Battle of Turin (312)

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Turin


caption=
partof=the Wars of Constantine I
date=312
place=Turin
result=Constantinian victory
combatant1=Constantinian forces
combatant2=Maxentian forces
commander1=Constantine I
commander2=
strength1=50,000
strength2=100,000
casualties1=
casualties2=|

The Battle of Turin was fought in 312 between Roman emperor Constantine and the troops of his rival for the purple, Maxentius. Constantine won this battle near Turin, and went on to win his more famous victory at Milvian Bridge.

Prelude

While Maxentius had fortified in Rome with 100,000 soldiers, Constantine had moved from his portion of the Roman Empire, and crossed the Alps with 50,000 veterans at Mont Cenis pass. Constantine faced a first resistance in Segusia (Susa, Italy), but the city was taken and burned; in order to gain the support of the Italian population, Constantine ordered the fire to be extinguished.

The battle

The second stronghold Constantine had to face was Turin. Here Constantine had to fight against an army sent by Maxentius, with a strong unit of heavy cavalry. Constantine ordered to his infantry to open in front of the cavalry charge, so that the horsemen, surrounded by the infantry, were killed. Maxentius' routed infantry entered Turin, but the citizens opened the gates of the city to Constantine, who massacred all of Maxentius' men.

Aftermath

The victory at Turin opened Italy to Constantine. He entered triumphally at Mediolanum, routed an enemy army camped near Brescia, and later won a major battle at Verona, where the most important commander of Maxentius, Ruricius Pompeianus, was killed. After the Maxentian resistance in the north had been settled, Constantine marched on Rome, where he defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.