The Battle of Arausio took place on October 6, 105 BC, at a site between the town of Arausio (modern day Orange, Vaucluse) and the Rhône River. Ranged against the migratory tribes of the Cimbri under Boiorix and the Teutoni were two Roman armies, commanded by the proconsul Quintus Servilius Caepio and consul Gnaeus Mallius Maximus.
Who were the Cimbri and the Teutons?
Supposed migrations of the Cimbri and the Teutons. The Cimbrian or Cimbric War (113–101 BC) was fought between the Roman Republic and the Germanic and Celtic tribes of the Cimbri and the Teutons, Ambrones and Tigurini, who migrated from the Jutland peninsula into Roman controlled territory, and clashed with Rome and her allies.
Who was involved in the Cimbric War?
The Cimbrian or Cimbric War (113–101 BC) was fought between the Roman Republic and the Germanic and Celtic tribes of the Cimbri and the Teutons, Ambrones and Tigurini, who migrated from the Jutland peninsula into Roman controlled territory, and clashed with Rome and her allies.
Was the Battle of Arausio Rome’s greatest defeat?
The Battle of Arausio : Rome’s Greatest Defeat? The Battle of Arausio was a battle fought between the Roman Republic and the tribes of Cimbri and Teutones roughly in the year 105 BC on October 6th.
What happened at the Battle of Arausio?
The Battle of Arausio was the costliest defeat Rome had suffered since Cannae and, in fact, the losses and long-term consequences were far greater. For the Cimbri and Teutones it was a great (though temporary) triumph.
Who defeated the Romans at the Battle of Arausio in 105 BC?
Battle of Arausio, (Oct. 6, 105 bc), the defeat of a Roman army by Germanic tribes near Arausio (now Orange in southern France). The Cimbri and the Teutoni had invaded the Roman province of Transalpine Gaul about 110 bc.
Who defeated the Cimbri and Teutones?
Fought B.C. 102, when the Teutones under the king, Teutobod, were totally routed by the Romans under Marius. Fought July 30, 101 B.C., between 50,000 Romans, under Marius, and the Cimbri, under Boiorix. The Cimbri were almost annihilated, and their king slain.
What was Gaius Marius known for?
Gaius Marius (c. 157-86 BCE) was an accomplished military commander and politician who was acclaimed for saving Rome from the brink of collapse. Yet, unfortunately, his name has only survived in relative obscurity because his achievements were eclipsed by his ultimate fall.
Who defeated the Cimbri?
The Cimbri entered Italy in 102 BCE when under the leadership of Boiorix they crossed the Alps and settled north of the Po. The following year, they were decisively defeated at Vercellae by the Roman commanders Marius and Catulus.
Who were the Cimbri and Teutones?
The Cimbri and Teutones were Germanic or Celtic tribes, probably from Jutland, whose movement into Roman-allied territory in the second century BCE led to the Cimbri Wars (113-101 BCE). They fought and consistently defeated Roman forces, with their largest victory being in the 105 BCE Battle of Arausio.
Who wrote about the cimbrian war?
Jar García de Andoain, Enaitz. "La Guerra Cimbria" (PDF). Revista Ejército (Nº 919, noviembre de 2017) (in Spanish): 92–98. Mommsen, Theodor, History of Rome, Book IV "The Revolution", pp 66–72.
What did Lucius Cornelius Sulla do?
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (/ˈsʌlə/; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force.
What did Gaius Gracchus do?
Gaius Gracchus, in full Gaius Sempronius Gracchus, (born 160–153? bce—died 121 bce, Grove of Furrina, near Rome), Roman tribune (123–122 bce), who reenacted the agrarian reforms of his brother, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, and who proposed other measures to lessen the power of the senatorial nobility.
Why did Marius and Sulla fight?
The Feud between Marius and Sulla Once he retired from power he was appalled to see his long time rival, Sulla rise to a position of great power. Their rivalry broke out into open hostilities when Sulla was elected consul in 88 B. C. , and was also chosen to lead an army against Mithridates.
Was Julius Caesar an optimate?
And Julius Caesar, traditionally seen as popularis (though never self-identifying with that label in his extant texts), emerges as an optimate for "substantially reduc[ing] the number of grain recipients in Rome during his dictatorship".
What was Marius relationship with Caesar?
The connections between the Marius and the Julius families were very close: Marius was married to a sister of Caesar's father, Julia. So, Caesar belonged to an influential family. His contemporaries called Marius a popularis.
Which Roman general defeated the numidians and invading Germanic barbarians?
Marius attained his first consulship in 107 BC and became the commander of Roman forces in Numidia, where he brought an end to the Jugurthine War. By 105 BC Rome faced an invasion by the Cimbri and Teutones, and the comitia centuriata elected Marius consul for a second time to face this new threat.
How did the Jugurthine war end?
The Jugurthine War (111-104 BC) was a prolonged struggle between Rome and her former ally of Numidia that played a part in the rise of Marius and eventually ended with a Roman victory.
Who defeated sertorius?
PompeyThe Sertorian War (80-72 BC) was the last stand of the Marian faction after their defeat in Italy during Sulla's Second Civil War and saw Quintus Sertorius hold out in Spain for over a decade before finally being defeated by Pompey and Metellus Pius.
How did the social war end?
The senate ordered Metellus Pius to make peace with the Samnites, but he refused to accept their terms. Marius, who had returned from a brief exile in Africa, offered to accept the Samnite terms, and they supported Cinna. This marked the real end of the Social War.
Which Roman general defeated the numidians and invading Germanic barbarians?
Marius attained his first consulship in 107 BC and became the commander of Roman forces in Numidia, where he brought an end to the Jugurthine War. By 105 BC Rome faced an invasion by the Cimbri and Teutones, and the comitia centuriata elected Marius consul for a second time to face this new threat.
Why was Caepio annihilated?
However, Caepio's force was annihilated because of the hasty nature of the assault and the tenacity of Cimbri defence. The Cimbri were also able to ransack Caepio's camp, which had been left practically undefended. Caepio himself escaped from the battle unhurt.
When did the Cimbri and Teutons fight?
The migrations of the Cimbri and the Teutons. Roman victories. Cimbri and Teutons victories. The Battle of Arausio took place on 6 October 105 BC, at a site between the town of Arausio (now Orange, Vaucluse ), and the Rhône River.
What was the effect of Gaius Marius' defeat on the Roman army?
The terrible defeat gave Gaius Marius the opportunity to come to the fore and make radical reforms to the organisation and the recruitment of Roman legions.
How many troops were lost in the Battle of Rome?
Roman losses are described as being up to 80,000 troops as well as another 40,000 auxiliary troops ( allies) and servants and camp followers, virtually all of their participants in the battle. In terms of losses, the battle is regarded as one of the worst defeats in the history of ancient Rome.
Who led the Roman army in the Rhone River?
Two of the major Roman forces available were camped out on the Rhone River, near Arausio: one led by Mallius Maximus, and the other by the proconsul Quintus Servilius Caepio. As the consul of the year, Maximus out-ranked Caepio and therefore should by law have been the senior commander of the combined armies.
Did Caepio escape?
Caepio himself escaped from the battle unhurt. With a great boost in confidence from an easy victory, the Cimbri then proceeded to destroy the force commanded by Maximus. Already at a low ebb due to the infighting of the commanders, this Roman force had also witnessed the complete destruction of their colleagues.
When did the Battle of Arausio take place?
Aquae Sextiae. Vercellae. The Battle of Arausio took place on 6 October 105 BC , at a site between the town of Arausio (now Orange, Vaucluse ), and the Rhône River.
Migrations and conflicts
For unknown reasons (possibly due to climate change, see Pre-Roman Iron Age ), sometime around 120–115 BC, the Cimbri left their original lands around the Baltic sea in the Jutland peninsula and Southern Scandinavia. They journeyed to the southeast and were soon joined by their neighbors and possible relatives the Teutones.
Initial Roman defeats
The following year the Roman consul Gnaeus Papirius Carbo led the legions into Noricum, and after making an impressive show of force, took up a strong defensive position and demanded that the Cimbri and their allies should leave the province immediately.
Disaster at Arausio
In 105 BC, Rome and its new consul Gnaeus Mallius Maximus and the proconsul Quintus Servilius Caepio, in order to settle the matter once and for all, gathered the largest force it had fielded since the Second Punic War, and possibly the largest force it had ever sent to battle.
Marius takes command
Following the devastation of the Arausio, fear shook the Roman Republic to its foundations. The terror cimbricus became a watchword, as Rome expected the Cimbri at its gates at any time. In this atmosphere of panic and desperation, an emergency was declared.
The Turning Point
By 102 BC, Marius was ready to move against the Teutones. He chose his ground carefully and built a well-fortified camp on the top of a hill near Aquae Sextiae, where he lured the Teutones and their allies the Ambrones into attacking him.
Aftermath
The Cimbri were not completely wiped off the face of the map or from the pages of history. A small remnant population of Cimbri and Teutones remained in northern Jutland, southern Scandinavia and the Baltic coast at least until the 1st century.
What is the old saying that all roads lead to Rome?
There's an old saying that all roads lead to Rome. Here's the problem: what if you don't actually want someone to follow those roads? Rome was never the only power in Europe, nor was it without enemies. From the earliest days of the Roman Republic, it constantly fought for its security. In the years of the Republic, few threats were as grave as that posed by the Cimbri and Teutones, tribes from Northern Europe. The Cimbri Wars (113-101 BCE) put Roman strength to the test, and may even have shaken the foundations of the Republic itself.
Where did the Cimbri and Teutones come from?
Many historians believe that they came from a region called Jutland, roughly equivalent to today's Denmark, which is corroborated by Roman sources.
Who was the first Roman commander to fight the Cimbri and Teutones?
The first Roman force to fight the Cimbri and Teutones was led by a consul (chief magistrate) of the Roman Republic named Gnaeus Papirius Carbo. Carbo approached the Cimbri with a mighty show of force, demanding that they leave the province peacefully. Accounts from the time suggest that the Cimbri intended to do so, but then learned that Carbo intended to ambush them and became enraged. They turned against the Roman army and overwhelmed it, nearly killing Carbo and destroying most of his forces.
Who was the new consul of Gaul?
Its new consul Gnaeus Mallius Maximus and the proconsul Quintus Servilius Caepio rallied a massive fighting force of roughly 80,000 volunteer soldiers. This was the largest Roman army since Hannibal had invaded Italy a century earlier in the Second Punic War.