Sertorian War facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sertorian War
Part of the Crisis of the Roman Republic
Date 80–72 BC Location Hispania (Iberian peninsula) Result Victory for the Senate
Belligerents
Roman popularis exiles Native Iberians Native Celts Native Aquitanians	Roman Senate
Commanders and leaders
Quintus Sertorius X Lucius Hirtuleius  † Marcus Perperna  Gaius Herennius  †	Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Pompey Lucius Fufidius Gaius Aurelius Cotta M. Domitius Calvinus  † Lucius Thorius Balbus  † Quintus Calidius Lucius Manlius Lucius Cornelius Balbus

The Sertorian War was a big fight in Roman history. It happened from 80 to 72 BC. This war was between a group of Roman rebels led by Quintus Sertorius and the official Roman government in Rome. The fighting took place in the Iberian Peninsula, which the Romans called Hispania.

This war was one of many Roman civil wars during the first century BC. Sertorius's group included people from different tribes like the Celts, Aquitanians, and Iberians, along with Roman and Italian rebels. They fought against the government that Sulla had set up in Rome. The war is named after Quintus Sertorius because he was their main leader. He was famous for using clever guerrilla warfare tactics, which means small groups using surprise attacks. The war ended when Sertorius was killed by Marcus Perperna. Perperna was then quickly defeated by the Roman general Pompey.

Why the War Started

During an earlier Roman civil war, Quintus Sertorius fought against Sulla's side. In 83 BC, Sertorius was sent to the Iberian Peninsula to be its governor. But his side lost the war in Italy. Sulla then sent an army that forced Sertorius out of Iberia.

After traveling for a while, Sertorius ended up in North Africa. There, he helped local people remove a leader who supported Sulla. In North Africa, he met people from the Lusitanians tribe. They were unhappy with how Sulla's government was treating them back home. They asked Sertorius to lead them against the Roman government. The Lusitanians chose Sertorius because he had been a fair governor in 82 BC.

Some historians think the Lusitanians wanted to be fully independent. But others believe Sertorius joined them to help establish a Roman government that would treat them better. Sertorius likely agreed because it became clear he and his followers would not be forgiven by Sulla's government.

Sertorius Returns to Iberia

In 80 BC, Sertorius defeated a small Roman navy near Mellaria. He then landed in the Iberian Peninsula at Baelo, close to Gibraltar. It seems Sertorius first went to Lusitania. He organized the local tribes there. Then he returned to the Baetis valley to defeat a Roman force led by Lucius Fufidius. This battle helped Sertorius gain control of much of Hispania Ulterior.

Early Years of the War (80–77 BC)

After his victory at the Baetis River, Sertorius controlled most of southwestern Hispania. He made his power strong in this area. He also sent his trusted helper, Lucius Hirtuleius, to Hispania Citerior. Hirtuleius was to deal with the Roman governor there, Cotta, and other Roman forces.

The Roman government in Rome was worried. They made Hispania Ulterior a more important province. They appointed Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius, a top general, as its new governor. In 79 BC, Metellus was on his way. Meanwhile, Marcus Domitius Calvinus, who had taken over Hispania Citerior, moved into Hispania Ulterior. But Hirtuleius's army blocked his path. Hirtuleius had built strong defenses.

Hirtuleius, a helper of Quintus Sertorius, was moving a few groups of soldiers along a narrow road between two steep mountains. When he heard a large enemy force was coming, he dug a ditch between the mountains. He then built a wooden wall behind it. He set fire to the wall and escaped, leaving the enemy stuck on the other side of the flames.

Hirtuleius used clever tactics to wear down Domitius Calvinus's army. He led them further inland. Eventually, a battle happened at the Anas River. Domitius was defeated and died.

Metellus did not know about this defeat. He had sent one of his officers, Lucius Thorius Balbus, to help Domitius. But Sertorius himself defeated Balbus. Quintus Calidius replaced Domitius Calvinus as governor. Metellus arrived in Spain in late 80 or early 79 BC. He tried to push into the country. But Sertorius used hit-and-run tactics, which made it very hard for Metellus.

Metellus was used to fighting with large, slow armies. He liked to command big groups of soldiers. These soldiers were very good at pushing back the enemy in close combat. But his army was not good at chasing men who moved quickly over mountains. They also struggled to go without food, tents, or campfires, like Sertorius's men did. Sertorius's Iberian fighters had light armor and were very fast. This meant Sertorius was always changing his plans and surprising Metellus. Metellus was getting older and liked comfort. Sertorius, however, was strong and full of energy. ... When Sertorius challenged Metellus to a one-on-one fight, Metellus's soldiers cheered. They wanted him to fight. They made fun of him when he said no.

Metellus did not have many strong bases in central Hispania. So, he started building them. He also began to take control of cities and tribes in Hispania one by one. This was a strategy his father had used in another war. Metellus built forts like Metellinum and Castra Caecilia. This plan might have worked against a weaker enemy. But Sertorius kept up his constant attacks and ambushes. He slowly wore down Metellus, who soon had to ask for help from Rome.

Lucius Manlius, the governor of Gaul, tried to help Metellus. He marched with three legions and 1,500 cavalry over the Pyrenees mountains. He fought a battle with Hirtuleius's forces near Ilerda. Manlius was defeated and forced to retreat. Hirtuleius tried to surround Manlius in Ilerda, but Manlius escaped back to Gaul. There, the Aquitani tribe attacked him.

In 78 BC, Metellus tried to capture Langobriga, a town allied with Sertorius. Metellus wanted to show that Sertorius could not protect his allies. But Sertorius had prepared the city. He supplied it and made its defenses strong. He also removed all useful things from the countryside around Langobriga. This forced Metellus to surround the city, but he quickly ran out of supplies. Metellus had to send a group of soldiers to find food. Sertorius ambushed them when they returned. He defeated them and took their supplies. This left Metellus with no food for his army. He gave up the siege and marched back to the coast. Back in Rome, Sulla died in 78 BC. His political group was left without a strong leader.

In 77 BC, Metellus used a more careful plan. He only held the line of the Baetis river. He waited to see what would happen in Rome, where a new revolt was starting. Sertorius left Metellus alone. He focused on getting control of the tribes in the middle of Iberia that had not yet joined him.

The Middle Years (76–74 BC)

The ongoing threat from Sertorius forced the Roman government to take big steps. They decided that the new governor of Hispania Citerior should have a very important command. He would also get a large army to help Metellus fight Sertorius. In 76 BC, the Senate agreed to send Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey). Pompey had never been a top Roman official before.

Pompey gathered an army of 30,000 foot soldiers and 1,000 horsemen. This large army showed how serious the threat from Sertorius was. Pompey marched to Hispania.

In the same year (76 BC), Marcus Perperna joined Sertorius. Perperna brought the rest of the army from a rebellious consul named Marcus Aemilius Lepidus from Sardinia. Perperna did not want to be under Sertorius's command at first. But his soldiers heard Pompey was coming. They demanded that Perperna take them to Hispania to join Sertorius. Perperna brought a large force of about five-and-a-half legions with him.

With these new soldiers, Sertorius decided to attack the eastern cities that supported Sulla's side. His first target was the city of Lauron. Meanwhile, Pompey had crossed the Pyrenees mountains. He was marching his army toward Sertorius. Pompey wanted to end the rebellion quickly by forcing Sertorius into a big battle. Pompey also sent a fleet under his brother-in-law, Gaius Memmius. Memmius, along with a Spaniard named Balbus, was to try and capture New Carthage. This city would be a good base. But Sertorius's pirate allies quickly surrounded Memmius. So, Memmius could not help in the campaign.

The Battle of Lauron

Pompey had a strong army of experienced soldiers. He was very confident. He immediately went on the attack. When he entered Hispania, he started clearing the coastal area. He wanted to connect with Metellus, who was in Hispania Ulterior. Pompey had some early success. But he faced a big problem when he met Sertorius at Lauron. Sertorius arrived at Lauron first and began to surround the city. Pompey was sure he would win. He set up his camp close to Sertorius's camp. He wanted to force Sertorius into a fight. But Sertorius decided to teach Pompey a lesson.

Pompey was happy with how things were going. He placed his army so that Sertorius was, he thought, caught between the city and his army. So Pompey sent a message to the people of Lauron. He invited them to celebrate. He told them to sit on the city wall to watch Sertorius get surrounded. Sertorius was told this and found it very funny. Sulla's student (as he jokingly called Pompey) was about to get another lesson – this time from Sertorius himself.

Sertorius sent out his light troops and cavalry to bother Pompey's soldiers who were looking for food. He told his men to focus on the groups close by. But they were to leave the Pompey's men in farther areas alone. Eventually, Pompey's soldiers got tired of the constant attacks. They moved their food-gathering operations to more distant areas. This was what Sertorius wanted. During the night, he sent out soldiers to set up an ambush for the food-gathering groups.

The Battle of Lauron was a clever victory for Sertorius. It showed that the war was far from over. But Metellus fought his way past Perperna, who was trying to stop him. Metellus came to Pompey's rescue.

Battles at Valentia and Italica

At the start of the fighting season in 75 BC, Pompey defeated Sertorius's helpers, Perperna and Gaius Herennius. This battle was near Valentia. Perperna and Herennius made a mistake by fighting a big battle. They thought they could defeat Pompey. They fought in a narrow space between the river and the city walls. These conditions helped Pompey's experienced soldiers. Herennius was among the 10,000 soldiers who died. Valentia was captured and looted. Sertorius, who was fighting Metellus, had to rush east to fix the situation. He left Hirtuleius in charge in Hispania Ulterior.

Metellus quickly defeated Hirtuleius in a battle near the Roman town of Italica. Hirtuleius gathered his army at dawn and marched toward Metellus's camp. Metellus also gathered his troops. But he kept them behind his defenses until noon. It was very hot, and Hirtuleius's troops were soon sweating. Metellus's soldiers stayed relatively fresh. Since his enemy stayed in front of his camp for hours, Metellus had plenty of time to study their positions. He planned his own moves. He saw that Hirtuleius had put his strongest units in the middle of his battle line. When the battle finally started, Metellus held back his own center. He focused on winning on the sides. After defeating his opponents' sides, he surrounded Hirtuleius's center. Hirtuleius lost 20,000 men at Italica. He then fled north to join Sertorius, who was facing Pompey. Metellus followed, wanting to make the most of his victory by trapping Sertorius between Pompey and himself.

Battles at Sucro and Saguntum

When Sertorius heard about Hirtuleius's defeat and the loss of his army, he decided he had to defeat Pompey. He needed to do this before Metellus arrived from the west. Pompey agreed to fight. Both armies prepared for battle. They fought a big battle at the River Sucro. Sertorius defeated the left side of Pompey's army. He even forced Pompey himself to run from the battlefield. But Sertorius's other side was defeated by Pompey's helper, Afranius. So, the battle ended in a draw. When news came that Metellus was coming, Sertorius marched inland. Pompey and Metellus followed him.

At a town called Saguntum (likely not the famous city of Saguntum), Sertorius's own soldiers were tired of his hit-and-run tactics. They forced Sertorius into a battle. The battle did not have a clear winner. But Sertorius suffered heavy losses. He was forced to retreat further inland.

Rebuilding the Army

Sertorius marched to the fortress town of Clunia in Celtiberia. Metellus and Pompey followed him. At Clunia, Sertorius held off a siege. This kept Pompey and Metellus busy. Meanwhile, his agents were rebuilding his army elsewhere. When his new army was ready, Sertorius escaped from Clunia. He joined up with the rest of his forces.

Campaigns of 74 BC

The war in 74 BC is not well-known. During the winter, Metellus, who was in Gaul, received two more legions of soldiers. When the fighting season started, he marched over the Pyrenees and joined Pompey. They focused their efforts on the lands of the Celtiberians and the Vaccaei tribes. Overall, it seems Sertorius's position became a bit weaker. According to Frontinus, Metellus even got lucky that year.

Metellus wanted to keep his troops in order. So he announced he knew about an enemy ambush. He ordered that no one should break ranks or leave their flags. He only did this to keep his troops disciplined. But then, they actually ran into an ambush. His soldiers handled it calmly because they were expecting it.

Pompey had less luck when he tried to take Palencia. He was surrounding the city when Sertorius showed up. Pompey did not stay to fight. He retreated before Sertorius could attack. From that moment on, Pompey worked more closely with Metellus. They stayed close enough to help each other if needed.

Perperna went around the Romans in the middle of the country. He marched to the western coast of Iberia. There, he captured the city of Portus Cale.

After rebuilding the walls of Palentia, Sertorius suddenly marched east into the Ebro valley. He surprised the Romans who were surrounding the fortress town of Calgurris. He killed about 3000 of them.

The Roman Senate sent an admiral named Antonius with a fleet. He was to fight Sertorius's naval and coastal forces. Antonius tried to stop the Sertorian siege of Emporion. But he did not make much progress against the strong Sertorian attackers. Eventually, Antonius was called back because his fleet was needed somewhere else.

At the end of the fighting season in 74 BC, Pompey took his army into the Roman Province in southern Gaul. The local governor, Fronteius, had prepared supplies for Pompey and his forces. Pompey used the winter to write urgent letters to his supporters and the Senate in Rome. His letter to the Senate has been saved in the writings of Sallust.

From my early youth, I have faced danger and hardship. The armies I commanded defeated your worst enemies and kept you safe. Yet, Senators, now that I am far away, you treat me no better than if I had fought against you. For now, despite my youth, you have left me in a very cruel war. You have, as much as you could, sentenced me and a loyal army to the worst death: starvation. Is this what the Roman people expected when they sent their sons to war? And after being wounded and shedding their blood for their country, is this how they are rewarded? When I got tired of writing letters and sending messengers without results, I used up my own money and even my credit. In three years, you have barely given me enough to keep going for one. By the Immortal Gods! Do you think I am the treasury, or someone who can run an army without food or pay? I admit I started this war with more passion than wisdom. Forty days after you gave me the empty title of general, I had raised an army. The enemy [Perperna] was already threatening Italy. I drove them from the Alps into Hispania. In doing so, I opened a path for you much better than Hannibal's. ... Outnumbered and with new troops, I held off the first attack of the conquering Sertorius. After that, I spent the winter not in comfort or in towns, but in camp among the fiercest enemies. Do I really need to list the battles and campaigns, the towns destroyed or captured? The facts speak for themselves: taking the enemy camp at Sucro, the fight on the River Turia, Gaius Herennius, the enemy commander, wiped out with his army; Valentia; you know all this well enough. So, grateful fathers, in return for all this – we get need and hunger. The enemy army and mine are in the same condition. Neither has any pay, and both can march into Italy to get it. Please pay full attention to this warning – you do not want me to take into my own hands the job of getting what I need. The parts of Hispania Citerior not held by the enemy are actually a costly burden for us. This is because, apart from the coastal towns, both we and Sertorius have ruined it completely. Gaul supplied money and crops to Metellus last year. This year the crops failed, and the province can barely support itself. So I am out of options, money, and credit. It is up to you. Either you save the situation, or my army will come to Italy and bring the war with it. It is not what I want, but you have been warned.

Pompey's threat made Rome's leaders act quickly. Since the government did not have enough money, they started a fundraising campaign. The threat from Sertorius scared Rome's rich people. Many decided to give money from their own wealth.

The End of the War (73–71 BC)

In 73 BC, there was a growing split between the Roman and local parts of Sertorius's group. Metellus had offered a reward of a lot of silver and land to any Roman who would betray Sertorius. Because of this, Sertorius stopped trusting his Roman bodyguards. He replaced them with Iberian ones. This made the Romans and Italians in Sertorius's camp upset. They felt their leader no longer trusted them. A group of Romans then began to plan his downfall. Plutarch says that the Romans treated the local people harshly. They blamed Sertorius for their actions. This made Sertorius less popular. They wanted to get rid of Sertorius, who was becoming more unpredictable and suspicious of everyone. It is usually thought that Perperna killed Sertorius in 72 BC, but some historians argue it was 73 BC.

Perperna invited Sertorius to a party to celebrate a supposed victory. Usually, parties Sertorius attended were very proper. But this party was rude and meant to upset the skilled general. Disgusted, Sertorius turned away, planning to ignore them. At this point, Perperna gave a signal to his fellow plotters. They then murdered Sertorius, who was not expecting it.

When Sertorius died, some of his Iberian allies sent messengers to Pompey or Metellus and made peace. Most simply went home. Perperna managed to keep control of some of the Roman rebels who had followed Sertorius. But he needed a quick victory to gain his people's trust. Unfortunately for Perperna, Pompey had set a trap. He pretended to retreat and then ambushed them. Frontinus reports:

Pompey put troops in places where they could attack from hiding. Then, pretending to be scared, he pulled back. This drew the enemy after him. When he had the enemy exposed to the ambush, he turned his army around. He attacked, killing the enemy in front of him and on both sides.

Pompey used 10 groups of soldiers as bait to lure Perperna's army into his ambush. He let these soldiers be attacked while they were spread out, maybe looking for food. As they ran, they led Perperna's army into the hidden lines of Pompey's main army. When these hidden soldiers attacked, the 10 groups of soldiers turned and attacked their pursuers from the front. The resulting slaughter was a clear victory.

Pompey's successful ambush showed that Perperna was not a good leader. Perperna tried to beg for his life. He offered to give Pompey all of Sertorius's letters. These letters would show who in the Roman government and society had been in contact with Sertorius. Pompey said he would take the papers. When they were all gathered, he burned them. This prevented another civil war from starting. He then executed Perperna and all the men who had murdered Sertorius. After this final battle, which likely happened near Sertorius's capital of Osca, the war was basically over.

What Happened Next

According to Scullard, Pompey treated Hispania kindly. This was compared to how Romans usually treated traitors and rebels. Many supporters were given Roman citizenship. A group of strong opponents were moved to Lugdunum Convenarum in southern Gaul.

Timeline of the War

• 80 BC: Sertorius and a small army land at Baelo (near Gibraltar).
• 80 BC: Sertorius defeats the forces of Fufidius (Roman governor) at the Baetis estuary.
• 80 BC: Hirtuleius (Sertorius's helper) defeats Domitius Calvinus (governor of Hispania Citerior) at the Anas River.
• 80/79 BC: Sertorius defeats Lucius Thorius Balbus (a helper of Metellus Pius).
• 79 BC: Metellus marches into Hispania. Sertorius starts wearing him down with clever tactics.
• 79/78 BC: Hirtuleius defeats Lucius Manlius, the governor of Gaul, and forces him back to Gaul.
• 78 BC: Metellus tries to take Langobriga. Sertorius stops him.
• 77 BC: Sertorius makes his power stronger. He controls most of the Iberian peninsula.
• 77 BC: The Senate sends Pompey with a large army to help Metellus.
• 76 BC: Pompey is outsmarted and defeated at the Battle of Lauron.
• 76 BC: Gaius Memmius (Pompey's officer) captures New Carthage. But Sertorius's allies block him.
• 75 BC: Pompey defeats Herennius and Perperna at the Battle of Valentia.
• 75 BC: Metellus defeats Hirtuleius at the Battle of Italica.
• 75 BC: Pompey and Sertorius fight the Battle of Sucro, which has no clear winner. Sertorius retreats inland.
• 75 BC: Sertorius fights Metellus and Pompey at the Battle of Saguntum. Sertorius retreats further inland.
• 75 BC: Metellus and Pompey surround Sertorius at Clunia. Sertorius breaks through and escapes.
• 74 BC: Pompey and Metellus fight against Sertorius's allies.
• 74 BC: Sertorius drives Pompey from Palentia.
• 74 BC: Perperna takes Cale on the western coast of Hispania.
• 74 BC: Sertorius rebuilds the walls of Palentia.
• 74 BC: Sertorius marches into the Ebro valley. He surprises the Romans surrounding Calgurris, killing 3000 of them.
• 74 BC: Antonius, a Roman admiral, tries to break the Sertorian siege of Emporion. He fails and is called back.
• 74 BC: Pompey writes his famous letter to the Senate. He threatens to march back to Rome if he doesn't get money and more soldiers.
• 73 BC: Metellus offers a reward to anyone who will kill Sertorius.
• 73 BC: There is a growing split in Sertorius's group.
• 73 BC: Perperna and his fellow plotters kill Sertorius during a dinner.
• 72 BC: Pompey ambushes Perperna's army and defeats the last of Sertorius's followers.

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See also

In Spanish: Guerra de Sertorio para niños