Battle of Arausio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Arausio
Part of the Cimbrian War
The migrations of the Cimbri and the Teutons. L Roman victories. W Cimbri and Teutons victories.
Date 6 October 105 BC Location Arausio, on the Rhône River, France 44°8′0″N 4°48′0″E / 44.13333°N 4.80000°E / 44.13333; 4.80000 Result Cimbrian and Teutonic victory
Belligerents
Cimbri Teutons	Roman Republic
Commanders and leaders
King Boiorix King Teutobod	Quintus Servilius Caepio Gnaeus Mallius Maximus
Strength
200,000	120,000 80,000 troops (10–12 legions) 40,000 auxiliaries and camp followers
Casualties and losses
15,000 killed	Possibly 120,000 killed

The Battle of Arausio was a huge fight that happened on October 6, 105 BC. It took place near the town of Arausio, which is now called Orange, Vaucluse, in France. Two large Roman armies faced off against two powerful groups of tribes, the Cimbri and the Teutons.

This battle was one of the worst defeats in the history of ancient Rome. The Roman armies were almost completely wiped out. This terrible loss led to big changes in how the Roman army was organized and recruited.

Why the Battle Happened

The Cimbri tribe was moving through Europe, which caused problems for the Romans. Their travels upset the balance of power and led to other tribes fighting with Rome. For example, a Roman army was ambushed, and the town of Tolosa (modern Toulouse) briefly rebelled. This made Rome send more troops to the area.

After taking back Tolosa, the Roman general Quintus Servilius Caepio decided to wait. He wanted to see if the Cimbri would move towards Roman lands again. On October 6, 105 BC, they did.

Roman Commanders' Disagreement

Even before the battle, the Romans had problems. Two main Roman armies were camped near the Rhône River, close to Arausio. One was led by Gnaeus Mallius Maximus, who was a consul (a top Roman official). The other was led by Quintus Servilius Caepio, a proconsul (another high-ranking general).

As the consul, Maximus should have been in charge of both armies. However, Maximus was a "new man" (a novus homo), meaning he didn't come from a noble Roman family. Caepio, who was from a noble family, refused to take orders from him. Because of this, Caepio set up his camp on the opposite side of the river. This disagreement meant the two Roman armies could not work together.

The Battle Unfolds

The first clash happened when a small group of Roman soldiers, led by Marcus Aurelius Scaurus, met an advance group of the Cimbri. The Cimbri easily defeated this Roman group. Scaurus was captured and brought before the Cimbri king, Boiorix. Scaurus bravely told Boiorix to turn back, or his people would be destroyed by the Romans. King Boiorix was angry at this and had Scaurus killed.

Caepio was ordered by the Roman Senate to cross the river and join Maximus. But even then, he insisted on having his own separate camp. He still ignored Maximus's orders.

Caepio's Attack and Defeat

Caepio might have thought that Maximus would succeed in talking to the Cimbri and get all the glory. So, on October 6, he launched a sudden attack on the Cimbri camp by himself. But Caepio's army was completely destroyed because of his rushed attack and the strong defense of the Cimbri. The Cimbri then easily took over Caepio's camp, which had been left almost empty. Caepio himself managed to escape the battle unharmed.

Maximus's Army Destroyed

After their easy victory, the Cimbri felt very confident. They then moved to destroy the army led by Maximus. This Roman army was already feeling low because of the fighting between their commanders. They had also just watched their fellow Romans get completely wiped out.

Many soldiers might have tried to run away, but their camp was poorly placed, with their backs to the river. It was very hard to cross the river while wearing heavy armor. Very few Romans managed to escape. This included not only the soldiers but also their servants and camp followers. Historians say that around 80,000 Roman soldiers and 40,000 servants were killed. This means a total of about 120,000 people died, making it one of Rome's worst defeats ever.

Aftermath of the Disaster

Rome was a nation that often fought wars, and they were used to losing battles sometimes. However, the string of defeats, ending with the disaster at Arausio, was very worrying. Rome lost many soldiers and a lot of military equipment. Even worse, a terrifying enemy was now camped on the other side of the Alps, with nothing to stop them from invading Italy.

In Rome, many people believed the defeat was due to Caepio's arrogance, not because the Roman army was weak. People became very unhappy with the ruling class.

Marius Rises to Power

The Cimbri did not immediately march into Italy. Instead, they fought with another tribe, the Arverni, and then headed towards the Pyrenees mountains. This gave the Romans time to reorganize their army and choose new leaders.

The huge loss at Arausio, which killed many rich and common Romans, made the Roman Senate and people change their laws. Normally, a man could not be a consul a second time until ten years had passed since his first time. But they elected the skilled general Gaius Marius as consul only three years after his first consulship. Then, for four more years in a row, they kept electing him as the main commander of all Roman forces while the war continued.

Eventually, the Romans under Marius finally defeated the Teutones and Ambrones in the Battle of Aquae Sextiae. This happened as these tribes tried to move through the Alps into Italy.

In Fiction

The Battle of Arausio and the events around it are described in the historical novel The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough, published in 1990. It also appears in The Gold of Tolosa, a historical novel by Philip Matyszak from 2013.