Cimbrian War

The Cimbrian War was a war by Rome against the Scandinavian Cimbri who had formed an alliance with German Tribes on the Danube.
The war lasted 12 years between 113-101 BCE.

The Cimbri represented the biggest threat to Rome since the Second Punic War.
It is possible that the Cimbri may have had a plan to defeat the Roman Allied Tribes first, then go on to defeat the Roman Armies in the Provinces, and finally to invade Italy and conquer Rome.

Between 120-115 BCE, the Cimbri emigrated from Southern Scandinavia and Jutland, Denmark and united with the Teutones to defeat the Scordisci and the Boii.
In 113 BCE, they arrived in Noricum on the Danube and threatened the Taurisci, a Roman Ally who sent a request to Rome for help.

Battle of Noreia (112 BCE)
- In 112 BCE Consul Carbo led the Roman Legions into Noricum (Austria), where the Cimbri defeated the Roman Army at the Battle of Noreia.
- In 109 BCE, the Cimbri then moved into Gallia Narbonensis, although they could have invaded Italy.
Battle of Burdigala (109 BCE)
- The Cimbri again defeated the Roman Army under the Consul Ravalla.
Battle against the Tigurini (107 BCE)
- In 107 BCE, the Tigurini, Allies of the Cimbri, then defeated another Roman Army.
Battle of Arausio (105 BCE)
- The Romans lost 80,000 men in the worst disaster since the Battle of Cannae in 216 BCE.

Two Consuls, Maximus and Caepio, raised an Army of 80,000 men, plus many more in the Baggage Train. Because they refused to cooperate with each other, they each led their own separate Army and made base camp on opposite sides of the River Rhone. As a result, the enemy was able to destroy each army separately.
Caepio attacked first, but was defeated and his Army annihilated. Because the two armies were split, they could not support each other and Maximus was unable to assist. He was then attacked and defeated and his army destroyed.
The Romans lost a whole Army of 80,000 men and their supporters, more than ever before in Roman History.
It was the worst military disaster since the Battle of Cannae.
However, instead of taking advantage of the Roman defeat and invading Italy, the Cimbri then moved to Hispania.

This was the biggest Emergency Rome had faced since the Second Punic War.
In 104 BCE, the Roman Senate appointed Marius Dictator for five years instead of the usual six months.

To meet the pending threat, Marius now made two fundamental changes to the way the Roman army functioned:
- First, instead of using a seasonal army, Marius formed an all year round permanent standing professional Army for the first time in Roman history.
- Second, he changed the Legionary Tactics from the Maniple System to the Cohort System. This gave complete flexibility to the Commander and transformed the mobility of the Legion.
Two years later he marched his new Legions into Gaul to face the Cimbri and the Teutones.

In 102 BCE, 120,000 soldiers of the Cimbri and Teutones faced only 40,000 Roman soldiers formed into six Legions with their Auxiliaries, near Aix en Provence.
This time, it was the turn of the armies of Cimbri and Teutones to be annihilated.
Their Losses were 90,000 dead and 20,000 taken as Slaves. 300 of the married women killed their children and committed suicide rather than become Roman Slaves.
The Roman Losses were recorded as 1,000 killed.

Having implemented the Marian Reforms, the Roman Army had now become an almost unbeatable force in the Ancient World, that would continue to expand Rome’s Frontiers over the next 200 years.
However, this was also the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic.
The loyalty of the Legions moved from the Roman Senate to the Proconsul of the Province they were based in, which eventually led to Civil War.

Aix-en-Provence