Battle of Burdigala

Battle of Burdigala
Part of the Cimbrian War
Map of the invasion route of the Cimbrian and Teuton territory.
Date 107 BC Location Bordeaux, France Result Tigurini victory
Belligerents
Roman Republic	Tigurini
Commanders and leaders
Lucius Cassius Longinus † Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus † Gaius Popillius Laenas	Divico
Strength
10,000	30,000 warriors[1]
Casualties and losses
High (4,000 taken prisoner)	Relatively low

The Battle of Burdigala was a battle of the Cimbrian War that occurred in the year 107 BC. The battle was fought between the forces of the Helvetian Tigurini under the command of Divico, and the forces of the Roman Republic under the command of Lucius Cassius Longinus, Lucius Caesoninus and Gaius Popillius Laenas. Longinus and Caesoninus were killed in the action and the battle resulted in a victory for the Tigurini tribes.

Context

In 113 BC, the Germanic tribes of the Cimbri and the Teutons invaded Roman territory defeating an army under the command of Gnaeus Papirius Carbo in Italy at the Battle of Noreia. The Germanic tribes demanded to be given the right to settle in Roman territory. When denied, the Germanic force marched all the way to Gallia Narbonensis where they defeated another Roman army under the command of Marcus Junius Silanus at an unknown location. It was thereafter that the Germans forged an alliance with the Tigurini tribe and Rome prepared for an invasion of the lower peninsula that did not come.

The battle

In 107 BC, the Roman Senate launched another campaign under Lucius Cassius Longinus, Lucius Caesoninus and Lucius Caesoninus, son of Gaius Popillius Laenas, to defend one of their allied tribes. The Tigurinis were able to successfully ambush the Romans and the consul Longinus was killed in the action along with most of his troops. The remaining Roman forces were saved from the same fate by Laenas who was forced to surrender a majority of the army's supplies to the Tigurini in return for permission to retire from the field "under the yoke".

Aftermath

When news of the Roman defeat reached the Gallic countryside, several towns rose in revolt including Tolouse. The following year, another consul, Quintus Servilius Caepio, marched on the rebellious Gallic forces and captured Tolouse, capturing The Gold of Tolosa (Aurum Tolosanum) amongst other spoils. Much of these spoils "vanished" whilst being transferred to Massilia. In 105 BC, the Germanic forces and the Tigurini won a further victory against the Romans at the Battle of Arausio.

References

Bibliography

• Gaius Sallustius Crispus. Jugarta, ch. 32.
• Titus Livius. Epítome, ch. 65.
• Paulus Orosius. Historias. Libro V, ch. 15.
• Julius Caesar. Commentaries on the Gallic Wars Book I, ch. 7 (leer).
• Publius Cornelius Tacitus. Germania, ch. 37.

External sites

• "The Cimbrian War". Retrieved 12 March 2011. 

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Salustio

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Tito Livio

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Tacitus