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List of Roman Battles
#46
Thank you for doing all that work. It's a wonderful list for me to put in my data base on my computer. It's nice to know what happened when and to whom.
Julia Cassia
aka Julie Brooks
La Wren\'s Nest
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#47
Apologies for the lack of updates.
I've been very busy lately, lots of useless stuff to do for school, got a really good job now, etc etc Smile

I'll add the rest of the battles on saturday or sunday.
I don't know whether I'll ever add the sources, but in any case, it won't be anytime soon.
[size=75:18gu2k6n]- Roy Aarts[/size]
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#48
Nice work Roy.

If I may, there's a battle which seldom gets mentioned. I think it is worth mentioning, and despite the energy, resolve, and sound decision =-making of the Senate throughout the war (they were the 'silent service' really), this event seems, in retrospect, a classic example of Roman Bona Fortuna in the Second Punic War.

Livy provides a description as grim as it was tactically adept on the part of the Boii (Book 23.24), when they wiped out the consular army in northern Italy in late 216 B.C. (maybe early 215). Sextus Julius Frontinus also cites the disaster in his list of anectodes of ambushed (Strategemata, Book 1.6.4).

Despite the fact that the Romans found Hannibal's tactical measure, the political situation Hannibal was attemting to molest was working slowly, and Rome even had to lower the wealth-qualification by perhaps 60% for service in the army as early as 215 B.C. - an indication that her manpower drawn from her citizenry was diminishing. But even if this is accurate (see Peter Brunt's Italian Manpower 225 B.C.-A.D 14, Pgs 66-75), Rome may not have been as strained as Livy implies. But she might have been. The one event that may have altered the outcome occured here in late 216 B.C. When the army of Cannae was assembled, one Lucius Postumius Albinus was sent north with a legion to divert the Gauls away from Hannibal's army. It came to nothing for that purpose, but Postumius' army had reached that of a standard consular army, a paper-strength of 25,000 or so men. Postumius was elected consul for 215 B.C., but sometime in the winter of 216 B.C., perhaps November (a guess), he and his force were thoroughly ambushed and cut down almost to the man by the Boii, in what Livy calls the Litana Forest, probably near modern Modena in northern Italy, just south of the Po. Livy says 'ten men' escaped, an illustration of the magnitude of the disaster, despite a certain overstatement (maybe it was fifteen who escaped!). It was an impressive military display by these Gauls: they had cut trees to a point so they still stood, but could be toppled upon the road with a little force. When the Romans entered the path through this wooded area, the Gauls indeed pushed the trees upon the marching column, and had surrounded the perimeter, cutting down the Romans who were trying to escape in the limited escape-routes.

This disaster, at least as bad as Lake Trasimene or the Teutoburger Wald, was very serious because, at this juncture, Rome had no standing army to immediatley replace it. In the Senate, for the only time in the war, they had to acknowledge, following Livy, that a theater had to be shelved; the Gallic war was compeeled to be left in abeyance, not because they had options. Hannibal was supreme in the south, though Rome itself could not be taken by assault. Livy tells us of Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus' speech, Book 23.25,

"...'We,' he said, 'who were not crushed by the overthrow at Cannae must not lose heart at smaller calamities. If we are successful, as I trust we shall be, in our operations against Hannibal and the Carthaginians, we can safely leave the war with the Gauls out of account for the present; the gods and the Roman people will have it in their power to avenge that act of treachery. It is with regard to the Carthaginians and the armies with which the war is to be carried on that we have now to deliberate and decide'..."

'The gods will have it in their power'? If the Gauls, Hannibal's looser allies, had swooped down from their close proximity, Rome would have been in deeper trouble than any time during the actual events of the war. They did it in 390 B.C., with an open road to Rome then too, and would revolt again in 200 B.C. This is what makes this so peculiarly fascinating. We cannot blame the Gauls for carrying a grudge with Hannibal; they had beared the brunt of his victories, and were more interested in forage. But the diversionary attempt by the Senate to deplete Hannibal of his Gauls in the south didn't even work slightly. The Gauls in the north, standing solid and surely galvanized by their crushing destruction of a Roman army did nothing, even after no other Roman force came to replace it.

They didn't even attack the primary nascent colonies of Placentia and Cremona. A Roman army, under one Marcus Pomponius Matho, would not arrive in Gallic territory for more than two years. The inactivity of the Gauls at this point not only enabled the Romans to concentrate fully against Hannibal in the south, where they would slowly and inexorably gain operational superiority, but Etruria and Umbria, showing signs of revolt in the years to come, were given no reason to do so now, as they could conform to Rome's war effort with no interference.

Polybius tells us of Hannibal's dealings with his Gallic allies in his march south after the Trebbia, Book 3.78,

"...During this winter he also adopted a truly Punic artifice. Fearing the fickleness of the Celts and possible attempts on his life, owing to his establishment of the friendly relations with them being so very recent, he had a number of wigs made, dyed to suit the appearance of persons differing widely in age, and kept constantly changing them, at the same time also dressing in a style that suited the wig, so that not only those who had seen him but for a moment, but even his familiars found difficulty in recognizing him.

Observing that the Celts were dissatisfied at the prosecution of the war in their own territory, but were eagerly looking forward to an invasion of that of the enemy, professedly owing to their hatred of the Romans, but as a fact chiefly in hope of booty, he decided to be on the move as soon as possible and satisfy the desire of his troops..."


But this all gets even more interesting: in 200 B.C., a major uprising broke out, in which all the tribes, stirred up by the Cenomani, Insubres and the Boii, sacked and burned Placentia, and then proceeded towards Cremona - a battle you do have on your list. They were led by a Carthaginian named Hamilcar, who had stayed in northern Italy; he is believed to have been an officer of the army of either Hasdrubal or Mago, the invaders from the previous decade. Anyway, Roman forces, though dealing with the preliminary round of the next bout with Macedon, where readily available to deal with this threat; Livy tells us some 40,000 Gauls (such numbers will always be exiguous) were under Hamilcar. The threat was ultimately dealt with by a praetor, one Lucius Furius, under, of course, decisions made by the Senate. Livy tells this tense event, Book 31.10-11, and 31.48-49.

Hannibal, in retirement at this time, must have been very disappointed, assuming he heard of this; why didn't they rise in late 216 B.C.? Simultaneous serious threats from north and south might have doomed Rome in this critical time; operations in Spain would be forsaken, and things might have been different. Carthage could not have defeated Rome, but Rome might have been defeated by circumstances at the right time favoring Hannibal. Much depended on the peoples of Italy, Sicily, and Spain - on whom, between Rome and Carthage, it was in their better interests to join or at least come to terms with. The Gallic threat following Postumius' destruction might have affected things greatly in Carthage's favor. Maybe Hannibal should have assigned an officer to the north to effectuate a resistence against the Roman realm in the north, as he did in sending Muttines to Sicily in 212 B.C. But maybe he didn't know at the moment, as he was in Campania behind the Volturnus. Clearly, as events would show, the Gauls coud be stirred up under a Carthaginian officer - and in a time when Rome had forces in the area to resist them.

Actually, around Casilinum in late 216 B.C., the first Roman field army sent out since Cannae, was mauled by Hannibal. Perhaps Livy suppressed another battle you can add Roy, in which Hannibal administered his wily stratagem. We must also wonder of the degree Livy had control over his historical material, and the significance of his selection and arrangement (see T.J. Luce, Livy: the Composition of his History). But four different stories come form three other ancient sources of a battle fought around Casilinum in late 216 B.C.,

Dio Cassius, Roman History, Book 15.57 (Joannes Zonaras, Extracts of History, Book 9.3),

"They overtook Hannibal and encamped near him, so as to watch his movements. Junius, the dictator, ordered the Romans to do exactly as the Carthaginians were commanded to do. So they took their food and sleep at the same time, visited the sentries in the same manner, and were doing everything else in similar fashion. When Hannibal became aware of this, he waited for a stormy night and then gave notice to some of his soldiers of an attack to be made in the evening. Junius did the same thing. Thereupon Hannibal ordered different detachments to attack him in succession one after the other, in order that his opponents might be involved in constant hardship as a result of sleeplessness and the storm; but he himself rested together with the troops not in action. When day was about to break, he recalled the army, to all appearances, and the Romans put away their weapons and retired to rest; then all of a sudden he attacked them, with the result that he killed a number and captured the entrenchments, which were deserted"

Julius Sextus Frontinus, Stratagems, Book 2.5.25,

"Hannibal, when contending against the dictator Junius, ordered 600 cavalrymen to break up into a number of squadrons, and at the dead of night to appear in successive detachments, without intermission around the camp of the enemy. Thus all night long the Romans were harassed and worn out by sentry duty on the rampart and by the rain, which happened to fall continuously, so that in the morning, when Junius gave the signal for recall, Hannibal led out his own troops, who had been well rested, and took Junius' camp by assault."

Polyaenus, Stratagems, Book 6.38.5-6,

5."Hannibal defeated the Romans in Campania by the following stratagem. During a storm, he gave these instructions to his army: when he gave the signal for fighting, they should rest and sleep, but when he gave the signal for retiring, they should leave [their camp] at about the second watch [of the night]. When he gave the signal for fighting, the Romans were alarmed, and stood ready for battle. A long time later, Hannibal gave the signal for retiring. The Romans, who were worn out by standing in the storm and by lack of sleep, returned [to their camp] and fell asleep. Then Hannibal attacked them, and killed them all."


6. "When Hannibal was near Casilinum on a stormy night, he split his army into several divisions, and led them out to battle. He gave instructions, that when he first gave the signal for fighting, the first division should attack the enemy; but when the trumpeters gave the signal for retiring, the first division should retreat and the second division should move to the attack; and so on with the third and fourth divisions. And by this stratagem he defeated the enemy."

Especially with the Romans having trouble in Campania with Hannibal at this juncture, if many of the Gauls had descended down, Rome might have succumbe to the double-force.

But perhaps it is merely an indication that Hannibal needed too many things of 'chance' to go his way. But the allies were disgruntled as early as late 216 B.C., having 'meetings' etc., and Livy has Fabius opposing a proposal to grant two senators from each Latin community full citizenship, his argument centered around the belief that the allies' feelings were unpredictable, and their loyalty uncertain' (Book 23.22). That is very substantial for Hannibal's strategy, and after Second Herdonea, the inner ring of Latin communities could no longer support the war effort, and the others were in the firing range of the war's activity, thus they probably could not make up the difference as much as Livy seems to imply.

The poster Sardaukar (Mika) made an astute point on another thread: Hannibal didn't necessarily underestimate Roman resolve and prowess, but he underestimated the loyalty of the core allies. I think that's true, but what many seem to overlook is that, though his pleas fell on deaf ears in the north and center of Italy (except the Samnite cantons and Campania), his attempt to enervate the Roman Federation came very close.

Food for thought.

Again, great work!

Thanks, James Smile
"A ship in harbor is safe - but that is not what ships are built for."

James K MacKinnon
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#49
The poster Sardaukar (Mika) made an astute point on another thread: Hannibal didn't necessarily underestimate Roman resolve and prowess, but he underestimated the loyalty of the core allies. I think that's true, but what many seem to overlook is that, though his pleas fell on deaf ears in the north and center of Italy (except the Samnite cantons and Campania), his attempt to enervate the Roman Federation came very close.

Food for thought.

I thought that was pretty obvious tho'?
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#50
Here are some more:

Milvian Bridge
Date: October 28th, 312AD
Location: At the Pons Milvius, the last bridge before Rome on the Via Appia
Combatants: Army of Constantine vs. that of Emperor Maxentius
Roman Commander: Maxentius
Constantinian Commander: Constantine
Result: Maxentius' army is scattered
Roman Strength: 75-100,000
Constantinian Strength: 50,000
Roman Casualties: ?
Constantinian Casualties: ?


Adrianople
Date: August 9th, 378AD
Location: 13km from the city in what is now European Turkey
Combatants: Eastern Roman Empire vs. mixed Gothic army
Roman Commander: Emperor Flavius Valens
Gothic Commanders: Fritigern, Alatheus, and Saphrax
Result: Roman defeat
Roman Strength: About 15,000 (5,000 cavalry + 10,000 infantry)
Gothic Strength: About 20,000 (10,000 Cavalry + 10,000 infantry)
Roman Casualties: 10,000 plus emperor Valens
Gothic Casualties: ?

Catalaunian Fields
Date: June, 451AD
Location: In what is now the Champagne region of France
Combatants: Allied army of Romans, Visigoths and Alans vs. the Huns and Ostrogoths
Allied Commander: Flavius Aetius
Hunnic Commander: Attila
Result: Attila withdrew with his army and look intact, but his conquest was halted
Allied Strength: 30-50,000
Huns and Ostrogoth Strength: 30-50,000
Allied Casualties: ?
Hun and Ostrogoth Casualties: ?
Go in peace, and may the light of Lugh shine on your path
Divitiacus: Priest and brehon of the Druid order
Commander of the Brayden Cael
(AKA Justin Hawley)
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#51
Werent the Latins just the early Romans. The Etruscans had the Latins enslaved for some time, then the Latins rebelled and destroyed the Etruscans. Then they set up the Roman Republic out of Rome. Isnt that about right? (its what I learned in my college history class last semester)
Nomen:Jared AKA "Nihon" AKA "Nihonius" AKA "Hey You"

Now with Anti-Varus protection! If your legion is lost for any reason, we will give it back! Guaranteed!

Carpe Dium
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#52
I find Wikipedia's list of Roman battles to be a very helpful resource.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_battles

Granted, many battles are poorly referenced, some are poorly (or too briefly) described, but the beauty of a wiki is that we can all add to and improve it.
Adam Anders
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#53
Quote:Werent the Latins just the early Romans. The Etruscans had the Latins enslaved for some time, then the Latins rebelled and destroyed the Etruscans. Then they set up the Roman Republic out of Rome. Isnt that about right? (its what I learned in my college history class last semester)

Many of the early Romans were Latins, as well as Sabines, Etruscans and others. When Rome was young her rulers welcomed anyone and everyone. Whilst the Romans were mostly Latins the Latins were not mostly Romans. It would be like saying that Greeks were Syracusan.

The thing to keep in mind regarding the Romans and the Etruscans is that some of the foreign kings were invited by the romans to come and rule them. The overthrowing of the Tarquins, the last kings of rome, was led by relatives of the Royal family. There was no racial motivation behind the revolt and the creation of a republic.
Colin
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#54
This is a fantastic time line! Thank you for putting this together as a novice to the subject I often find I get too much information without time to put it together. For example I knew about the Siege of Jerusalem by Titus Flavius, the Teutoburg forest, Actium, Mutina etc but had a hard time placing them time-wise.

This will be a book marked thread which I check frequently I can assure you, Thank you for your time and effort in posting this. It is of great help.
- Jonathan H
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#55
I was looking for info about certain battles when i found this site. Its a really good forum so I thought I'd join. I've got another few small battles,not much info on them but I've got a bit.

Battle of Lauron
July 75 BC
Spain, just south of Valencia?
Roman Republic v Roman Rebels
Roman Republic Commander: Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius
Roman Rebels Commander: Quintus Sertorius and Marcus Perpenna Vento
Results: Roman Rebels victory
Roman Republic Strength: ?
Roman Rebels Strength: 12000?
Roman Republic Casualties: ?
Roman Rebels Casualties: ?

Battle of Sucro
August 75 BC
Unknown. Spain
Roman Republic v Roman Rebels
Roman Republic Commander: Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius
Roman Rebels Commander: Quintus Sertorius and Marcus Perpenna Vento
Results: Inconclusive
Roman Republic Strength: ?
Roman Rebels Strength: ?
Roman Republic Casualties: At least 6000
Roman Rebels Casualties: At least 8000

Battle of Lutetia Parisiorum
52 BC
Near modern day Paris
Roman Republic v Gauls (Parisii)
Roman Commander: Titus Labienus
Gallic Commander: Camulogenus
Results: Roman victory
Roman Strength: 3 legions, 5 cohorts (diversion)
Gallic Strength: ?
Roman Casualties: ?
Gallic Casualties: ?

Amanus Mountain
October 12th 51 BC
Mountains dividing Cilicia and Syria
Roman Republic v Bandits
Roman Commander: Marcus Tullius Cicero
Bandit Commander: ?
Results: Roman victory
Roman Strength: 2 legions (under-strength?), auxiliaries, 2600 cavalry?
Bandit Strength: ?
Roman Casualties: ?
Bandit Casualties: ?

Siege of Pindenissus
October 20th - November 14th 51 BC
Mountains dividing Cilicia and Syria
Roman Republic v Eleutherociles
Roman Commander: Marcus Tullius Cicero
Eleutherociles Commander: ?
Results: Roman victory
Roman Strength: 2 legions (under-strength?), auxiliaries, 2600 cavalry?
Eleutherociles Strength: ?
Roman Casualties: Many wounded - None?
Eleutherociles Casualties: ?
Jeremy Latcham
Quae caret ora cruore nostro?
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#56
First just want to say hi as i'm knew here and secondly what a great piece of work your putting together ,all the best. 8)
Arran
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#57
Augustus (Octavius): The campaign versus cantabrians and astures.
?-10 BC.
As others were seemingly preoccupied with glory, Augustus was more practical (gold) and his next campaign took him to Asturica Augusta. Another of the Legions with Anthony in Actium was Gemina X that was dissolved and changed the named from Equestris to Gemina (double) due to its new formation. From 29 AC, Gemina is the first to arrive to Hispania for the war versus the astures. Augustus comes to Asturica Augusta (Res Geatae Divi Augusti) in 26 AC. For certain there is seven Legions: Augusta (I); Augusta (II); Macedonica (IIII); Alaudae (V);Macedonica (VI) ( Vitirx VI), Macedonica (VIII) (Hispana VIIII) and Gemina (X). Many important battles like Aracillum; Lancia and the legendary Mons Medullius . The forces in Augustus presence were in the order of 70000 to 80000 (Legions and auxilliares)

Vale.
Drank from the spring flowing today as it did yesterday
Why waist any time with faces of Eris?
The rebirth of Algea happens not in discussions but in rumble… Turning; revolutions.
I inspire myself in the poems of love; loving perfect kisses… incredible kisses
So I leave you with your progeny: Ignavia, Otia and Silentia.
Manuel.
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#58
Quote:... Battle of Gythium
Date: 195BC
Location: Gythium, Greece
Combatants: Roman Republic & Achaean League & Rhodes & Pergamum & Macedon vs. Sparta
Roman & Allied Commanders: Titus Quinctius Flaminius & Eumenes II of Pergamum
Spartan Commanders: Dexagoridas & Gorgopas
Result: Roman & Allied victory
Roman & Allied Strength: about 50000
Spartan Strength: ?
Roman Casualties:
Spartan Casualties: ?

Besides Gytheion/Gytheum in 192[size=85:1hrohyt4]BC[/size] - wasn't there a battle of sorts at Sparta between Flamininus and Nabis in 195[size=85:1hrohyt4]BC[/size]?

I think it resulted in a confused action over a couple of days when Nabis beat the Romans off for a while before they forced his mercenaries back into the city. Again, this information is available in Montagu's book.
[size=75:2kpklzm3]Ghostmojo / Howard Johnston[/size]

[Image: A-TTLGAvatar-1-1.jpg]

[size=75:2kpklzm3]Xerxes - "What did the guy in the pass say?" ... Scout - "Μολὼν λαβέ my Lord - and he meant it!!!"[/size]
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#59
The battle of Kalefeld-Oldenrode, somewhere between 180 and 260 A.D.

Attackers: Romans

Defenders: unknown but highly likely Germanic tribes

Outcome: Unknown

M.VIB.M.
Bushido wa watashi no shuukyou de gozaru.

Katte Kabuto no O wo shimeyo!

H.J.Vrielink.
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#60
I notice nobody has added anything to this impressive list for a few months now, but what about the night attack on the 9th Legion, as mentioned by Tacitus?

Details, of course, are somewhat lacking.

Night Raid on 9th Legion
Date: 83/84 AD
Location: Scotland
Combatants: Rome vs Caledonians
Roman Commander: Agricola
Caledonian Commander: ?
Result: Roman victory
Roman Strength: ?
Caledonian Strength: ?
Roman Casualties: ?
Caledonian Casualties: ?
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