| Battle of Vercellae | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Cimbrian War | |||||||
 Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, The battle of Vercellae, 1725-1729 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Cimbri | Roman Republic | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| King Boiorix † | Gaius Marius, Quintus Lutatius Catulus |
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| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | 50,000 (8 legions with cavalry and auxiliaries) | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown, claimed as being: 90,000-140,000 killed, 60,000 captured |
Probably under 1,000 | ||||||
The Battle of Vercellae, also called The Battle of the Raudine Plain, was fought in 101 BC between a Roman Republic army led by Consul Gaius Marius against an invasion force of the Germanic Cimbri near the settlement of Vercellae in Cisalpine Gaul. The Cimbrian War ( 113 - 101 BC) was fought between the Roman Republic and the Proto-Germanic tribes of the Cimbri and the See also Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (or Giandomenico Tiepolo) or Lorenzo Baldissera Tiepolo, both sons of Giovanni Battista Cisalpine Gaul ( Latin: Gallia Cisalpina, meaning " Gaul on this side of the Alps " was the Roman name for a geographical area (later The Cimbri were a Celtic or Germanic tribe who together with the Teutones and the Ambrones threatened the Roman Republic in the late The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the Boiorix was a king of the Cimbri tribe His most notable achievement was a spectacular victory against the Romans at the Battle of Arausio in 105 BC This article is about the Roman statesman who reorganized the army and was seven times Consul For the Roman poet see Catullus Quintus Lutatius Catulus ( Latin: Q·LVTATIVS·Q·F·CATVLVS was a Roman For other uses see Legion The Roman Legion (from Latin legio "military levy Conscription," The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the Consul (abbrev cos; Latin plural consules) was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire This article is about the Roman statesman who reorganized the army and was seven times Consul The Cimbri were a Celtic or Germanic tribe who together with the Teutones and the Ambrones threatened the Roman Republic in the late Cisalpine Gaul ( Latin: Gallia Cisalpina, meaning " Gaul on this side of the Alps " was the Roman name for a geographical area (later
The Cimbri were virtually wiped out, with the Romans claiming to have killed 90,000-140,000 and captured 60,000, including large numbers of women and children. The true number of Cimbrian combatants may have numbered only a few thousands. Much credit for this victory has been given to the actions of Proconsul Quintus Lutatius Catulus's legate, Lucius Cornelius Sulla who led the Roman and allied Italian cavalry. Ancient Rome In the Roman Republic, a proconsul was a Promagistrate (like a Propraetor) who after serving as Consul, spent a year For the Roman poet see Catullus Quintus Lutatius Catulus ( Latin: Q·LVTATIVS·Q·F·CATVLVS was a Roman A legatus (often anglicized as legate) was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix ( Latin: L•CORNELIVS•L•F•P•N•SVLLA•FELIX (c
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Location
Traditionally most historians locate the settlement of Vercellae near the modern Vercelli in Italy. Vercelli ( Varséj in Piedmontese) is a City of about 50000 inhabitants in the Province of Vercelli in Piedmont in northern Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Some historians[1] think that "vercellae" is not a proper name and may refer to any mining area at the confluence of two rivers.
These historians think that the Cimbri followed the river Adige after having crossed the Brenner Pass, instead of "unreasonably" turn west to the modern Vercelli; this way, the location of the battle would be in the modern Polesine instead, possibly near the modern Rovigo. The Adige (Adige Venetian: Àdexe; Trentin Ades; Friulian: Adis; Etsch Ladin: Adesc, or Adiç Brenner Pass ( Italian: Passo del Brennero; German: Brennerpass; Latin: Brennus Mons) is a Mountain pass through Polesine (poˈleːzine in Italian; written Połéxine in unified Venetan script and pronounced or) is a geographic and historic For the Renaissance composer see Francesco Rovigo. Rovigo is a town in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, the capital
At Borgovercelli near the river Sesia, 5 km far from Vercelli, there are lots of archeological finds supposedly related to the facts that strengthen the tradition. The Sesia (Latin Sesites or Sessites) is a river in north-western Italy, tributary to the Po.
Battle
Thus follows Theodor Mommsen's account:
- The two armies met below Vercellae not far from the confluence of the Sesia with the Po,(25) just at the spot where Hannibal had fought his first battle on Italian soil. Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen ( 30 November 1817 &ndash 1 November 1903) was a German classical scholar, The Cimbri desired battle, and according to their custom sent to the Romans to settle the time and place for it; Marius gratified them and named the next day — it was the 30th July 653 (101 BC) — and the Raudine plain, a wide level space, which the superior Roman cavalry found advantageous for their movements. Here they fell upon the enemy expecting them and yet taken by surprise; for in the dense morning mist the Cimbrian cavalry found itself in hand-to-hand conflict with the stronger cavalry of the Romans before it anticipated attack, and was thereby thrown back upon the infantry which was just making its dispositions for battle. A complete victory was gained with slight loss, and the Cimbri were annihilated. 1
- Those might be deemed fortunate who met death in the battle, as most did, including the brave king Boiorix; more fortunate at least than those who afterwards in despair laid hands on themselves, or were obliged to seek in the slave-market of Rome the master who might retaliate on the individual Northman for the audacity of having coveted the beauteous south before it was time. The Tigorini, who had remained behind in the passes of the Alps with the view of subsequently following the Cimbri, ran off on the news of the defeat to their native land. The human avalanche, which for thirteen years had alarmed the nations from the Danube to the Ebro, from the Seine to the Po, rested beneath the sod or toiled under the yoke of slavery; the forlorn hope of the German migrations had performed its duty; the homeless people of the Cimbri and their comrades were no more. 2
Aftermath
The victory of Vercellae, following close on the heels of Marius' defeat of the Teutons at the Battle of Aquae Sextiae the previous year, put an end to Germanic plans to invade Rome. The Teutons or Teutones (from Proto-Germanic * Þeudanōz) were mentioned as a Germanic tribe by Greek and Roman authors The Battle of Aquae Sextiae ( Aix-en-Provence) took place in 102 BC. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2
Politically, this battle had great implications for Rome as well. Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps ( March 3 1803 &ndash August 22 1860) was a French painter. It marked a continuation in the rivalry between Marius and Sulla, which would eventually lead to the first of Rome's great civil wars. List of Civil wars involving Rome. There were several Roman civil wars, especially during the time of the late Republic. As a reward for their gallant service, Marius granted Roman citizenship to his Italian allied soldiers, without consulting or asking permission from the Senate first. When some Senators questioned this action, he would claim that in the din of battle he could not distinguish the voice of Roman from ally from the voice of the law. Henceforth all Italian legions would be Roman legions. For other uses see Legion The Roman Legion (from Latin legio "military levy Conscription," This was also the first time a victorious general had openly defied the Senate. Nor would it be the last; In 88 BC, Sulla, in defiance of both the Senate and tradition, would lead his troops into the city of Rome itself. Year 88 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome The Social War ends with the defeat of the Italian And Julius Caesar, when ordered by the Senate to lay down his command and return to Rome to face misconduct charges, would instead lead one of his legions across the Rubicon in 49 BC. Rubicon ( Rubicō, Italian: Rubicone) is a 29 km long River in northern Italy. Year 49 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Crus This would mark the start of the civil war between himself and Senatorial forces under Pompey which would effectively end the Roman Republic. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/ Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir ( Classical Latin abbreviation The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the
Notes
- ^ for instance: Zennari, Jacopo (1958). La battaglia dei Vercelli o dei Campi Raudii (101 a. C. ) (in Italian). Cremona: Athenaeum cremonense.
See also
References
- Mommsen, Theodor, History of Rome, Book IV "The Revolution", pp 71-72 . The Battle of Aquae Sextiae ( Aix-en-Provence) took place in 102 BC.
- Florus, Epitome rerum Romanarum, III, IV, partim
- Todd, Malcolm, The Barbarians - Goths, Franks and Vandals, pp121-122. Florus, Roman Historian, lived in the time of Trajan and Hadrian.
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