Changes

The aftermath of Teutoburg Wood was a turning point in the history of the Roman Empire. In the previous century, the Romans had acquired territory after territory <ref> Goodman, p. 137</ref>. After the defeat of Varus, this was to end. This was partly because of practical reasons the defeat weakened the Roman army and Augustus was so concerned that he even countenanced arming slaves <ref> Suetonius, 1. 13</ref>. It took a considerable amount of time to replace the legions and to train them. It must be remembered at the same time that Augustus had been increasingly concerned about the lack of suitable recruits for the army for some years. However, even this does not explain why the Romans did not expand their Empire at the same rate. it seems that after the Battle of Teutoburg Wood, there was a change in the outlook of the Romans<ref> Wells, p 201</ref>. They became increasingly reluctant to expand their Empire and put their legions at risk. This was a change from the Republican period when even after disastrous defeats the Romans remained committed to expansion. The new mood among the Romans can be seen in a remark that Tacitus attributed to Augustus. He warned his successors not to expand the Empire. Teutoburg Forest seems to have shown Augustus, the first emperor that his empire had its limits and his successors did mostly heed he advice <ref> Tacitus. 1. 4</ref>. There were some conquests after Teutoburg Forest but they were extremely limited when compared to the Republican era. In the hundreds of years that remained, the Roman Empire was only able to add Britain and Dacia (Romania) to her Empire<ref> Goodman, p. 156, 178</ref>.

[[File: Augustus Statue.jpg|200px|thumb|left|bust of Augustus]]

==Conclusion==

The Romans recognized that the Battle of Teutoburg Forest was a devastating defeat and one of the most significant suffered by Rome. Few could have understood that the battle was of great historic importance. The battle was to lead to the end of any serious attempt to conquer Germania. There were to be no further invasions of Germania after the punitive expedition of Germanicus and the Romans were content to simply keep the Germans out of the Empire. It seems that even if Varus had not been defeated by Arminius it seems likely that they would have lost it to another rebellion. This had a profound impact on the Roman elite and it demonstrated to them that there was a limit to their power. They simply did not have the resources to conquer all the known world and that they came to accept that there was a limit to their empire. This ironically may have been a positive for the Romans, because it helped to usher in a period of peace and prosperity. If the Romans had been able to secure Germania they would have been able to secure their borders much more effectively. From the mid-second century, the Germans periodically menaced the frontiers of the Roman Empire. If Varus had not been defeated the Germans could have become loyal citizens such as the Franks and the Celts. Instead, the Germans would prove to be mortal enemies of the Empire for centuries and greatly contribute to the fall of the Empire.

==References==