Battle of Vosges (58 BC)

Battle of Vosges
Part of the Gallic Wars
and Roman–Germanic Wars

Battle between Caesar and Ariovistus (on the lower left) and location of the camps.
DateSeptember 14, 58 BC
Location
Alsace, France
47°45′00″N 7°20′00″E / 47.75°N 7.3333°E / 47.75; 7.3333
Result Roman victory
Belligerents
Roman Republic Suebi
Commanders and leaders
Julius Caesar Ariovistus
Strength
25,000–30,000 (6 legions with cavalry and auxiliaries)[1] 120,000 (Caesar's claim)[2]
Casualties and losses
Unknown 80,000 (Caesar's claim)[2]

The Battle of Vosges also referred to as the Battle of Vesontio was fought on September 14,[3] 58 BC between the Germanic tribe of the Suebi, under the leadership of Ariovistus, and six Roman legions under the command of Gaius Julius Caesar. This encounter is the third major battle of the Gallic Wars. Germanic tribes crossed the Rhine, seeking a home in Gaul.

Prior to the battle, Caesar and Ariovistus held a parley. Ariovistus' cavalry cast stones and weapons at the Roman cavalry. Caesar broke off negotiations and instructed his men not to retaliate to prevent the Suebi from claiming that they were induced into a trap by their accepting an opportunity to talk.[4] The following battle resulted in a Roman victory, which secured the eastern borderlands of Gaul, and allowed the temporary construction of Caesar's Rhine bridges for a tactical punitive assault staged in western Germania.

  1. ^ Delbrück, Hans, 1980 Renfroe translation, The Barbarian Invasions, p. 46
  2. ^ a b Sporl, Gerhard (February 2013). "Duell im Elsass". Spiegel Geschichte (Krieger und Kolnisten): 72–77.
  3. ^ Alex Schweizer, Allgemeine schweizerische Militärzeitung, 1903, 31. Januar 2021 [1]
  4. ^ Caesar, Julius, De bello gallico Archived January 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, caes.gal.1.43