Battle of Telamon

Battle of Telamon

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Telamon

caption=
partof=Roman-Gaulish Wars
date=225 BC
place=Telamon (modern Talamone in Tuscany)
result=Decisive Roman victory
combatant1=Roman Republic
combatant2=Gauls
commander1=Atilius Regulus †, Aemilius Papus
commander2=Concolitanus, Aneroëstes
strength1=70,000 infantry, 5,400 cavalry
strength2=50,000 infantry, 20,000 cavalry
casualties1=Unknown
casualties2=40,000 killed,
10,000 captured

The Battle of Telamon was fought between the Roman Republic and an alliance of Gauls in 225 BC. The Romans, led by the consuls Gaius Atilius Regulus and Lucius Aemilius Papus, defeated the Gauls, thus extending their influence over northern Italy.

Background

Mobilisation

Rome had been at peace with the tribes of Cisalpine Gaul (the Po valley in northern Italy) for many years. Indeed, when a force of Transalpine Gauls had crossed the Alps into Italy in 230 BC, it had been the Boii of Cisalpine Gaul who had repelled them. The Romans had sent an army but found it was not needed. However, when the Romans partitioned the formerly Gallic territory of Picenum in 234 BC, this created resentment among its neighbours, the Boii and Insubres. [Polybius, "Histories" [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Polybius/2*.html#21 2:21] ]

In 225 BC, the Boii and Insubres paid large sums of money to the Gaesatae, mercenaries from Transalpine Gaul led by Aneroëstes and Concolitanus, to fight with them against Rome. The Romans, alarmed by this Celtic mobilisation, made a treaty giving the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal the Fair unimpeded control of Hispania so they could concentrate on the threat closer to home. [Polybius, "Histories" [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Polybius/2*.html#22 2:22] ]

The Romans called upon their allies in Italy to supply troops. The consul Lucius Aemilius Papus had four legions of Roman citizens, 22,000 men in total, plus 32,000 allied troops, which he stationed the majority of his forces at Ariminum. He placed 54,000 Sabines and Etruscans on the Etruscan border under the command of a praetor, and sent 40,000 Umbrians, Sarsinates, Veneti and Cenomani to attack the home territory of the Boii to distract them from the battle. The other consul, Gaius Atilius Regulus, had an army the same size as that of Papus, but was stationed in Sardinia at the time, and there was a reserve of 21,500 citizens and 32,000 allies in Rome itself, and two reserve legions in Sicily and Tarentum. [Polybius, "Histories" [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Polybius/2*.html#23 2:23-24] ]

Gaulish victory at Faesulae

The Gauls overran Etruria and began to march to Rome. The Romans' troops stationed on the Etrurian border met them at Clusium, three days' march from Rome, where both sides made camp. That night the Gauls, leaving their cavalry and their camp fires as a decoy, withdrew to the town of Faesulae (modern Fiesole) and built defensive obstacles. In the morning the cavalry followed in full view of the Romans, who, thinking the enemy were retreating, pursued them. The Gauls, with the advantage of position, were victorious after a hard battle. Six thousand Romans died and the rest fell back to a defensible hill. [Polybius, "Histories" [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Polybius/2*.html#25 2:25] ]

That night Papus arrived and made camp nearby. Aneroëstes persuaded the Gauls to withdraw along the Etruscan coast with their booty, and renew the war later when unencumbered. Papus pursued and harassed their rear but did not risk a pitched battle. The other consul, Regulus, had crossed from Sardinia, landed at Pisa, and was marching towards Rome. His scouts met the Gauls' advanced foragers head on near Telamon (modern Talamone). [Polybius, "Histories" [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Polybius/2*.html#26 2:26-27] ]

The battle

Regulus put his troops in fighting order and advanced, attempting to occupy a hill above the road by which the Gauls must pass. The Gauls, unaware of Regulus' arrival, assumed that Papus had sent some of his cavalry ahead, and sent some of their own cavalry and light infantry against them to contest the hill, but as soon as they knew what they were up against they deployed their infantry facing both front and rear. They placed the Gaesatae and Insubres at the rear against Papus, and the Boii and Taurisci at the front against Regulus, their wings protected by wagons and chariots. A small force guarded the booty on another hill nearby. The battle over the main hill was fierce, and despite Papus sending cavalry to assist, Regulus was killed and his head brought to the Gallic leaders. Eventually, however, the Roman cavalry secured possession of the hill.

The Romans advanced from both directions, throwing volleys of javelins, which devastated the vulnerable Gaesatae at the rear, who were fighting naked with small shields. Some rushed wildly at the enemy and were slaughtered. Others withdrew into the body of the army, their retreat causing disorder among their allies.

The Roman javelin-throwers withdrew into the ranks, and the infantry advanced in maniples. The Insubres, Boii and Taurisci held their ground tenaciously, but the Roman shields and thrusting short swords were more effective in close combat than the Gallic smaller shields and slashing long swords, and the Romans gained the upper hand. Finally, the Roman cavalry rode down the hill onto the Gauls' flank. Their infantry were slaughtered and their cavalry put to flight.

Around 40,000 Gauls were killed and 10,000, including Concolitanus, taken prisoner. Aneroëstes escaped with a small group of followers, who committed suicide with him. Papus conducted a punitive expedition against the Boii, and later used the spoils taken in his triumph. [Polybius, "Histories" [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Polybius/2*.html#27 2:27-31] ; Cassius Dio, "Roman History" [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/12*.html#Zon.20 12.20] ; Livy, "Periochae" [http://www.livius.org/li-ln/livy/periochae/periochae016.html#20 20.8-10] ; Eutropius, "Abridgement of Roman History" [http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/eutropius/trans3.html#5 3.5] ]

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Telamon (disambiguation) — Telamon was the father of the hero Ajax in Greek mythology.Telamon may also refer to:* The Telamon , an ancient Greek song * 1749 Telamon, a Jupiter trojan asteroid * Battle of Telamon, a battle involving the Gauls and the Roman Republic * Lews… …   Wikipedia

  • Telamon — In Greek mythology, Telamon (in Greek, Τελαμών ), son of the king Aeacus, of Aegina, and Endeis and brother of Peleus, accompanied Jason as one his Argonauts, and was present at the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. In the Iliad he was the father of… …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Faesulae — Infobox Military Conflict caption= conflict=Battle of Faesulae partof=Roman Gaulish Wars date=225 BC place=Faesulae, Italy result=Gaulish victory combatant1=Roman Republic combatant2=Gauls commander1=Lucius Aemilius Papus and a Roman Praetor… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Telamon (ARB-8) — The USS Telamon (ARB 8) was one of 12 Aristaeus class battle damage repair ships built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Telamon (in Greek mythology, son of the King Aeacus, who accompanied Jason as one his Argonauts), it… …   Wikipedia

  • Lews Therin Telamon — is a fictional character in Robert Jordan s The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He was the Dragon of the Age of Legends. He is the most powerful, most hated, and most feared man in history, for his part in the Breaking of the World and killing his… …   Wikipedia

  • Gaius Atilius Regulus (consul 225 BC) — Gaius Atilius M.f. M.n. Regulus (killed 225 BC at Telamon in battle) was one of the two Roman consuls who fought a Celtic invasion of Italy in 225 BC 224 BC; he however was killed in battle and beheaded. Regulus came from a prominent family of… …   Wikipedia

  • Campaign history of the Roman military — This article is part of the series on: Military of ancient Rome (portal) 753 BC – AD 476 Structural history Roman army (unit types and ranks …   Wikipedia

  • List of battles before 601 — List of battles: before 601 601 1400 1401 1800 1801 1900 1901 2000 2001 current See also: List of Roman battles Before 500 BC5th century BC4th century BC*398 BC Siege of Motya Phoenician city Motya sacked. *397 BC Battle of Messene Ionian Greek… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Roman battles — The following is a list of Roman Battles fought by the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire, and sometimes the Byzantine Empire, organized by date. The list is not exhaustive. For the complete list see List of battles, for other… …   Wikipedia

  • Список сражений Древнего Рима —   Это служебн …   Википедия

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”