may 21, 107 BC - 107 BC - Battle of Burdigala, Roman consul Longinus and his army were ambushed by Cimbri & Teutons in Gaul

Description:

took place during the Cimbrian War in 107 BC. The battle was fought between a combined Germano-Celtic army including the Helvetian Tigurini under the command of Divico, and the forces of the Roman Republic under the command of Lucius Cassius Longinus, Lucius Caesoninus, and Gaius Popillius Laenas. Longinus and Caesoninus were killed in the action and the battle resulted in a victory for the combined tribes.

In 107 BC, the Roman Senate launched another campaign under Lucius Cassius Longinus, Lucius Caesoninus, and Gaius Popillius Laenas (son of Publius Popillius Laenas), to defend one of their allied tribes. At first, all went well for Rome. Just outside Tolosa, the combatants met and, despite the huge numbers of Germans and their allies, Longinus defeated them and they retreated in disorder, leaving behind a large number of baggage wagons. Flushed with his success, Longinus followed them, but was reluctant to leave behind the captured baggage train, which slowed his army down significantly.[1]

By the time he reached Burdigala, it was heavily fortified and the barbarians had been reinforced. Longinus made a camp on a defensible hilltop near Burdigala and decided to attack the oppidum. He put the camp under the command of Popillius Laenas and marched on Burdigala, but did so without tightening ranks or marching in squares. He apparently did not even bother to send out scouts. Near Burdigala, Longinus and his army were ambushed by the combined tribes. He was killed in the action along with 10,000 of his men. The remaining Roman forces were saved from the same fate by Laenas, who was forced to surrender a majority of the army's supplies in return for permission to retire from the field "under the yoke".[1]

When news of the Roman defeat reached the Gallic countryside, several towns rose in revolt including Toulouse. The following year, another consul, Quintus Servilius Caepio, marched on the rebellious Gallic forces and captured Toulouse, capturing the Gold of Tolosa (Aurum Tolosanum) amongst other spoils. Much of these spoils "vanished" whilst being transferred to Massilia. In 105 BC, the Germanic forces and the Tigurini won a further victory against the Romans at the Battle of Arausio.

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