Arausio, Battle of

▪ Roman history

      (Oct. 6, 105 BC), the defeat of a Roman army by Germanic tribes near Arausio (now Orange in southern France). The Cimbri and the Teutoni had invaded the Roman province of Transalpine Gaul about 110 BC. The consul Gnaeus Mallius Maximus was sent from Italy in 105 with an army to reinforce that of the proconsul Quintus Servilius Caepio and began negotiations with the invaders; while these were going on, Caepio attacked the Cimbri. He was overwhelmed, and the consul's army, drawn into the fighting, was also destroyed. Although the Cimbri and the Teutoni did not advance into Italy, the disaster and the need to raise new forces led to the multiple consulships of Marius and to his army reforms.

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