Suebi

The Suebi was a generic name for a large group of Germanic Tribes from the Elbe region of Germany which included other Tribes such as the Marcomani, Semnones, Quadi, Hermanduri and the Langobards.
When they migrated into Gaul in 58 BCE, Julius Caesar opposed them in what was to become the first year of the Gallic Wars (58-50 BCE).

In 71 BCE Ariovistus, Head of the Suebi and King of the Germans, started to migrate across the Rhine into Belgica.
- 63 BCE Battle of Magetobriga, in alliance with the Sequani and the Arverni, a Roman Client Kingdom, Ariovistus attacked and defeated the Aedui, a Roman Ally.
- 62 BCE Rome ignored the defeat of one Roman Ally by another.
- 61 BCE The Sequani rewarded Ariovistus with land, on which he settled 120,000 of his own Tribe. When another 24,000 of the Harudes Tribe joined him, he demanded more land from the Sequani.

Rome realised he was now in a powerful enough position to take over the rest of Gaul.
- It was clear the Germanic Tribes were massing in a repetition of The Cimbrian War, when the German tribes had massed and invaded Roman territory in 113-101 BCE.
- It was Julius Caesar who acted to prevent this, beginning the Gallic Wars.

Ariovistus, King of the Suebi, had occupied the territory of the Sequani and was oppressing the Aedui.
Consequently, Caesar had accepted Ariovistus and the Suebi as a Roman Client Kingdom.
However, Ariovistus considered the presence of Caesar’s Legions in Gaul to be in violation of their treaty and was not prepared to accept them on his territory.
War appeared inevitable.

In September 58 BCE Caesar estimated Ariovistus to have 120,000 soldiers, with more reinforcements expected to cross the Rhine and besiege the Sequani town of Vesontio (Besancon).
Caesar quickly reinforced the Roman Garrison before the Suebi arrived, preventing Vesontio from falling to the Suebi.

Seeing this, Ariovistus then opened Diplomatic negotiations with Caesar.
Ariovistus’ argument was that just as Julius Caesar had the right to invade Gaul from the south in order to prevent conflict, he had the same right to do so from the north.
Caesar countered his argument by pointing out that Ariovistus had failed to assist him against the Helvetii, therefore he had no right to invade at all.

The Roman Legionaries were intimidated by the German Army and reluctant to go into battle, as their morale was low.
Julius Caesar was obliged to make a rallying speech to his troops. He suggested that if they were afraid to go into battle against the Germans, then they could stand down and he would take just one Legion, his favourite Legio X Equestris and they engage the enemy alone. This speech galvanised the troops into supporting him and they joined in the battle.

Caesar arranged his Legions in front of the German Camp and attacked, with himself commanding the right wing.
The two armies were well matched, and initially the Battle was a stalemate.
After a while the Left wing was able to rout the Suebi army, but on the right wing, their sheer numbers started to prevail.
The situation was saved by the son of Crassus, Publius Licinius Crassus, who commanded a cavalry attack that broke the Suebi attack, and put them to flight.
As the Suebi fled they were cut down, with 25,000 being killed. The rest escaped across the Rhine including Ariovistus.

As the Suebi returned home, they were attacked by the Ubii, another Roman Client Kingdom, further weakening them.
In 55 BCE they attacked the Ubii, and Caesar was forced to defend the Ubii by building a bridge across the Rhine, and sending his Legions to disperse them from their towns. The Legions then recrossed the bridge and dismantled it.
Meanwhile Julius Caesar put his legions into Winter quarters in Sequani territory under Labienus, and returned to Gallia Cisalpina.

Besancon, France