Battle of Vesuvius

The Battle of Vesuvius was a battle fought between the Roman Republic and the Latin allies during the Second Latin War . Since it was fought on the Veseris River, it is also known as the Battle of the Veseris . It is dated to 339 BC. Chr. Dated.

After the Romans and Samnites in 341 BC Having ended the First Samnite War and not only defined their mutual spheres of interest (Sidicines to the Samnite, Capua to the Roman), but even concluded a formal alliance with one another, the Latin cities now feared that Rome's role in the Latin Alliance, which was originally based on equality, was too much would become dominant and rose in 340 BC. Chr. Against Rome. They won the Sidicines and Campania as allies . After the Latins had advanced to Samnium at the beginning of the war, it came in 339 BC. BC on Vesuvius for the first major battle of the war.

On the Roman side, the consuls Publius Decius Mus and Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus had the supreme command. The reports of the battle are legendarily overgrown. Manlius is said to have killed his own son, who rebelled against him, to strengthen his troop discipline. Like two later bearers of this name, Decius Mus is said to have sacrificed himself to the gods to ensure victory. The only thing that is certain is that the Romans were actually able to win the battle, which at first seemed almost lost. A year later the Latins were finally defeated by the Roman victory at Trifanum and the capture of Antium.

The Battle of Vesuvius is sometimes also referred to as the Battle of Mons Lactarius , in which the Ostrogoths were defeated by Ostrom, as this battle site was also not far from Vesuvius.