The first part deals with the search for Arminius identity. Coming from a simple village of the Cherusci settlement and the dense forests of Germania, the Romans kidnap him under a treaty made in their civilization. They educate him and train him into a soldier. He proved himself in the suppression of a revolt against the Romans in Pannonia, and finally returns to the side of the Roman governor Varus, thereby returning to his homeland.

Part two is all about the legendary battle in the Teutoburg Forest. Arminius knows that the disciplined Romans are superior to the Germanic warriors. Therefore, he wants to exploit the trust of Varus' and to lead the Romans into the rugged forests of Germania, where they would attack. They almost see through his trickery: Segestes, the old clan leader of Cherusci and ally of Rome tries to warn Varus. But the thought that a man raised and educated in Rome such as Arminius could switch sides was unimaginable. Varus gives no credence to the accusations, orders the march, and leads his legions into ruin.