Battle during the Marcomannic Wars (170)
The Battle of Carnuntum took place in 170 AD during the Marcomannic Wars. In the spring of 170 AD swarms of Germanic warrior bands attacked Roman provinces along the Danube River. In furtherance of this endeavor, and for mutual protection, the king of the Marcomanni, Ballomar, had allied with the Quadi tribe. Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius with his son-in-law and chief military adviser Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus crossed the Danube River to drive back the raiders. The Romans and Germans met outside Carnuntum in Upper Pannonia,[3] which was the headquarters for the Legio XIV Gemina. The Roman army was inexperienced and outmatched, and the ensuing battle was a disaster for the Romans. Although the legions fought hard and bravely, they were no match for the Germanic warriors. 20,000 Romans were killed. Following this victory the Germans besieged Aquileia and sacked Opitergium.[1]
- ^ a b Birley, Anthong R. (2012). "The Wars and Revolts". In van Ackeren, Marcel (ed.). A Companion to Marcus Aurelius. Chichester, West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 217–233, pages 223–224. ISBN 978-1-4051-9285-9.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Steger
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
- ^ Now called Petronell-Carnuntum