The Battle of the Tolenus River was fought on 11 June 90 BCThe battle coincided with the

Matralia Mater Matuta was an indigenous Latin goddess, whom the Romans eventually made equivalent to the dawn goddess Aurora, and the Greek goddess Eos. Her cult is attested several places in Latium; her most famous temple was located at Satricum. In Rom ...

, the feast of the indigenous Latin goddess

Mater Matuta Mater Matuta was an indigenous Latin goddess, whom the Romans eventually made equivalent to the dawn goddess Aurora, and the Greek goddess Eos. Her cult is attested several places in Latium; her most famous temple was located at Satricum. In Rome ...

on 11 June between the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

, led by the

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...

Publius Rutilius Lupus Publius Rutilius Lupus was a consul of the Roman Republic in 90 BC. The Social Wars broke out the year before his consulship. His colleague, Lucius Julius Caesar, was sent out to face the Samnites, while Lupus was to fight the Marsi. He chose Ga ...

, and an army of

Marsi The Marsi were an Italic people of ancient Italy, whose chief centre was Marruvium, on the eastern shore of Lake Fucinus (which was drained for agricultural land in the late 19th century). The area in which they lived is now called Marsica. ...

an Rebels commanded by

Titus Vettius Scato Titus Vettius Scato (also Cato) was an Italian rebel commander, a general of the Marsi during the Social War. At the Battle of the Tolenus River (11 June 90 BC), Scato and the Marsi ambushed the Roman consul, Publius Rutilius Lupus after the Roma ...

. The battle was part of the Social War and resulted in a major defeat for the Romans.

Background

and Lucius Julius Caesar were elected as

consuls A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

for the year 90 BC and dispatched to command armies in the Social War, which had begun during the prior year with the rebellion of

Asculum Asculum, also known as Ausculum, was the ancient name of two Italian cities. The first is Ascoli Piceno, the ''Ausculum'' in ancient Picenum (modern Marche). It is situated in the valley of the Truentus (mod. Tronto) river on the via Salaria. I ...

. While Lucius Caesar marched against the

Samnites The Samnites () were an ancient Italic people who lived in Samnium, which is located in modern inland Abruzzo, Molise, and Campania in south-central Italy. An Oscan-speaking people, who may have originated as an offshoot of the Sabines, they for ...

, Rutilius was sent to face the

, selecting

Gaius Marius Gaius Marius (; – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. Victor of the Cimbric and Jugurthine wars, he held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his important refor ...

as his senior legate.

Battle

Rutilius and Marius constructed two bridges across the Tolenus RiverKnown today as the Turano River in eastern

Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil (Old Latium) on whi ...

, pitching camps on one side of the river, while the Marsian commander

set up camp on the other side of the river, nearer to Marius's camp. The night before the battle, Scato sent an ambush force to the location of Rutilius's bridge, and when Rutilius attempted to cross with his army in the morning, they were attacked, and Rutilius was killed. Marius, downstream from the attack, observed bodies floating down the river and therefore decided to advance across the river, taking Scato's undermanned camp by surprise and forcing Scato to retreat with his ambush force in search of provisions.

Aftermath

The Battle of the Tolenus River was the largest engagement of the Social War thus far, with around 8,000 killed on both sides. Despite the equal losses, the battle was unquestionably a Roman defeat with the death of the consul Rutilius. The senate decided against holding elections to replace Rutilius, instead handing control of his army jointly to Marius and Quintus Servilius Caepio.

References

Sources

Notes

{{reflist, group=note Tolenus River Tolenus River Tolenus River Marsi 1st century BC in the Roman Republic Gaius Marius