It is 9 A. D.; Arminius has become a part of the Roman cavalry posted to
the German frontier. His loyalty has resulted in him gaining
citizenship and having been raised to the equestrian level. However, at
the same time, he was still a proud German. With that in mind, he
begins plotting an uprising against the Romans.
Meanwhile a young new tribune, Tubero, has arrived from Rome. He is
eager for action in an area that is peaceful. He attacks some farmers
who are moving cattle from one pasture to another, assuming that they
are rustlers. Can his centurion, Tullus manage to keep the peace after
this blunder by his senior officer? Governor Varus is left to deal with
the fallout.
Given the opportunity to get to know Arminius, Tullus appreciates the
warrior that he is, but doesn't trust him. A surprise raid by one of
the tribes on the Romans causes Varus to order retribution. Will this
raid destroy Arminius' plans? Fortunately not; now he just needs to get
more tribes allied with his cause.
Later in the summer, Tullus' suspicions are furthered when one of his
slaves reports of overhearing plans for an ambush on the Romans by the
tribes. However, that isn't enough evidence to present to Varus.
As the legions begin their march back to the winter camp, Arminius puts
his plan into motion. As the legions entered the forest, following a
suggestion by Arminius, the rains came, bogging down the army. The
legions are unprepared when the ambush strikes. The Germans are
relentless in their attacks and the legions are diminishing in numbers
and becoming demoralised as the days pass.
Arminius' victory would be complete. Virtually all of Varus' three
legions would be annihilated. Author Ben Kane's historical novel is
based on a real event. Both Varus and Arminius were real men, and the
Battle of Teutoburg Forest would result in Rome staying south of the
Rhine. The loss of three legions was a tough blow to Rome.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading more of Kane's work.
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