Cherusci

a Germanic tribe. The Cherusci are first mentioned by Caesar. According to Tacitus, they settled along both banks of the middle Weser, along its tributaries, and near the Harz; their settlements extended to the Elbe. The tribe was conquered by the Romans in A.D. 4. In A.D. 9 insurgent Cherusci, led by Arminius, united with other Germanic tribes and annihilated three Roman legions under Varus in the Teutoburg Forest. Internal strife and wars with neighboring tribes led to the decline of the Cherusci after A.D. 21, and part of their territory came under the control of the Chatti. In the fourth century, the remaining Cherusci were assimilated by the Saxons.