On this day in 9 CE, Arminius led the German tribes to totally destroy three Roman legions at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. As you all know, I’m not all that keen on the Germans. And really, it isn’t the Nazis. Well, I don’t know. The truth is that over the last decade in Europe, they have been as big a bully with their economic power as they were with their military power under the Nazis. But I suppose the main problem I have with the Germans is that they are so much like the Americans. Regardless, I like that the Germans put their differences aside and kicked some Roman butt.

The more I’ve learned about the Romans, the more they seem very much like fascists. I know: people have to be judged by their own times. But how far does that really get you? I mean, the Greeks came first, and they were not nearly as brutal. So I think there really was something wrong with the Roman Republican and then Empire.

Anyway, I could write a summary of this most famous battle. Buy why when you could just watch this great episode of Terry Jones’ Barbarians, “The Savage Goths.” You have to remember that Jones has an ax to grind. Basically, he thinks it was the Romans who were the real barbarians. And he is mostly right.