arminus (or: hermann the cherusk) played a big role in early german history. he was the first to unite the struggeling germanic tribes against the roman empire in year 9. before he worked - as many other german nobles with their troups for the rome. peacefully at least. we know today that he gained roman citizenship.in that time he had a deep look into mentality and militarian strategy of rome. when the roman troup-leader, varus, was sent to move the border of the empire deeper into germanic land and making the germany to a regular roman province, arminius saw the chance to finish the foreign rule completely. with much smaller troups he defeated 3 superior roman legions (20-30 000 men)in three days. before that they were considered as unbeatable. the key to this victory was a trick. he forced the romans to give up their favorite troup formation, the so called turtle when they had to cross a swamp. this defeat was so impressive and bloody that rome never tried again to colonize the german tribes. it was also the beginning of their unition. a circumstance that was the base for the important role the german nobles were playing later in roman society when the roman empire started to break down. its an interesting point to think how history would have been developed if the germans would have been colonized. as we know in german science today arminius has anything to do with siegfried from the nibelungen. that person seems to be a prince belonging to the tribe of the merowingers (another german tribe). they reigned much later. and it is like so often in legends: the person of siegfried, the hero, is almost the only one, who seems to be not a real historical person. but in my opinion this makes the meaning of the barbarian arminius not much less.