Battle of the Bagradas
| date | August 49 BC Chr. |
|---|---|
| place | Bagradas |
| output | Victory of the Pompeians |
| consequences | Province of Africa in the hands of the Senate Party |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
|
Supporters of the Senate |
Follower of Gaius Iulius Caesar |
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| unknown | 2 legions |
The battle of the Bagradas took place in the Roman Civil War in August 49 BC. In the province of Africa . The Caesarians lost on the Bagradas River under Gaius Scribonius Curio to the Pompeians under Publius Attius Varus and King Juba of Numidia . Most of the Caesarians, including Curio, lost their lives in this battle. Among the few survivors was the later historian Gaius Asinius Pollio .
prehistory
Gaius Scribonius Curio was a tribune of the people who was under Caesar's command during the Roman Civil Wars. One of his tasks was to defeat the Optimates in the southern Mediterranean and thus to help Caesar to an increased position of power in Rome . Sicily was already known by the Optimates on April 23, 49 BC. Was evacuated, Curio could land on the island and from there prepare his military actions in North Africa ( African campaign of the Curio ). The Roman tribune landed in Africa in early August 49 BC. With two legions.
The Optimat Publius Attius Varus camped there . He was repulsed in a few skirmishes and holed up in the city of Utica. In mid-August Curio began the siege of the city of Utica . His problem was that the two legions that made up his army were originally soldiers loyal to the Senate. Some of his officers had already defected to the Optimates, and his opponent saw this weakness. He therefore addressed his legionnaires and gave them the choice between optimates and popular people. However, the legionaries remained loyal and Curio gave the order to attack.
procedure
During the siege, the tribunes received news of a relief army from the Numidian King Juba I , who was allied with Varus. So he broke off the siege, holed up on a hill a little away from the city and requested reinforcements. Now Juba used a ruse to defeat Curio before he could get reinforcements. The Numid king announced that he had been ambushed and that he could not come to Utica with the main body of his army, but that he could only send a small division of horsemen under General Saburra to Varus . Curio then left his position and attacked Saburra, defeated him and pursued the riders. Saburra was able to lure Curio into the ambush of the Juba, where the tired legionaries were crushed. Curio himself preferred death in battle to flight, he fell and the battle was over.
consequences
The province of Africa remained firmly in the hands of the Pompeians, even after the death of Pompey in 48 BC. It became a reservoir for almost all of Caesar's well-known opponents.
literature
- Hermann Bengtson : Roman History: Republic and Imperial Era to 284 AD. Beck, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-406-02505-6
- Klaus Bringmann : History of the Roman Republic. From the beginning to Augustus. Beck, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-406-49292-4 .