Siege of Senonae
| date | 356 |
|---|---|
| place | Senonae , France |
| output | Victory of the Romans |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
unknown |
|
| Troop strength | |
| 13,000 legionaries | unknown |
Mediolanum - Augusta Vindelicorum - Lacus Benacus - Placentia - Fano - Pavia - Langres - Vindonissa - Autun - Reims - Brumath - Senonae - Argentoratum - Solicinium - Argentovaria
The siege of Senonae was a skirmish between Roman troops under Julian and Alemanni in 356. It ended with a victory for the Romans.
prehistory
After the Battle of Brumath , winter broke in Gaul in 356 , so that the Roman general Julian had to look for winter quarters for himself and his soldiers. He chose the nearby town of Senonae (whose identification is unclear). Due to the limited food supply within the city, the Roman general had his army divided up and housed in the surrounding settlements.
The Alemanni, who had heard of the division of the Roman army, took advantage of this moment and drew a ring around the city of Senonae in the autumn of 356.
course
Julian had prepared for such an emergency and had enough food brought into town to feed his garrison for a few months. But he had too few troops in the city to risk a sortie. He let messengers penetrate the enemy lines at night and send messages to the individual Roman troops outside the city. But they offered little or no help. In particular, the army master Marcellus did not send any soldiers to Senonae despite two requests for support. The reason for this was probably the general's envy of Julian's successes; so Julian had to hold out with the garrison. There were some skirmishes on the city wall, but they were unsuccessful on both sides. After the harsh winter months, the poorly organized Alemanni had to break off the siege due to a lack of food and withdraw to the north. With that Julian had won the siege.
consequences
Julian had the displeasure of the Roman officers outside the city punished in a draconian way. Marcellus was also suspended from duty. The Roman army was able to make all preparations for the further campaign from the city of Senonae . The really decisive victory of the Romans over the Alemanni came only in the following battle of Argentoratum .
literature
- Klaus Rosen : Julian. Emperor, God and haters of Christians . Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2006, pp. 141f.