Hero or traitor?

German nationalists, especially in the 18th and 19th but also later, celebrated the man as the great hero who defeated the Roman Empire in Germany.

To the nationalists, he was Hermann, chieftain of a Germanic tribe, who in the year 9 AD lured three Roman legions to their annihilation in the northern German Teutoburg Forest, uniting the German tribes east of the Rhine river, the embodiment of the roots of Germany as a nation.

To newly appointed Roman governor Varus he was Arminius, a Roman commander and trusted advisor who had been taken as a ten year old from his native Cherusci lands, had been educated as a Roman and served the Empire with great valor.

Not all that long ago, the first narrative, minus the most egregious nationalist distortions, was what teachers running out of time on the curriculum would pass on to the children. Scholars, of course, knew that the Roman texts talked about Roman towns east of the Rhine river and regular Roman forays deep into Germania.

It was on the return trip from one of the regular summer camps that Arminius led the tribes in a series of battles which saw three entire legions wiped out, an estimated 18 000 to 22 000 men. Arminius had led his contingent of Roman auxiliary forces with these very legions on the way out to the camp and during the summer, all while plotting with the Germanic tribes and eventually turning his auxiliary forces against the legions.

Hero or traitor?

The word "or" is somewhat overused, isn't it.