Battle of the Weser River
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the Weser River, sometimes known as a first Battle of Minden, was fought in 16
AD between Roman legion
s commanded by Emperor Tiberius
' heir and adopted son Germanicus, and an alliance of Germanic
tribes commanded by Arminius
. The battle marked the end of a three-year campaign by Germanicus in Germania.
, in which three Roman legions, moving east to winter quarters, were ambushed and annihilated by allied Germanic forces in the deep forests of western Germania. This loss loomed large in the Roman psyche and revenge for this defeat, as well as the neutralization of the threat of Arminius, were the impetus for Germanicus' campaign. In the year before the battle, 15 AD, Germanicus had marched against the Chatti and then against the Cherusci under Arminius. During that campaign, the Romans advanced along the region of the Teutoburg Forest where the legions had been massacred and buried the bones of the Roman soldiers that still lay there. A Legionary standard from the battle was also recovered. Skirmishes with the Germans were constant but the Romans could not draw them into open battle.
, but the precise location is unknown, save that it was on the right side of the Weser River
, somewhere up between the cities of Minden and Hamelin of present-day Germany
.
who fought on the Roman side as auxiliaries
, defeated the allied Germanic forces decisively, inflicting heavy losses on them. Arminius and his uncle Inviomerus evaded capture and fled with the remnants of their army into the forests.
It is unknown how many Germans and Romans were killed in the battle. According to Tacitus
, the number of Germanic casualties were between 10,000- 20,000 dead or wounded, while probably less than ten thousand Romans were killed.
by Tiberius on May 26, AD 17. Arminius would be later assassinated on the orders of rival Germanic chiefs.
's The Master and Margarita
, the procurator of Iudaea, Pontius Pilate
, states that he had fought in this battle.
16
Year 16 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Taurus and Libo...
AD between Roman legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
s commanded by Emperor Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
' heir and adopted son Germanicus, and an alliance of Germanic
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
tribes commanded by Arminius
Arminius
Arminius , also known as Armin or Hermann was a chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci who defeated a Roman army in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest...
. The battle marked the end of a three-year campaign by Germanicus in Germania.
Background
The Germanic chief, Arminius, had been instrumental in the organising of the Battle of the Teutoburg ForestBattle of the Teutoburg Forest
The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place in 9 CE, when an alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius of the Cherusci ambushed and decisively destroyed three Roman legions, along with their auxiliaries, led by Publius Quinctilius Varus.Despite numerous successful campaigns and raids by the...
, in which three Roman legions, moving east to winter quarters, were ambushed and annihilated by allied Germanic forces in the deep forests of western Germania. This loss loomed large in the Roman psyche and revenge for this defeat, as well as the neutralization of the threat of Arminius, were the impetus for Germanicus' campaign. In the year before the battle, 15 AD, Germanicus had marched against the Chatti and then against the Cherusci under Arminius. During that campaign, the Romans advanced along the region of the Teutoburg Forest where the legions had been massacred and buried the bones of the Roman soldiers that still lay there. A Legionary standard from the battle was also recovered. Skirmishes with the Germans were constant but the Romans could not draw them into open battle.
Location
Ancient sources identify the location as IdistavisoIdistaviso
Idistaviso is the location on the Weser river where forces commanded by Arminius fought those commanded by Germanicus at the Battle of the Weser River in 16 CE, attested in chapter 16 of Tacitus' Annales II...
, but the precise location is unknown, save that it was on the right side of the Weser River
Weser River
The Weser is a river in north-western Germany. Formed at Hann. Münden by the Fulda and Werra, it flows through Lower Saxony, then reaching the historic port city of Bremen before emptying into the North Sea 50 km further north at Bremerhaven, which is also a seaport...
, somewhere up between the cities of Minden and Hamelin of present-day Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The battle
The Germanic tribes generally avoided open large-scale combat but by repeated Roman incursions deep into Germanic territory, Germanicus was able to force Arminius, at the head of a large but fractious coalition, into response. The heavily-armed Roman legionaries stood fast, but Arminius' warriors slowly began to route them in overwhelming numbers. The Romans, along with the ChauciChauci
The Chauci were an ancient Germanic tribe living in the low-lying region between the Rivers Ems and Elbe, on both sides of the Weser and ranging as far inland as the upper Weser. Along the coast they lived on artificial hills called terpen, built high enough to remain dry during the highest tide...
who fought on the Roman side as auxiliaries
Auxiliaries (Roman military)
Auxiliaries formed the standing non-citizen corps of the Roman army of the Principate , alongside the citizen legions...
, defeated the allied Germanic forces decisively, inflicting heavy losses on them. Arminius and his uncle Inviomerus evaded capture and fled with the remnants of their army into the forests.
It is unknown how many Germans and Romans were killed in the battle. According to Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
, the number of Germanic casualties were between 10,000- 20,000 dead or wounded, while probably less than ten thousand Romans were killed.
Aftermath
Germanicus then withdrew behind the Rhine for the winter. With Roman honour avenged, Tiberius called an end to the costly military campaigns in northern Germania and ordered Germanicus to return to Rome, where he was granted a TriumphRoman triumph
The Roman triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the military achievement of an army commander who had won great military successes, or originally and traditionally, one who had successfully completed a foreign war. In Republican...
by Tiberius on May 26, AD 17. Arminius would be later assassinated on the orders of rival Germanic chiefs.
Trivia
In Mikhail BulgakovMikhail Bulgakov
Mikhaíl Afanásyevich Bulgákov was a Soviet Russian writer and playwright active in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his novel The Master and Margarita, which The Times of London has called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.-Biography:Mikhail Bulgakov was born on...
's The Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, woven around the premise of a visit by the Devil to the fervently atheistic Soviet Union. Many critics consider the book to be one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, and one of the foremost Soviet satires, directed against a...
, the procurator of Iudaea, Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
, states that he had fought in this battle.