and were at
no great distance from their stronghold of Aliso when they found their
progress arrested by fresh tribes, who assailed them with murderous
fury. On they struggled, fighting, dying, marking every step of the
route with their dead. Varus, now reduced to despair, and seeing only
slaughter or captivity before him, threw himself on his sword, and died
in the midst of those whom his blind confidence had led to destruction.
Of the whole army only a feeble remnant reached Aliso, which fort
they soon after abandoned and fought their way to the Rhine. While
this was going on, the detachments which Varus had sent out in various
directions were similarly assailed, and met the same fate as had
overtaken the main body of the troops.
[Illustration: RETURN OF HERMANN AFTER HIS VICTORY
OVER THE ROMANS.]
No more frightful disaster had ever befallen the Roman arms. Many
prisoners had been taken, among them certain judges and lawyers, who
were the chief objects of Hermann's hate, and whom he devoted to a
painful death. He then offered sacrifices to the gods, to whom he
consecrated the booty, the slain, and the leading prisoners, numbers of
them being slain on the altars of his deities. These religious ceremonies
completed, the prisoners who still remained were distributed among the
tribes as slaves. The effort of Varus to force Roman customs and laws
upon the Germans had led to a fearful retribution.
When the news of this dreadful event reached Rome, that city was
filled with grief and fear. The heart of Augustus, now an old man, was
stricken with dismay at the slaughter of the best soldiers of the empire.
With neglected dress and person he wandered about the rooms and
halls of the palace, his piteous appeal, "Varus, give me back my
legions!" showing how deeply the disaster had pierced his soul. Hasty
efforts were at once made to prevent the possible serious consequences
of the overthrow of the slain legions. The Romans on the Rhine
intrenched themselves in all haste. The Germans in the imperial service

were sent to distant provinces, and recruits were raised in all parts of
the country, their purpose being to protect Gaul from an invasion by the
triumphant tribes. Yet so great was the fear inspired by the former
German onslaughts, and by this destructive outbreak, that only threats
of death induced the Romans to serve. As it proved, this defensive
activity was not needed. The Germans, satisfied, as it seemed, with
expelling the Romans from their country, destroyed their forts and
military roads, and settled back into peace, with no sign of a desire to
cross the Rhine.
For six years peace continued. Augustus died, and Tiberius became
emperor of Rome. Then, in the year 14 A.D., an effort was made to
reconquer Germany, an army commanded by the son of Drusus, known
to history under the name of Germanicus, attacking the Marsi, when
intoxicated and unarmed after a religious feast. Great numbers of the
defenceless tribesmen were slain, but the other tribes sprung to arms
and drove the invader back across the Rhine.
In the next year Hermann was again brought into the fray. Segestus had
robbed him of his wife, the beautiful patriot Thusnelda, who hitherto
had been his right hand in council in his plans against the Roman foe.
Hermann besieged Segestus to regain possession of his wife, and
pressed the traitor so closely that he sent his son Sigismund to
Germanicus, who was again on the German side of the Rhine,
imploring aid. The Roman leader took instant