Page "Battle of the Teutoburg Forest" Paragraph 19

Varus ' forces included three legions ( Legio XVII, Legio XVIII, and Legio XIX ), six cohorts of auxiliary troops ( non-citizens or allied troops ) and three squadrons of cavalry ( alae ), most of which lacked combat experience with Germanic fighters under local conditions.

The Roman forces were not marching in combat formation, and were interspersed with large numbers of camp-followers.

As they entered the forest ( probably just northeast of Osnabrück ), they found the track narrow and muddy ; according to Dio Cassius a violent storm had also arisen.

He also writes that Varus neglected to send out advance reconnaissance parties.