List of Roman battles
The following is a List of Roman battles, organized by date. The list is not exhaustive. For the complete list see List of battles, for other contemporary battles see List of battles 1400 BC-AD 600.
- 396 BC - Battle of Veii - Romans complete conquest of Etruscans
- 390 BC - Battle of the Allia - Gauls defeat the Romans, leading to the Gallic sack of Rome
- 342 BC - Battle of Mount Gaurus - Roman general Marcus Valerius Corvus defeats the Samnites
- 339 BC - Battle of Vesuvius - The rebellious Latins defeat Romans under P. Decius Mus.
- 338 BC - Battle of Trifanum - Roman general T. Manlius Torquatus decisively defeats the Latins.
- 321 BC - Battle of the Claudine Forks - Romans under Spurius Postumius and T. Verturius Calvinus are defeated by the Samnites under Gaius Pontius.
- 316 BC - Battle of Lautulae - Romans are defeated by the Samnites.
- 315 BC - Battle of Ciuna - Romans defeated the Samnites
- 310 BC - Battle of Lake Vadimo - Romans defeat the Etruscans.
- 305 BC - Battle of Bovianum - Roman consuls M. Fulvius and L. Postumius decisiviely defeat the Samnites to end the Second Samnite War.
- 298 BC - Battle of Camerinum - Samnites defeat the Romans under Lucius Cornelius Scipio in the first battle of the Third Samnite War.
- 295 BC - Battle of Sentinum - Romans under Fabius Rullianus and Publius Decimus Mus defeat the Samnites and their Etruscan and Gallic allies, forcing the Etruscans, Gauls, and Umbrians to make peace
- 293 BC - Battle of Aquilonia - Romans decisively defeat the Samnites.
- 285 BC - Battle of Arretium - A Roman army under Lucius Caecilius is destroyed by the Gauls
- 283 BC - Battle of Lake Vadimo - A Roman army under P. Cornelius Dolabella defeats the Etruscans and Gauls.
- 282 BC - Battle of Populonia - Etruscan resistance to Roman domination of Italy is finally crushed.
- 280 BC - Battle of Heraclea - First engagement of Roman and Greek armies, the latter led by Pyrrhus of Epirus, who is victorious, but at great cost.
- 279 BC - Battle of Asculum - Pyrrhus again defeats the Romans.
- 275 BC - Battle of Beneventum - Pyrrhus is finally defeated by the Romans under Marcus Curius Dentatus.
- 261 BC - Battle of Agrigentum - Carthaginian forces under Hannibal Gisco and Hanno are defeated by the Romans, that attain control of most of Sicily.
- 260 BC –
- Battle of the Lipari Islands - A Roman naval force is defeated by the Carthaginians
- Battle of Mylae - A Roman naval force under C. Duillius defeats the Carthaginian fleet, giving Rome control of the western Mediterranean.
- 256 BC -
- Battle of Cape Ecnomus - A Carthaginian fleet under Hamilcar and Hanno is defeated in an attempt to stop a Roman invasion of Africa by Marcus Atilius Regulus.
- Battle of Adys - Romans under Regulus defeat the Carthaginians in North Africa
- 255 BC - Battle of Tunes - Carthaginians under Xanthippus, a Greek mercenary, defeat the Romans under Regulus, who is captured.
- 251 BC - Battle of Panormus - Carthaginian forces under Hasdrubal are defeated by the Romans under L. Caecilius Metellus.
- 249 BC - Battle of Drepana - Carthaginians under Adherbal defeat the fleet of Roman admiral Publius Claudius Pulcher.
- 242 BC - Battle of the Aegates Islands - Roman sea victory over the Carthaginians, ending the First Punic War
- 225 BC - Battle of Faesulae - Romans are defeated by the Gauls of Northern Italy.
- 224 BC - Battle of Telamon - Romans under Aemilius Papus and Caius Atilius Regulus defeat the Gauls.
- 222 BC - Battle of Clastidium - Romans under Marcus Claudius Marcellus defeat the Gauls.
- 218 BC -
- 217 BC, in April - Battle of Lake Trasimene - In an ambush, Hannibal destroyed the Roman army of Gaius Flaminius, who is killed.
- 216 BC -
- August 2 - Battle of Cannae - Hannibal destroys the Roman army of Lucius Aemilius Paulus and Publius Terentius Varro in what is considered one of the great masterpieces of the tactical art.
- First Battle of Nola - Roman general Marcus Claudius Marcellus holds off an attack by Hannibal.
- 215 BC - Second Battle of Nola - Marcellus again repulses an attack by Hannibal.
- 214 BC - Third Battle of Nola - Marcellus fights an inconclusive battle with Hannibal.
- 212 BC -
- First Battle of Capua - Hannibal defeats the consuls Q. Fulvius Flaccus and Appius Claudius, but the Roman army escapes
- Battle of the Silarus - Hannibal destroys the army of the Roman praetor M. Centenius Penula.
- Battle of Herdonia - Hannibal destroys the Roman army of the praetor Gnaeus Fulvius.
- 211 BC -
- Battle of the Upper Baetis - Publius and Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio are killed in battle with the Carthaginians under Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal
- Second Battle of Capua - Hannibal is unable to break the Roman siege of the city.
- 210 BC -
- Second Battle of Herdoinia - Hannibal destroys the Roman army of Fulvius Centumalus, who is killed
- Battle of Numistro - Hannibal defeats Marcellus once more
- 209 BC - Battle of Asculum - Hannibal once again defeats Marcellus, in an indecisive battle
- 208 BC - Battle of Baecula - Romans in Spain under P. Cornelius Scipio the Younger defeat Hasdrubal Barca
- 207 BC -
- Battle of Grumentum - Roman general Gaius Claudius Nero fights an indecisive battle with Hannibal, then escapes north to confront Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal, who has invaded Italy
- Battle of the Metaurus - Hasdrubal is defeated and killed by Nero's Roman army.
- 206 BC - Battle of Ilipa - Scipio again decisively defeats the remaining Carthaginian forces in Spain.
- 204 BC - Battle of Crotona - Hannibal fights a drawn battle against the Roman general Sempronius in Southern Italy.
- 203 BC - Battle of Bagbrades - Romans under Scipio defeat the Carthaginian army of Hasdrubal Gisco and Syphax. Hannibal is sent to return to Africa.
- 202 BC, October 19 - Battle of Zama - Scipio Africanus Major decisively defeats Hannibal in North Africa, ending the Second Punic War
- 200 BC - Battle of Cremona - Roman forces defeat the Gauls of Cisalpine Gaul
- 89 BC -
- Battle of Fucine Lake - Roman forces under Lucius Porcius Cato are defeated by the Italian rebels in the Social War
- Battle of Asculum - Roman army of C. Pompeius Strabo decisively defeats the rebels in the Social War.
- 86 BC - Battle of Chaeronea - Roman forces of Lucius Cornelius Sulla defeat the Pontic forces of Archelaus in the First Mithridatic War
- 85 BC - Battle of Orchomenus - Sulla again defeats Archelaus in the decisive battle of the First Mithridatic War.
- 83 BC - Battle of Mount Tifata - Sulla defeats the popular forces of Caius Norbanus in the First Roman Civil War.
- 82 BC - Battle of Colline Gate - Sulla defeats Samnites allied to the popular party in Rome in the decisive battle of the Civil War.
- 80 BC - Battle of the Baetis River - Rebel forces under Quintus Sertorius defeat the legal Roman forces of Lucius Fulfidias in Spain.
- 74 BC - Battle of Cyzicus - Roman forces under Lucius Lucullus defeat the forces of Mithridates VI of Pontus
- 72 BC - Battle of Cabira - Lucullus again defeats Mithridates, overrunning Pontus
- 69 BC - Battle of Tigranocerta - Lucullus defeats the army of Tigranes I of Armenia, who was harbouring his father-in-law Mithridates VI of Pontus
- 68 BC - Battle of Artaxata - Lucullus again defeats Tigranes.
- 66 BC - Battle of the Lycus - Pompey the Great decisively defeats Mithridates VI, effectively ending the Third Mithridatic War
- 62 BC, January - Battle of Pistoria - The forces of the conspirator Catiline are defeated by the loyal Roman armies under Gaius Antonius.
- 58 BC -
- June - Battle of the Arar (Saone) - Caesar defeats the migrating Helvetians
- July - Battle of Bibracte - Caesar again defeats the Helvetians, this time decisively.
- September - Caesar decisively defeats the forces of the Germanic chieftain Ariovistus near modern Belfort
- 57 BC -
- Battle of the Axona (Aisne) - Caesar defeats the forces of the Belgae under King Galba of Suessiones.
- Battle of the Sabis (Sambre) - Caesar defeats the Nervii.
- 53 BC - Battle of Carrhae - Roman triumvir Crassus is defeated and killed by the Parthians
- 52 BC - Battle of Alesia - Caesar defeats the Gallic rebel Vercingetorix, completing the Roman conquest of Transalpine Gaul.
- 49 BC, August 24 - Battle of the Bagradas River - Caesar's general Gaius Curio is defeated in North Africa by the Pompeians under Attius Varus and King Juba of Numidia. Curio commits suicide.
- 48 BC -
- 47 BC -
- February - Battle of the Nile - Caesar defeats the forces of the Egyptian king Ptolemy XIII
- May - Battle of Zela - Caesar defeats Pharnaces II of Pontus. This is the battle where he famously said Veni, vidi, vici. (I came, I saw, I conquered.)
- 46 BC, February - Battle of Thapsus - Caesar defeats the Pompeian army of Metellus Scipio in North Africa.
- 45 BC March 17 - Battle of Munda - In his last victory, Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Gnaeus Pompey the Younger in Spain. Labienus is killed in the battle and the Younger Pompey captured and executed.
- 43 BC -
- April 14 - Battle of Forum Gallorum - Antony, besieging Caesar's assassin Decimus Brutus in Mutina, defeats the forces of the consul Pansa, who is killed, but is then immediately defeated by the army of the other consul, Hirtius
- April 21 - Battle of Mutina - Antony is again defeated in battle by Hirtius, who is killed. Although Antony fails to capture Mutina, Decimus Brutus is murdered shortly thereafter.
- 42 BC -
- 41 BC - Battle of Perugia - Marc Antony's brother Lucius Antonius and his wife Fulvia are defeated by Octavian.
- 36 BC - Battle of Naulochus - Octavian's fleet, under the command of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa defeats the forces of the rebel Pompey.
- 31 BC, September 2 - Battle of Actium - Octavian decisively defeats Antony and Cleopatra in a naval battle near Greece
- 11 BC - Battle of the Lupia River - Roman forces under Augustus's stepson Drusus win a victory in Germany.
- 312 -
- 313 - Battle of Tzirallum - In the eastern part of the Empire, the forces of Licinius defeat Maximin Daia.
- 314 -
- Battle of Cibalae - Constantine defeats Licinius
- Battle of Mardia - Constantine again defeats Licinius, who cedes Illyricum to Constantine.
- 323 -
- July 3 - Battle of Adrianople (323) - Constantine defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium
- July - Battle of the Hellespont - Flavius Julius Crispus, son of Constantine defeats the naval forces of Licinius
- September 18 - Battle of Chrysopolis - Constantine decisively defeats Licinius, establishing his sole control over the empire.
- 344 - Battle of Singara - Emperor Constantius II fights an indecisive battle against the Persian King Shapur II (approximate date)
- 351 - Battle of Mursa Major - Emperor Constantius II defeats the usurper Magnentius
- 353 - Battle of Mons Seleucus - Final defeat of Magnentius by Constantius II
- 356 - Battle of Reims (356) - Caesar Julian is defeated by the Alemanni
- 357 - Battle of Strasbourg (357) - Julian expels the Alamanni from the Rhineland
- 359 - Battle of Amida - Persians capture Amida from Romans
- 363 - Battle of Ctesiphon - Emperor Julian defeats Shapur II of Persia outside the walls of the Persian capital, but is unable to take the city, leading to an ultimate disaster on the retreat back to Roman territory.
- 367 - Battle of Solicinium - Romans under Emperor Valentinian I defeat yet another Alemanni incursion.
- 377 - Battle of the Willows - Roman troops fight an inconclusive battle against the Visigoths under Fritigern
- 378 -
- 388 - Battle of the Save - Emperor Theodosius I defeats the usurper Magnus Maximus.
- 394, September 6 - Battle of Frigdus - Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius I defeats and kills the pagan usurper Eugenius and his Frankish general Arbogast.
- 402 -
- 403, in June - Battle of Verona - Stilicho again defeats Alaric, who withdraws from Italy.
- 410 August 24 - Sack of Rome - Visigoths under Alaric sack Rome.
- 425 - Roman general Aetius defeats the Visigoths under Theodoric I.
- 430 - Battle of Halys
- 432 - Battle of Ravenna - Roman general Aetius defeats his rival Count Boniface, who is killed.
- 436 - Battle of Narbonne - Aetius again defeats the Visigoths under Theodoric I.
- 447 - Battle of the Utus - Attila the Hun is defeated by the East Romans in an indecisive battle
- 451, in June - Battle of Chalons - Forces of the Visigoth king Theodoric and Romans under Aetius repulse the attack of Attila the Hun. Theodoric is killed in the battle.
External Links
- Elton, Hugh and Christos Nüssli, "". An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors.
