in 9 ad varus with three legions of top roman troops, were moving up to a permanent base on the rhine. there had been reports of a rebellion by local tribes which varus intended to deal with. varis was confident that it would be easy to occupy germany. he was a good administrator but not a soldier. while marching through the teutoburg forest, three crack legions of rome’s army were caught in an ambush. for three days up to 30.000 roman soldiers, their families and slaves were killed by the peoples they called barbarians. the battle was rome's greatest defeat.