jul 30, 101 BC - 101 BC- Battle of Vercellae or Battle of the Raudine Plain - Marius defeats Cimbric king Biorix ending Germanic threat to Rome

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The Battle of Vercellae or Battle of the Raudine Plain was fought on 30 July 101 BC on a plain near Vercellae in Gallia Cisalpina (modern-day Northern Italy). A Celto-Germanic confederation under the command of the Cimbric king Boiorix was defeated by a Roman army under the joint command of the consul Gaius Marius and the proconsul Quintus Lutatius Catulus.[3] The battle marked the end of the Germanic threat to the Roman Republic

On 30 July 101 BC, the Roman army marched onto the Raudine Plain. Marius split up his own 30,000–32,000 men strong army in two lots each forming the wings of the army while Catulus and his 20,000–24,000 less experienced troops formed the centre.[26] Marius took command of the left wing, with Sulla commanding the cavalry on the extreme right. Marius had also very sensibly formed up his lines facing west, therefore the Cimbri had to fight with the morning sun in their eyes. The wind was blowing towards the enemy so any dust kicked up by their manoeuvering blew towards the Cimbri, impairing their eyesight. The Cimbri arrived second, marching onto the plain in a basic square formation with their warriors as deep as they were wide covering an area of over ten square miles. The 15,000 strong Cimbric cavalry rode in front of the square forming the vanguard.[27]

According to Plutarch, Marius made a final sacrifice to the gods: "Marius washed his hands, and lifting them up to heaven, vowed to make a sacrifice of 100 beasts should victory be his" while Catulus promised the day's spoils to the gods for their help.[28]

The Romans took a position first and remained stationary, the sun reflected off their bronze helmets.[29] Since the Romans held their position, the Cimbri had to come to them, forcing them to expend additional energy.[29] Meanwhile, the sun kept reflecting off the Romans helmets giving the Cimbri the impression the sky was on fire, unnerving them. Sensing their anxiety, the Romans attacked.[30] Marius led his wing against the Cimbri right. He marched into a huge dust cloud created by thousands of men on the move across dry fields. When he emerged, he did not find the enemy, the battle was taking place somewhere else.[31] The Cimbri had launched themselves in a huge wedge towards Catulus's centre, their cavalry to the front. The Cimbri cavalry then suddenly turned right hoping to draw the Romans out of their ordered ranks or trying to outflank them.[28] Some of the legionaries fell for the ruse and pursued the Cimbri cavalry. While these legionaries were in pursuit, another segment of the Cimbri advanced and attacked the vulnerable and disorderly Romans.[28] Unfortunately for the Cimbri, their horsemen were taken completely by surprise by the superior Roman cavalry under the command of Sulla. The Cimbri horses were forced back into the main body of their infantry, causing chaos. Seeing an opportunity, Catulus ordered his legions to advance and attack. When they reached the Cimbri they threw their pila into their disorganized ranks, the legionaries drew their swords and were soon in hand-to-hand combat. The other wings of the Roman army moved in on the Cimbri flanks, hemming them in. The Roman forces were smaller but more highly trained and disciplined. Furthermore, Roman legionaries excelled at close-quarters combat and, being so tightly packed, were in their element. The summer heat also worked against the barbarians who were not accustomed to fighting in these temperatures, unlike the Romans. The battle became a rout, stopped by the wagons drawn up (as was customary among Germanic and Celtic peoples) at the rear of the battlefield. At this point, the rout became a massacre that stopped only when the Cimbri began to surrender en masse. Boiorix and his noblemen made a last stand in which they were all killed. The Romans had won a complete and stunning victory.[32]

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