If Arminius had not done what he did against Rome, Germany might have been thoroughly subdued; the Latin language might have extinguished the Teutonic; the Teutonic tribes might have been overwhelmed; the Teutonic influence over modern Europe, and as an element of the English race, might never have been exerted, and Europe and the world would have had a widely different development from that which they have actually undergone.

LEGIONS OF VARUS VANQUISHED BY
ARMINIUS

Arminius, as chief of the Cherusci, headed a confederacy of German tribes to expel from [401] northern Germany the invaders and partial conquerors of the fatherland. The Roman governor, Quintilius Varus, and his officers and troops, had provoked the German outbreak by their licentious behavior, and the vengeance wreaked on the offenders was complete in itself, and effectual for the preservation of German freedom.

The German hero, when his plans were formed, tempted Varus and his three legions, by a revolt of the tribes near the Weser and the Ems, to march into the difficult country now called the Teutoburger Wald, a woody and hilly region near the sources of the Lippe and the Ems. When the Roman force was thoroughly entangled amidst the forests and hills, and had been further imperiled by the rashness of the incompetent tyrant Varus in the order of his march, then Arminius and the Germans fell on the hated foe; the Roman column was broken, and its cavalry fled, but was pursued and utterly destroyed.

Varus slew himself in despair. His infantry was overpowered and slain almost to the last man. All the efforts of Rome thereafter never secured her a permanent foothold on German soil. This great deliverance of Germany, so full of chagrin to Augustus and so momentous in European history, occurred in A.D. 9.

Death of Augustus.—Augustus died in 14 A.D.; so that, counting from his formal accession to title, 27 B.C., he ruled over the Roman dominion for forty-one years.

The following table gives a list of the Roman Emperors, with the dates of their reigns and other facts. Many of them were quite insignificant in personality and in their influence upon history. The greater rulers call for more extended notice in their proper historical place in the [Outline of Universal History], as well as in the Dictionary of Biography.

THE EMPERORS OF ROME

Name, Lineage or Basis of Accession and Cause of DeathPeriod of RuleBirthDeath
THE CÆSARS
Octavianus Cæsar, “Augustus” (majesty).—A title conferred by the Senate;died August 19B.C.27-A.D.14B.C.63 A.D.19
Tiberius (Claudius Nero).—Stepson of Augustus; murdered by a tribuneA.D.14-3742 37
Caius Caligula.—Youngest son of Germanicus, nephew of Tiberius; poisoned by his wife,Agrippina, to make way for37- 41 12 41
Claudius I. (Tiberius Drusus).—Grandson of Tiberius41- 54 10 54
Claudius Nero.—Son of Domitius Ahenobarbus; deposed; kills himself54- 68 A.D.37 68
Servius Sulpicius Galba.—Proclaimed Emperor; slain by the prætorians68- 69 B.C. 3 69
M. Salvius Otho.—Proclaimed Emperor; stabbed himself69- A.D.32 69
Aulus Vitellius.—Proclaimed Emperor; deposed by Vespasian, and put to death69- 69 15 69
Titus Flavius Vespasian.—Proclaimed Emperor70- 79 9 79
Titus (Vespasian).—Son of Vespasian79- 81 41 81
Titus Flavius Domitian.—Brother of Titus, second son of Vespasian; last of the twelveCæsars81- 96 51 96
THE FIVE GOOD EMPERORS
Cocceius Nerva.—Proclaimed Emperor96- 98 32 98
Trajan (M. Ulpius Crinitus).—Adopted son of Nerva98-117 53 117
Hadrian (Publius Ælius).—Nephew of Trajan117-138 76 138
Antoninus Titus, surnamed Pius.—Adopted son of Hadrian138-161 86 161
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.—Nephew of Antoninus Pius161-180 121 180
THE PERIOD OF MILITARY DESPOTISM
Commodus (L. Aurelius Antoninus).—Son of Marcus Aurelius; poisoned by his favorite mistress,Martia, December 31180-193 161 192
Publius Helvius Pertinax.—Proclaimed Emperor; killed by prætorian band193- 126 193
Didius Julianus.—Proclaimed Emperor193- ...193
Lucius Septimus Severus.—Proclaimed Emperor; died at York, in Britain193-212?146 211
M. Aurelius Caracalla and Septimius Geta.—Son of Septimius Severus; Caracalla murders Geta,212; is slain by his successors212-217 188 217
M. Opilius Macrinus, prefect of the guards; beheaded in a mutiny217-218 164 218
Heliogabalus (M. Aurelius Antoninus), a youth (Elagabalus).—First cousin of Caracalla; put todeath for enormities218-222 205?222
Alexander Severus.—Cousin of Heliogabalus, by whom he was adopted; assassinated by soldierscorrupted by Maximinus222-235 205 235
Caius Julius Verus Maximinus.—Elevated by soldiers; assassinated in his tent235-238 173 238
M. Antonius Gordianus and his son; the latter falling in battle with partisans of Maximinus, thefather strangled himself in despair, at Carthage, in his eightieth year.—Appointed by the Senate238-238 ...(238
(238
Gordian II.—Grandson of Gordian I.; assassinated by guards, instigated by Philip theArabian238-244 224 244
Philip the Arabian.—Murdered Gordian and usurped the throne; assassinated by his soldiers244-249 ...249
[402]MetiusDecius.—Proclaimed Emperor by the army; he perished in battle with Goths249-251 ...251
Gallus Hostilius, and his son Volusianus.—Elected Emperor by Senate and soldiers; both slainby soldiers251-254 ...254
Æmilianus.—Elected Emperor by Senate and soldiers; put to death after reign of fourmonths254- 208?254?
Valerian.—Elected Emperor by Senate and soldiers; taken prisoner by Sapor, king of Persia, andflayed alive254-260 ...260
Gallienus260-268 ...268
Flavius Claudius268-270 214 270
Aurelian.—Designated by Claudius; assassinated by soldiers on march against Persia270-275 212 275
Tacitus.—Elected by Senate and soldiers; died at Tarsus, in Cilicia275-276 200 276
Florian.—Proclaimed Emperor; not recognized by Senate276-276 ... ?
M. Aurelius Probus.—Choice of the army; assassinated by troops at Sirmium277-282 ...282
M. Aurelius Carus.—Elevated to throne by soldiers; killed at Ctesiphon by lightning282-283 222 283
Carinus—Elder son of Carus -both assassinated284-284 ...285
and
Numerian.—Son of Carus
Diocletian.—Proclaimed Emperor by the army -284-305 - 245 313
and
Maximian.—Made Cæsar by Diocletian...310
Constantius -Created Cæsar305-306 - 250 306
and
Galerius...311
Constantine the Great.—Eldest son of Augustus Constantius Chlorus306-336 272 337
Constantius II.—Third son of Constantine the Great336-361 317 361
Julian the Apostate.—Son of Julius Constantius; mortally wounded in battle with Persians361-363 331 363
Jovian.—Elevated to the throne by the army363-364 332 364
ROMAN EMPERORS OF THE WEST
Tacitus.—Elected by Senate and soldiers; died at Tarsus, in Cilicia275-276 200 276
Valentinian I.—Proclaimed Emperor by the army364-375 321 375
Gratian.—Son of Valentinian I375-383 359 383
Maximus—Made Emperor by the legions in Britain383? ?398
Valentinian II.—Son of Valentinian I383?-388 371 392
Eugenius.—Proclaimed Emperor388-394 ... ...
Theodosius the Great.—Son of Theodosius, a Roman general394-395 346 395
Honorius.—Second son of Theodosius395-423 384 423
Valentinian III.—Son of Constantius423-455 419 455
Maximus Petronius.—Proclaimed Emperor455- 395?455
Avitus.—Assumed the purple455-457 ...457
Majorian or Majorien.—Elected by Ricimer457-461 ... ?
Severus.—Raised to imperial dignity by Ricimer461-467 ... 465-7?
Anthemius.—Son-in-law of Emperor Marcian467-472 ... ?
Olybrius.—Made Emperor through influence of Ricimer472-473 ... ?
Glycerus.—Proclaimed Emperor (or Genseric)473- ... ?
Nepos.—Proclaimed Emperor by order of Leo X.473-475 ...480
Romulus Augustulus.—Son of Orestes475-476 ...476
Augustus is deposed and banished by Odoácer, who thus puts anend to the Western Empire of Rome.

(See Chronology of the more important events under [Rome] in [Comparative Outlines of Universal History].)