Home > Publius Quinctilius Varus

Varus was a patrician, born to an aristocratic but long impoverished and unimportant family. His father was Sextus Quinctilius Varus, a senator aligned with the conservative republicans in the civil war against Julius Caesar. He survived their defeat and was involved in Caesar's assassination. He committed suicide after the Battle of Philippi ( 43 BC). Despite his father's political choices, Varus became a supporter of Caesar's heir, Octavianus later known as Caesar Augustus. He was married to Vipsania, daughter of Marcus Vipsanius AgrippaMarcus Vipsanius Agrippa ( 63 BC- 12 BC) was a Roman statesman and general, son-in-law and minister of the emperor Caesar Augustus. He is best known for winning the naval Battle of Actium against the forces of Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra. Agrippa was of, and became a personal friend of both Agrippa and Octavian. When Agrippa died, it was Varus who delivered the funeral eulogy. Thus, his political career was boosted and his cursus honorumThe cursus honorum was the sequential order of public offices held by aspiring politicians in both the Roman Republic and the early Empire. It was designed for men of senatorial rank. The cursus honorum comprised a mixture of military and political admini finished as early as 13 BCCenturies: 2nd century BC 1st century BC 1st century Decades: 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s Years: 18 BC 17 BC 16 BC 15 BC 14 BC 13 BC 12 BC 11 BC 10 BC 9 BC 8 BC Events The via Claudia Julia Augusta is built through Italy., when he was elected consulFor modern diplomatic consuls see Consulate general. Consul (abbrev. was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. Under the Republic, the minimum age of election to consul for patricians was 40 years of a as junior partner of TiberiusTiberius Claudius Nero Caesar ( November 16, 42 BC March 16, AD 37) was the second Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from AD 14 until his death. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian—son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia—and was the adopted, Augustus' step-son and future emperor.

Between 8Centuries: 2nd century BC 1st century BC 1st century Decades: 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 13 BC 12 BC 11 BC 10 BC 9 BC 8 BC 7 BC 6 BC 5 BC 4 BC 3 BC Births John the Baptist, preacher in Palestine Deaths Horace, Roman poet M and 9 BCCenturies: 2nd century BC 1st century BC 1st century Decades: 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 14 BC 13 BC 12 BC 11 BC 10 BC 9 BC 8 BC 7 BC 6 BC 5 BC 4 BC Events Pannonia incorporated in the Roman Empire as part of Illyria Birth, following the consulship, Varus was governor of the Africa provinceAfrica was a province of the Roman Empire. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day northern Tunisia, as well as the Mediterranean coast of modern-day western Libya along the Syrtis Minor. The Roman administrative province is shown, although in C, one of the few still outside the control of Octavianus. After this, Varus went to the important province of Syria, where he had four legions under his command. By then he was a competent governor and a trusted servant of the emerging Roman Empire. The Jewish historian Josephus mentions the swift action of Varus against a messianic revolt in Judaea after the death of Rome's client king Herod the Great in 4 BC.

Following the governorship of Syria, Varus returned to Rome and remained there for the next few years. His political career appeared to reach an end. During these years, Varus married Claudia Pulchra, a grand-niece of Octavianus, which shows that he still enjoyed political favour.

In the first years of the 1st century Rome's political and military life was concentrated in Germania, the area north of Gaul and east of the Rhine river. Tiberius, his brother Drusus, and Germanicus conducted a long campaign in the region and subdued several Germanic tribes, such as the Cherusci. In 7 AD, the region was pacified and Varus was appointed to govern Germania.

In 9 AD, Varus was stationed in a summer camp near the Weser River with his three legions, the seventeenth, the eighteenth and the nineteenth, when news arrived about a growing revolt in the Rhine area to the west. Despite several warnings, Varus believed Arminius, the man who appealed for his help because he was a Romanised Germanic prince and commander of an auxiliary cavalry unit. But this was a mistake. Arminius was indeed planning an ambush, and he attacked the three legions in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest on September 9 (near modern Osnabrück). The Romans were slaughtered. Casualties included the three legions, the cavalry and the camp followers. The Germans also took the Eagles (battle standards) of the legions, a major insult to Roman pride, since the standards were considered minor deities. Varus was said to have taken his own life, although this is impossible to verify, since there were no survivors. His head was cut off and sent to Rome.

Teutoburg was one of Rome's biggest military catastrophes and greatly upset Octavianus. After the battle, Varus was made the scapegoat for Octavianus' difficulties in Germany. However, Varus' head was buried in the mausoleum of Octavianus' family, suggesting that the emperor did not hold a grudge against him.