May / June 2015 Lite Challenge: Ambush of the Teutoburg Forest

[Chick]

I have been doing fantasy maps, but I haven't done a truly historical map yet, so I thought this might be a good time to try one. I've chosen a famous ambush that is considered by many historians to be the most significant ambush in the history of ambushes, the Ambush of the Teutoburg Forest in September of 7 CE.

### WIP ###
TeutoburgForest CorneliaYoder 01.jpg

Comments always welcome!

Edit: I see I misspelled "history", will fix that next upload.

[MstrWelf]

Great idea chick! I'm very curious how you plan to continue. I know the quality will be excellent and thx for the history refresher

[ChickPea]

You always come up with interesting ideas for your maps! Being a complete ignoramus, I have to confess that I've never heard of this ambush before, so I'll look forward to seeing the text getting filled out. You're off to a good start anyway.

[JefBT]

Oh, that's awesome, great idea! I never researched about ambushes before. Good to learn some more about history!

[Abu Lafia]

"Quintili Vare, legiones redde!" ("Varus, give me the legions back!") ... Great idea for the challenge chick. Although i'm very critical towards the nationalistic mythifications of "Hermann" (Arminius) (we know where this story went...), the fact that those "uncivilized barbarians" could beat three freakin roman legions always fascinated me. The map looks very nice so far. Looking forward how this develops.
Btw, i found one typo: Kaldriese in the "Arminius box"

[Chick]

Great idea chick! I'm very curious how you plan to continue. I know the quality will be excellent and thx for the history refresher

You always come up with interesting ideas for your maps! Being a complete ignoramus, I have to confess that I've never heard of this ambush before, so I'll look forward to seeing the text getting filled out. You're off to a good start anyway.

Oh, that's awesome, great idea! I never researched about ambushes before. Good to learn some more about history!

"Quintili Vare, legiones redde!" ("Varus, give me the legions back!") ... Great idea for the challenge chick. Although i'm very critical towards the nationalistic mythifications of "Hermann" (Arminius) (we know where this story went...), the fact that those "uncivilized barbarians" could beat three freakin roman legions always fascinated me. The map looks very nice so far. Looking forward how this develops.
Btw, i found one typo: Kaldriese in the "Arminius box"

Thanks, everyone! It just stuck out as a really great ambush setting for a map ... multi day, multi location, multi events, real history. But I'm not surprised that few have heard of it, and in fact surprised that someone here actually knows this history. Even Germans aren't that familiar with it, I'm told, despite at one time making Arminius into a national hero.

I think I'll post pieces in chronological order as the ambush and battle unfolded.

[Chick]

The First Ambush

### Latest WIP ###
TeutoburgForest CorneliaYoder 02.jpg

[Abu Lafia]

But I'm not surprised that few have heard of it, and in fact surprised that someone here actually knows this history. Even Germans aren't that familiar with it, I'm told, despite at one time making Arminius into a national hero.

You are right chick, it's maybe more a "german thing", i just imagine the face of my old history teacher, if i'd tell him that the "Battle of Helm's Deep" seems to be better known nowadays (at least in this forum ) than the "most significant ambush in the history of ambushes"

Since you spoke of "real history", i have only one remark on the latest WIP, which is linked to the comment i made before:
The coat of arms seems to be anachronistic in a "mythifying" way that i pointed out above. The black eagle on golden ground (the coat of arms of the holy roman empire and later of Germany, allegedly first used by charlemagne) derived ultimately from the Aquila or eagle standard, of the Roman army. So it looks as if there were a "german" army (with the "first german" Arminius as the leader) involved in the battle, instead of a bunch of tribes, living in a region which much later became a nation-state called "Germany". I just wanted to say that this is exactly the "myth of origin" that gives me stomachache, especially having in mind those proclaiming it very loudly in the not too distant past...

[Midgardsormr]

I had a vague familiarity with Arminius as a result of stumbling across him while researching the theologian Arminius. I had associated him with the much later wars around the time of Marcus Aurelius, though. I'm always interested to see some real history in these forums!

[Bogie]

Excellent map, great historical info.