Marcomannic Wars

Marcomannic Wars
Part of the Roman–Germanic Wars

Detail of a relief scene on the Column of Marcus Aurelius (in Rome, Italy), depicting a battle of the Marcomannic Wars, late 2nd century AD
DateAD 166–180 (14 years)
Location
Course of the Danube, the northeastern European border of the Roman Empire
Result Roman victory
Territorial
changes

Status quo ante bellum

Belligerents
Roman Empire

Principal Belligerents:

Commanders and leaders
Imperial family:
Marcus Aurelius
Lucius Verus #
Tiberius Claudius
Commodus
Praetorian prefects:
Titus Furius
Marcus Rufus
Marcus Macrinius 
Publius Paternus
Field marshals (legati):
Publius Helvius Pertinax
Marcus Claudius Fronto 
Marcus Didius Julianus
Gaius Pescennius Niger
Decimus Clodius Albinus
M. Valerius Maximianus
Lucius Gallus Julianus
Gaius Vettius Sabinianus
Titus Vitrasius Pollio
Marcomanni:
Ballomar
Quadi:
Ariogaesus
Iazyges:
Banadaspus
Zanticus
Naristi:
Valao
Units involved
Full list of participating military units Unknown
Strength
  • 13 legions
  • 2 vexillationes
  • Danubian fleet
  • 58 auxiliary cohorts
977,000[a]
Casualties and losses
Moderate Heavy

The Marcomannic Wars (Latin: bellum Germanicum et Sarmaticum[b] German and Sarmatian war) were a series of wars lasting from about AD 166 until 180. These wars pitted the Roman Empire against principally the Germanic Marcomanni and Quadi and the Sarmatian Iazyges; there were related conflicts with several other Germanic, Sarmatian, and Gothic peoples along both sides of the whole length of the Roman Empire's northeastern European border, the river Danube.

The struggle against the Germans and Sarmatians occupied the major part of the reign of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, and it was during his campaigns against them that he started writing his philosophical work Meditations.[c]


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  1. ^ Kovács 2009, pp. 202–203.
  2. ^ Marcus Aurelius 2007.