RUN LIKE PHEIDIPPIDES JUST DON'T DIE LIKE PHEIDIPPIDES

ON September 12, 490 BC, 10,000 Greeks use superior tactics to push 100,000 Persians back into the sea at the Battle of Marathon Bay ... forever changing the course of Western Civilization.

Though outnumbered 10 to 1, the Greeks won thanks to their new tactics.

Instead of individual soldiers fighting one-to-one duels, the Greeks rolled out their "phalanx" battle line of Hoplite soldiers who fought as one impenetrable unit.

The Battle of Marathon was a watershed in the Greco-Persian wars, showing the Greeks that the Persians could be beaten; the eventual Greek triumph in these wars can be seen to begin at Marathon. 

The battle also showed the Greeks that they were able to win battles without the Spartans, as they had heavily relied on Sparta previously. 

This win was largely due to the Athenians, and Marathon raised Greek esteem of them. Since the following two hundred years saw the rise of the Classical Greek civilization, which has been enduringly influential in western society, the Battle of Marathon is a pivotal moment in history.

The battle is perhaps now more famous as the inspiration for the marathon race. 

Although thought to be historically inaccurate, the legend of the Greek messenger Pheidippides running to Athens with news of the victory became the inspiration for this athletic event, introduced at the 1896 Athens Olympics, and originally run between Marathon and Athens.

Pheidippides was a professional "hemerodrome" (foot courier) who was sent to Sparta to request help when the Persians landed at Marathon, Greece. 

He ran 240 km (150 mi) in two days. Thanks to him, the Persians were defeated. 

He then ran the 40 km (26 mi) from the battlefield near Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC) with the words "Chairete, nikomen!" ("Rejoice, we are victorious!") ... before collapsing and dying ... uttering "Cairete" (Rejoice) with his final rasping gasp of breath.

Image at top of entry: "Man Runs First Marathon To Bring News of Greek Victory Over Persia" painting by Tom Lovell (1909–97)

GAY MARTYRS OF TERRORISM

ON September 11th we remember those gay and lesbian men and women who have died in terrorist attacks.

The magnificent Religion of Antinous is not just about beauty and male-on-male sex and it's not just one continuous gay cocktail party. Alas!

The word "alas," by the way is a Latin corruption of the Greek name "Hylas" ... the beloved young companion of Herakles/Hercules. In Mysia, handsome young Hylas was abducted by water nymphs and vanished below the waters of a stream.

Heartbroken Herakles went mad with grief, bellowing "Hylas! Hylas!" and ripping out trees as he frantically searched for his beloved. He never abandoned his search, and his cries of "Hylas! Hylas!" continue to echo through the ages every time we say the word "alas!"

Hadrian and his beloved drowned Antinous have always been associated with Herakles and his beloved drowned Hylas. And so ... alas! ... the Religion of Antinous is profoundly and irrevocably associated with tragedy and with grief. That is the reason why the sculptures of the Beauteous Boy never show him smiling and boyish. He always gazes off to one side, his head tilted slightly downward, with a wistful and slightly melancholy expression on his face.

It's as if he is always whispering, "Alas!"

And so it is fitting that the Ecclesia Antinoi Annals of Saints and Martyrs and Exemplars includes the names of many, many people who have died under tragic circumstances.

Some died of overdoses or suicide. Others, such as the gay college student Matthew Shepard who was bludgeoned to death in Wyoming, were murdered simply because they were gay. 

In Iran, coming out is tantamount to a death sentence. 

Many, many others have been taken by the scourge of AIDS.

And still others on our list, Aula Sancti Ecclesiae Antinoi, have suffered and died because they just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

On September 11th we remember those gay and lesbian men and women who  have died in terrorist attacks.

They include the gay waiters and pastry chefs in the Windows on the World restaurant on the 110th floor of the World Trade Center, and also the gay and lesbian office workers in the Twin Towers, and the gay passengers and crew aboard the hijacked planes.

They also include the gay victims of the subsequent bombings and atrocities in London, Madrid, Orlando and many other cities.

We don't know the names of most of those people. But one name stands out: Mark "Bear Trap" Bingham.

Mark, 31, was a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93 and was flying home to see his mother. 

He made a phone call to his mother. He was so distracted by the chaos on  board the plane that he identified himself by his full name, saying, "Hi, Mom, this is Mark Bingham." 

He just had time to tell her he loved her and that his plane was being hijacked before the phone call abruptly ended.

Mark was a big man at 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) and 225 pounds (102 kg) and was a rugged rugby athlete. He is believed to have been among the passengers who attempted to storm the cockpit to try to prevent the hijackers from using the plane to kill hundreds or thousands of additional victims.

That assumption is based on the fact that his lover of six years said he had repeatedly fought back against muggers and gay bashers and that Mark definitely would not have surrendered to his fate without first putting up a fight. "Mark was a fighter. He hated to lose ... at anything!"

Mark Bingham may never have even heard of Antinous, and the Ecclesia Antinoi had not been founded yet before he died. He most definitely never expected to be remembered as a gay martyr. And he scarcely could have imagined being memorialized in movies and on websites and in books and TV docu-dramas.

He surely never expected to become a symbol and an icon. But that is what he has become.

And so, on September 11th, we remember Mark "Bear Trap" Bingham as a symbol for all those gay people who happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time when terrorists strike — as can happen to any of us.

Like Mark (and like Herakles, for that matter), we fight and struggle to do the best we can in our day-to-day lives, but sometimes things just turn out far differently from anything we could ever imagine. Sometimes tragically so ... Alas!

THE PLOTINA MOON VIRGO NEW MOON

TONIGHT's Virgo New Moon is the lunar phase which, in Antinous Moon Magic, is called the PLOTINA MOON in honor of Emperor Trajan's wife, the Empress Plotina, who lobbied on Hadrian's behalf, ensuring he would be Trajan's successor.

Hadrian was a favorite of Plotina's and she did everything in her power to further his career and to position him to succeed her husband Trajan as emperor. Indeed, it is said that, upon Trajan's death, Plotina forged his signature on a will naming Hadrian as his successor.

It has been speculated that she and Hadrian were lovers, though his preference for males and their age difference (she was old enough to be his mother) may make that speculation seem a bit far-fetched.

Whatever the case, Plotina showered Hadrian with love, favors and the wealth of her insights into the machinations and workings of the inner coterie surrounding the Emperor.

Thanks to Plotina's tutelage, Hadrian was well-equipped to become emperor.

Each lunar phase represents a Divine Spirit or Archetype. The Spirit of the Plotina Moon is the Spirit of the Crone, the Wise Woman, the White Witch, the Great Mother Isis. She is a Spirit Guide.

She is not maternal like a mother, but instead she is more of a doting grandmother or great aunt. This Spirit has seen everything, been everywhere and experienced everything.

Life has few surprises left for this Spirit, and yet she marvels anew at each bright new day of discovery. There is always something yet to be discovered, some new secret to be unveiled, some riddle to be solved.

The Spirit of Plotina is ever seeking to reveal all and to share her vast grimoire of secret knowledge with her favorite protege.

The Virgo New Moon comes at the end of summer in the Northern Hemisphere when crops have been harvested and leaves are beginning to fall and the heat of summer wanes. In the Southern Hemisphere, this is the New Moon signalling a time to put away winter clothes and plant for spring with the knowledge you have gained during the winter.

It is the same New Moon, and ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD gazes down on both hemispheres. The days are getting shorter and the days are getting longer. Yet, our Lunar Deity invites us to look beyond the calendar to seek the wisdom that the PLOTINA MOON has to offer us, wherever we live.

The key words for the PLOTINA MOON are: Wisdom. Experience. Magnanimity. Old Age. Wise Woman. Vast Intelligence.

This lunar phase represents deep inner wisdom that comes from the "school of hard knocks".

This is the wise old "curandera" (white witch) who needs no books or rituals because the magic is deep down inside her soul. She and the magic are one and the same.

On a superficial level, this lunar phase is a time to honor to an older person, an old gay wizard, for example, who is influential in your life. On a deeper level, it is inviting you to become better acquainted with the ancient "curandero" (gay wizard) in your soul.

IT'S SERPENTINE FOR THE PLOTINA MOON By Our Crystal Meditation Advisor Martin Campbell

OUR scintillating astrology expert Hernestus has advised me that this moon phase is the Virgo New Moon, the Plotina Moon in the Antinous faith. This moon puts us in mind of our grandmothers, older wise women or the Pagan 'Crone'. 

Many women display great wisdom - we have all met such women or grown up with them.

Trajan's wife, Empress Plotina, was a guiding force behind Hadrian as he waited in the wings to become Emperor. She was not so much a mother figure as a wise and forceful guide who put his feet on the path to lofty heights.

My maternal grandmother was the 'Plotina' in my life. She was worldly, strong, indomitable and totally understood me. 

When my Dad tried to get me to do 'manly things' it was she who took Dad aside and explained to him that I was a 'sensitive' boy who should not be troubled with such nonsense!! Blessed be to her in her next life.

Embrace your feminine aspects - they are part of you and help to balance your more driven masculine and sexual nature. 

Crystals, are of course, often perceived as a 'girl' thing. I am studying to be a crystal healer and have met very few men who study this art. 

As I work with my crystals I call in guidance from my spirit guides and angels. My angels are male but my guides are female. It is nice having the balance - I think I do better work having this approach.

For this moon I would recommend that you meditate holding or being with an image of the following crystals:

Howlite - these are typically greenish white but can be artificially coloured. They help prepare your mind to receive wisdom and insights. Women are often very patient and this is a crystal which helps to embody this in you.

Serpentine - these many coloured/colored crystals (top photo) help you to understand the spiritual aspects of your life and help you to receive or retrieve insights and great wisdom from various sources.

Ametrine - these lovely crystals are a natural blend of Amethyst and Citrine crystal. They help you to unite your feminine and masculine aspects to overcome prejudice and take control of your life - just like my late grandmother did for me!

In Light and Life,

MARTIN

To get more advice from Martin Campbell and to find out how to contact him CLICK HERE.

ASTRO FORECAST: SEPTEMBER 10th—20th, 2026

Antinous is a Moon God. He is, of course, many other things and he wears many hats. But one of the ways he was worshiped in Antiquity was as ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD.

His worshipers looked skyward and saw His beautiful face perpetually turned towards the Earth. The Man in the Moon was actually the Blessed Boy in the Moon for the ancient priests and worshipers of Antinous. Swiftest and most youthful of all the Zodiacal deities, Antinous speeds through an entire year's worth of Astrological signs in just 28 days.

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD represents our deepest personal needs, our basic habits and reactions, and our unconscious gay selves. Where Hadrian the Sun acts, Antinous the Moon REACTS. How do we instinctively react or respond to problems? What do we feel we need for a sense of security? Look to ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD for answers.

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD is both our inner boy child and our inner lover. His ever changing phases, as he sweeps past all the other Planets in all the Signs, make us at turns responsive, receptive, and reflective. Eternally youthful, ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD represents our childlike spontaneous and instinctual reactions.

ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD beams down on us to make us imaginative, creative, intuitive, sentimental, adaptable, introspective, and protective. On the negative side, and depending on where he is in the Zodiac, he can make us moody, restless, and irrational.

Antinous Astrology Forecast

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SEPTEMBER 10th
to 20th, 2026

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th, 2026

This week, Uranus the planet of revolutionary change stops dead in its tracks (as seen from Earth) and goes Retrograde (backwards) for the next five months. Even when going forward, Uranus shakes things up. When URANUS TURNS RETROGRADE it still shakes things up for us, but it starts to do so in a very pushy way. It pushes us to dig deep and really face the problems and the roadblocks that have impeded progress. It forces us to re-evaluate our values and our priorities.

If we've been turning a blind eye to a problem, Uranus retrograde will put that problem in our face, front and center, and make it impossible to ignore. If we've been too willing to settle and reluctant to venture from our comfort zones, Uranus will shake us out of it like you shake ants out of a picnic blanket.

Uranus sparks awakenings and inspires us to challenge what we accept as the norm, but when it goes retrograde it forces us to do so through an overhaul.

While Uranus is in retrograde, on a personal level, you may find Uranus forces you to re-evaluate your life — what you've accepted, what you've settled for, the choices you have made. If you've been mindlessly heading down the wrong path, Uranus retrograde gives you the proverbial slap in the face to bring you back to your senses — the kind of slap that stings, but for which you are grateful. After something happens, you may find yourself wondering, "what am I doing? Why am I doing this?" That's the planet's influence on you while in retrograde.

As a society, you'll find Uranus retrograde is when there is unrest and that brings attention to things we've let slide for far too long. More people begin to rethink the direction we've been taking, challenge convention and advocate for change.

You can really use Uranus retrograde to your advantage. It is an ideal time to reflect on your life. Examine your past in relation to your future, and if there is an "Aha!" moment to be had, Uranus retrograde can help you find it.

Have you fallen into bad patterns of thought or behavior? Have you trapped yourself in a lifestyle or job that hasn't really been working for you, but you stuck with it because it was easier than changing? Uranus retrograde is going to make you see what brought you to where you are, face your fears and take you out of your comfort zone, ultimately guiding you to the realization that there are better paths to take.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th, 2026

Overnight Thursday-Friday, we come to the Virgo New Moon, which is the lunar phase in Antinous Moon Magic we call the PLOTINA MOON in honor of Emperor Trajan's wife, the Empress Plotina, who lobbied on Hadrian's behalf, ensuring he would be Hadrian's successor ... The Spirit of the Plotina Moon is the Spirit of the Crone, the Wise Woman, the White Witch, the Great Mother Isis ... But "she" is a Spirit Guide who transcends gender — she is the ancient gay wizard in your soul. This New Moon signals the beginning of the last third of the calendar year. It is time to start wrapping up your projects for this year ... and making good on those bold and ambitious New Year's Resolutions.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th, 2026

This weekend, Mercury opposite Neptune brings mental confusion and the potential for relationship problems due to miscommunication. Your perception of reality is clouded due to an inability to filter out the background noise or useless information. You are hearing and seeing the truth but also a lot of garbage and it is nearly impossible to tell the difference. This is a bad time for making important decisions, making plans or doing any detailed mental work. Business deals should be avoided and put off signing contracts if you can. If not, then make sure you get the advice of a professional in the field or someone you really trust.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13th, 2026

This weekend, the Sun and Mars cause unrest. Sun sextile Mars encourages people to believe they can do anything ... and get away with anything. On the negative side, people run amok and even the weather can be more than usually unpredictable and destructive. On the positive side, however, you might accidentally run into the new love of your life ... while running for shelter.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th, 2026

This week, you can expect surprise tidings from the other dimensions when Mercury is in a very conducive karmic-healing trine to Uranus. Mercury-trine-Uranus always creates optimal energies for breaking down encrusted old structures and for mentally visualizing bold new solutions. Because Uranus is Retrograde, the emphasis is on the past. Retrograde Uranus opens the portals of Time and Space and Mercury enables you to go through those portals to engage in healing magic involving your own past, or past-life incarnations. Even if you do not work any magic, you can definitely count on receiving a message involving someone or something from the past.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15th, 2026

This week, Venus square Pluto creates an explosive situation for interpersonal relationships. It begins at the breakfast table over corn flakes when you say you want to go shopping and your alpha-male boyfriend starts in saying that it's typical of you to go off and spend money and waste time while he has to clean the house. Next thing you know, the two of you have been screaming at each other for hours. Remember that astrology is a tool to master such situations. Venus-square-Pluto is a golden opportunity to rediscover the things you love about your lover. Okay, so he's a bitch-on-wheels. So what? He's your bitch-on-wheels and the two of you love each other. Make a stab at helping him clean the house — and sneak online and buy needless stuff on eBay when he's not looking.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16th, 2026

This week, Mercury-opposition-Saturn brings serious thinking and conversation, but also negativity and sadness. Poor self-esteem can lead to communication difficulties and isolation. There is the possibility of some bad news or very challenging situations arising, especially if you have been neglectful in some way earlier. However, it is likely that you will be seeing the worst in every situation. This is not a day for making important decisions, especially about relationships. Also avoid signing contracts or making big investments. You may have a critical eye can are liable to make mistakes.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th, 2026

Chiron the cosmic healer, which is "Retrograde" (moving "backwards" as seen from Earth), slips backwards out of Taurus and re-enters Aries, and will stay there until 17th February 2027. ARIES CHIRON brings with it a cycle in which we will be improving our confidence, including body image. These are sensitive topics that can have a big effect on us. Personal and health problems that were hindering our progress are about to be revised and resolved. We will be learning to assert ourselves and focus on our needs in healthy doses without feeling guilty in the process. This transit emphasizes the concept that healing begins within oneself.

FRI-SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th-20th, 2026

This week, we come to the Sagittarius First Quarter Moon, which we call the EQUESTRIAN MOON in Antinous Moon Magic ... the Lunar Phase we associate with spiritual movement and progress, astral travel and astral projection ... On the material level, this Lunar Phase is excellent for making travel plans and for carrying out rituals for a safe journey with bountiful spiritual rewards ... or at least for washing that vehicle of yours.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK:

Another exciting week lies ahead between September 21st and 27th, 2026, when we come to the ARIES FULL MOON which amps up the tension levels 100 percent! Be careful: In Antinous Moon Magic we call this the LIGHTNING MOON for the bolt of lightning which nearly killed Hadrian and Antinous atop Mount Cassius at the autumnal Solstice of the year 129 AD. The LIGHTNING MOON is the most impetuous and accident-prone moon of the year ... More details next time ....

GAY TEEN MARTYR JOÃO ANTÔNIO DONATI FIRST BRAZILIAN SAINT OF ANTINOUS

ON September 10th we remember the brutal mutilation murder of a gay teenager on this date in 2014 in Brazil ... the first official saint of Antinous in Brazil.

The death of 18-year-old JOÃO ANTÔNIO DONATI galvanized worshipers of Antinous into proclaiming him the first martyr saint of Antinous in Brazil.

His severely beaten body was found in the city of Inhumas in the state of Goiás with his neck fractured and both legs broken and with his mouth and trachea stuffed with a plastic bag and a paper note, on which had been scrawled an anti-gay hate message saying that this is what should happen to all queers.

His horrific bruises, lacerations and contusions showed that he had put up a desperate struggle against his attackers.

On the same day that João was killed, two other gays were beaten and a transvestite was murdered in the same state. But the images of João's smiling Facebook selfies instantly touched the hearts of millions.

Outrage swept the nation, with protest marches and vigils held in numerous cities.

Brazil has the largest Antinous faith community in the non-English speaking world, and adherents of Antinous have taken the unprecedented move of proclaiming João the first Saint of Antinous in Brazil. 

Brazilian Novitiate Priest DECO RIBEIRO says more than 300 LGBTIU victims of homophobic murders were reported in Brazil in 2015 alone, though the true figure is unknown.

"Hundreds more have died since then," says Deco. "Each and every one of these is a martyr who is symbolized by João Antônio Donati. He was a vibrant young man filled with all the hopes and dreams of so many his age, and who became yet another victim of homophobia in Brazil, and who so deeply touched us that we have been moved to initiate something in our country that has long been in the offing: the Declaration of Apotheosis and canonization of the martyrs of homophobia in Brazil."

Noting that anti-gay hate crimes and murders are frequent in Brazil, Deco says: "This is the first statement and official nomination amid many others that will follow continuously over time honoring the names of many victims who have died in the past and who inevitably will be murdered in the future."

He adds, "We are setting out upon a long and arduous road which will entail hard battles for criminalization of homophobia in a country that has become increasingly Christo-Fascistic, homophobic and intolerant in a grotesque throwback of catastrophic and irreparable proportions. This is a turning point in history."

At the Hollywood Temple of Antinous, the founder of the modern religion of Antinous, ANTONIUS SUBIA, says:

"My prayer goes out to Antinous to take João Donati into his embrace, to give him a place of glory and bliss and show him that the world is not merely a place of hatred and violence, but that love still exists here.  

"May his short beautiful life prove to be a changing point for Brazil, may his violent death awaken his country to the darkness and hatred that has infiltrated their society.  May he be a martyr whose violent death brings an end to such things in the future," Antonius said in the statement issued moments ago.

After João's death, his FACEBOOK page was filled with messages of condolence. 

A month before his murder, he updated his profile image with the accompanying message: "Determination, courage and self-confidence are decisive factors for success.

"No matter what obstacles and difficulties. If we are possessed of an unwavering determination, we will be able to overcome them."

Though Brazil passed same-sex marriage into law in May 2014, homophobic attacks and transphobic attacks are still common.

'QUINTILIE VARE, LEGIONES REDDE!' COINS CONFIRM SITE OF TEUTOBURG BATTLE

WHERE was the Battle of Teutoburg Forest fought in the year 9 AD? That is a trick question which school teachers have loved to spring on their pupils for generations.

The answer, of course, is that the Battle of Teutoburg Forest was fought at Teutoburg Forest, changing the course of Western Civilization. But where is that?

Now, for the first time, archaeologists say they have found eight gold coins which confirm the location was at a place called Kalkriese Hill … which is a short distance from the modern-day Teutoburg Forest.

Such a find is extremely rare, the researchers say, and this recent discovery at Kalkriese Hill expands the number of gold coins collected at the site by more than double the previous amount.

The coins featured images of the Emperor Augustus, with the imperial princes Gaius and Lucius Caesar on the back, and all date back to a period before the ancient battle. Thus they were carried by the legions into the battle.

The defeat of the crack troops, who were led to their deaths by ex-Consul Publius Quinctilius Varus, effectively changed the course of Western Civilization.

Prior to 9 AD, Emperor Augustus Caesar pursued a course of military expansion across the Rhine and into central and northern Europe. After 9 AD, the Rhine became the frontier between the "civilized" Roman world and the "barbaric" lands to the east and north.

Prior to becoming emperor, Hadrian himself had served a stint of duty along the Rhine. As emperor, he consolidated the borders of the empire and his forces never ventured across the Rhine into across-the-Rhine Germania.

Historians have always referred to the Battle of Teutoburg Forest as a defining moment which affected the course of history. 

It has even been cited as a factor in both world wars, especially by the French and British, who considered themselves to have a Roman heritage, as opposed to the Germans, whom war propagandists condemned as the descendants of barbarians.

As a result, Germany was never incorporated into the Roman Empire, leaving that region a breeding ground for barbarian incursions which eventually would bring down the empire and eventually (according to Allied war-time propaganda) result in two world wars.

Arminius, known as Herrmann to the Germans, has indeed come down through German history as a heroic symbol of liberty and German national strength. Herrmann turned back the Roman occupation forces forever, according to the popular interpretation by German nationalists. 

In the late 19th and early 20th Century, unscrupulous German leaders used Hermann as a rallying figure in wars of aggression.

A monument near the site of the Teutoburg Forest battlefield celebrates Herrmann as a national hero. Thousands of German tourists visit the site annually. And the regional soccer team (in Bielefeld) is called Bielefeld Arminia. "Armin" is a popular name for German boys to this day.

Archaeologists in recent years have determined the exact location of the battle near the modern village of Engter north of the city of Osnabrueck. Bones, weapons and armour from the fleeing soldiers of the XVII, XVIII and XIX Legions are strewn along a narrow 17-km-long stretch of marshy woodlands bounded by confining hills to the north and south.

Now the coins definitely confirm that location.

Arminius had been educated in Rome and had become a trusted friend of Varus. The idea was that raising future chieftains in Rome would bond them to Rome when they returned to their families on the frontier.

Arminius was an example of how that policy could backfire and result in knowledge of Roman ways being used against the Romans. Arminius ingratiated himself with Varus, who was one of the most influential men in Rome, a friend of Augustus Caesar himself. 

It was that trust in Arminius which resulted in Varus leading a punitive expedition into an indefensible, boggy forest without sentries or reinforcements ... on advice of his trusted friend Arminius.

In the resulting massacre, Roman soldiers fled for their lives. Most were cut down in the mud. Blue markings in the graphic show where Roman bodies and armament have been found. 

Those who survived were sold into slavery or else were placed in wicker cages and burned alive as sacrifices to the Germanic deities. 

Reports of the battle are sketchy for the simple reason that almost no one survived to report what had happened.

Never before had three entire legions been wiped out in a single battle. The defeat was so devastating that the numbers of the Legions XVII, XVIII and XIX were retired forever, never again to appear in the Roman Army's order of battle. 

Augustus was so traumatized by the loss of three elite legions that he went into a prolonged state of mourning as though for a beloved son ... he tore his clothes, refused to cut his hair for months and, for years afterwards, was heard to moan from time to time, "Quintilie Vare, legiones redde!" ("Quinctilius Varus, give me back my Legions!").

This scene from the epic BBC/PBS mini-series I, Claudius dramatically recreates how Augustus received the news: