CHERUSCI

cherusci, an ancient german tribe occupying the basin of the weser to the north of the chatti. together with the other tribes of western germany they submitted to the romans in 11-9 b.c., but in a.d. 9 arminius, one of their princes, rose in revolt, and defeated and slew the roman general quintilius varus with his whole army. germanicus caesar made several unsuccessful attempts to bring them into subjection again. by the end of the 1st century the prestige of the cherusci had declined through unsuccessful warfare with the chatti. their territory was eventually occupied by the saxons. tacitus, _annals_, i.2, 11, 12, 13; _germania_, 36; strabo, p. 291 f.; e. devrient, in _neue jahrb. f. d. klass. alter_. (1900), p. 517.