Battle of Arausio 105 BC
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate. Wikidata lists more than one location for this battle; the first is shown.
Key facts
| Year | 105 BC | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Ancient (before 500) | derived from year |
| Location | France | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Cimbrian War | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Ancient Rome, Cimbri, Teutons | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 44.1333, 4.8000 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
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, when two Roman armies, commanded by proconsul Quintus Servilius Caepio and consul Gnaeus Mallius Maximus, suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Cimbri and Teuton migratory tribes who were led by Boiorix and Teutobod respectively.
Differences between the Roman commanders prevented regular coordination between their armies, resulting in their annihilation by the united Cimbrian-Teutonic force. Roman losses are thought to have been as high as 80,000 legionaries and another 40,000 auxiliary troops, with total losses numbering up to 120,000 soldiers, the entirety of both armies. In terms of losses, this battle is regarded as the worst defeat in the history of ancient Rome, surpassing the Battle of Cannae. The battle resulted in the Roman military being restructured under Gaius Marius through his Marian reforms, which significantly changed the organisation and recruitment of Roman legions. These changes would remain principally intact for centuries. However, some historians have questioned the implementation of sudden reforms under Marius.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Arausio (revision 1380107034), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Other battles of the Cimbrian War
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All 4 battles of the Cimbrian War →
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