Since the average man thinks of the Roman Empire several times per day, most of my readers are probably aware of the Battle of Teutoburg Forest in 9 A.D., where three Roman legions led by Publius Quinctilius Varus were wiped out in an ambush by an alliance of German tribesmen led by a man named Arminius, who also was the leader of the Varus' auxiliaries and a traitor. John Wilder's focus is on Arminius:
Arminius, likely the son of a German nobleman, had been taken as a hostage from a German tribe at around the age of 10. For 17 years, Arminius had been raised in Rome, gone to Roman schools, been given Roman military training, and was even raised to the social rank of Equestrian, the second highest social rank at the time.
If anyone would have assimilated into Roman culture, it should have been Arminius. But, as John notes:
... Despite being given nearly every advantage that Roman society had to offer, Arminius was never Roman. He was brilliant, he was exceptional enough to be given military leadership, and he had spent seven more years as a Roman than the ten he had as a German.
But there was no amount of Rome that would make Arminius less German. And, rightly, Arminius is a hero to Germans.
How many like Arminius hold leadership positions in our military, civilian government, or business and financial institutions? Wilder discusses the battle and the implications for the U.S. of modern-day versions of Arminius, so be sure to read the whole thing.
Much like the followers of Islam and perhaps some other nationalities that have settled here. I have met at least one man like that; no allegiance to America whatsoever.
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