“Hail Arminius! O Pai dos Alemães!”: a construção mítica da Unificação Alemã entre 1808 e 1875

ABSTRACT Over the centuries, the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest became one of the most dramatic events of Antiquity, inspiring many founding myths, and a series of nationalistic and patriotic emotions. Today, however, we know the German victory over Rome can be understood in at least two ways: first, from a historical point of view; and second, from a mythical one. By examining the relationship between historical and imagined past -and the latter’s importance for the formation of modern nation states-,this paper seeks to analyze the reception of the Battle of Teutoburg during the German Unification period, in order to understand the mythification processes of the German victory over the Roman Empire, and Arminius’ image as a national hero.