RomeDrill › Reference › Major Battles of Ancient Rome
Major Battles of Ancient Rome
The battles that made and unmade Rome, from the wars of the early Republic to the last campaigns of the Western Empire.
Quiz yourself on these in RomeDrill →| Battle | Date | Roman commander | Opponent | Victor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Lake Regillus | c. 496 BC | Aulus Postumius Albus | Latin League | Rome |
| Battle of the Cremera | 477 BC | Veii | Veii | |
| Battle of the Allia | c. 390 BC | Quintus Sulpicius Longus | Senones | Senones |
| Battle of the Caudine Forks | 321 BC | Titus Veturius Calvinus and Spurius Postumius Albinus | Samnites | Samnites |
| Battle of Sentinum | 295 BC | Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus and Publius Decius Mus | Samnites and Senones | Rome |
| Battle of Heraclea | 280 BC | Publius Valerius Laevinus | Pyrrhus of Epirus | Pyrrhus |
| Battle of Asculum | 279 BC | Publius Decius Mus and Publius Sulpicius Saverrio | Pyrrhus of Epirus | Pyrrhus |
| Battle of Beneventum | 275 BC | Manius Curius Dentatus | Pyrrhus of Epirus | Rome |
| Battle of Messana | 264 BC | Appius Claudius Caudex | Carthage and Syracuse | Rome |
| Battle of Agrigentum | 262 BC | Lucius Postumius Megellus and Quintus Mamilius Vitulus | Carthage (Hannibal Gisco and Hanno) | Rome |
| Battle of the Lipari Islands | 260 BC | Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina | Carthage | Carthage |
| Battle of Mylae | 260 BC | Gaius Duilius | Carthage (Hannibal Gisco) | Rome |
| Battle of Cape Ecnomus | 256 BC | Marcus Atilius Regulus and Lucius Manlius Vulso | Carthage (Hamilcar and Hanno) | Rome |
| Battle of Adys | 256 BC | Marcus Atilius Regulus | Carthage (Bostar, Hamilcar and Hasdrubal) | Rome |
| Battle of the Bagradas River | 255 BC | Marcus Atilius Regulus | Carthage (Xanthippus) | Carthage |
| Battle of Panormus | c. 250 BC | Lucius Caecilius Metellus | Carthage (Hasdrubal) | Rome |
| Battle of Drepana | 249 BC | Publius Claudius Pulcher | Carthage (Adherbal) | Carthage |
| Battle of the Aegates Islands | 241 BC | Gaius Lutatius Catulus | Carthage (Hanno) | Rome |
| Battle of Telamon | 225 BC | Lucius Aemilius Papus and Gaius Atilius Regulus | Gallic coalition (Boii, Insubres, Taurisci and Gaesatae) | Rome |
| Battle of the Ticinus | 218 BC | Publius Cornelius Scipio (the elder) | Carthage (Hannibal) | Carthage |
| Battle of the Trebia | 218 BC | Tiberius Sempronius Longus | Carthage (Hannibal) | Carthage |
| Battle of Lake Trasimene | 217 BC | Gaius Flaminius | Carthage (Hannibal) | Carthage |
| Battle of Cannae | 216 BC | Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro | Carthage (Hannibal) | Carthage |
| Battle of Silva Litana | 216 BC | Lucius Postumius Albinus | Boii | Boii |
| Battle of Dertosa | 215 BC | Gnaeus and Publius Cornelius Scipio | Carthage (Hasdrubal Barca) | Rome |
| Siege of Syracuse | 213–212 BC | Marcus Claudius Marcellus | Syracuse and Carthage | Rome |
| Siege of Capua | 212–211 BC | Quintus Fulvius Flaccus and Appius Claudius Pulcher | Capua and Carthage (Hannibal) | Rome |
| Battle of the Upper Baetis | 211 BC | Publius and Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio | Carthage (Hasdrubal Barca, Mago and Hasdrubal Gisco) | Carthage |
| Second Battle of Herdonia | 210 BC | Gnaeus Fulvius Centumalus | Carthage (Hannibal) | Carthage |
| Capture of New Carthage | 209 BC | Scipio Africanus | Carthage (Mago) | Rome |
| Battle of Baecula | 208 BC | Scipio Africanus | Carthage (Hasdrubal Barca) | Rome |
| Battle of the Metaurus | 207 BC | Gaius Claudius Nero and Marcus Livius Salinator | Carthage (Hasdrubal Barca) | Rome |
| Battle of Ilipa | 206 BC | Scipio Africanus | Carthage (Hasdrubal Gisco and Mago) | Rome |
| Battle of the Great Plains | 203 BC | Scipio Africanus | Carthage and Numidians (Hasdrubal Gisco and Syphax) | Rome |
| Battle of Zama | 202 BC | Scipio Africanus | Carthage (Hannibal) | Rome |
| Battle of Cynoscephalae | 197 BC | Titus Quinctius Flamininus | Macedon (Philip V) | Rome |
| Battle of Thermopylae (191 BC) | 191 BC | Manius Acilius Glabrio | Seleucid Empire (Antiochus III) | Rome |
| Battle of Magnesia | 190 BC | Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus | Seleucid Empire (Antiochus III) | Rome |
| Battle of Pydna | 168 BC | Lucius Aemilius Paullus | Macedon (Perseus) | Rome |
| Battle of Oroscopa | 151 BC | Numidia (Masinissa) against Carthage | Numidia | |
| Destruction of Carthage | 146 BC | Scipio Aemilianus | Carthage (Hasdrubal the Boetharch) | Rome |
| Sack of Corinth | 146 BC | Lucius Mummius | Achaean League (Diaeus) | Rome |
| Battle of Noreia | 113 BC | Gnaeus Papirius Carbo | Cimbri and Teutones | Cimbri and Teutones |
| Battle of Arausio | 105 BC | Gnaeus Mallius Maximus and Quintus Servilius Caepio | Cimbri and Teutones | Cimbri and Teutones |
| Battle of Aquae Sextiae | 102 BC | Marius | Teutones and Ambrones | Rome |
| Battle of Vercellae | 101 BC | Marius and Quintus Lutatius Catulus | Cimbri | Rome |
| Siege of Athens and Piraeus | 87–86 BC | Sulla | Aristion and Archelaus | Rome |
| Battle of Chaeronea (86 BC) | 86 BC | Sulla | Archelaus (Pontic army) | Rome |
| Siege of Praeneste | 82 BC | Quintus Lucretius Ofella | Marius the Younger | Sulla |
| Battle of the Colline Gate | 82 BC | Sulla | Pontius Telesinus (Samnites and Marians) | Sulla |
| Battle of the Silarius River | 71 BC | Crassus | Spartacus | Rome |
| Battle of Tigranocerta | 69 BC | Lucullus | Tigranes II of Armenia | Rome |
| Siege of Jerusalem (63 BC) | 63 BC | Pompey | Supporters of Aristobulus II | Rome |
| Battle of Bibracte | 58 BC | Julius Caesar | Helvetii | Rome |
| Battle of Vosges | 58 BC | Julius Caesar | Ariovistus (Suebi) | Rome |
| Battle of the Axona | 57 BC | Julius Caesar | Belgae under Galba of the Suessiones | Rome |
| Battle of the Sabis | 57 BC | Julius Caesar | Nervii under Boduognatus | Rome |
| Battle of Carrhae | 53 BC | Crassus | Surena (Parthian Empire) | Parthia |
| Siege of Avaricum | 52 BC | Julius Caesar | Bituriges | Rome |
| Battle of Gergovia | 52 BC | Julius Caesar | Vercingetorix (Arverni) | Vercingetorix |
| Siege of Alesia | 52 BC | Julius Caesar | Vercingetorix | Rome |
| Battle of Ilerda | 49 BC | Julius Caesar | Lucius Afranius and Marcus Petreius | Julius Caesar |
| Battle of Dyrrhachium | 48 BC | Pompey | Julius Caesar | Pompey |
| Battle of Pharsalus | 48 BC | Julius Caesar | Pompey | Julius Caesar |
| Battle of Zela | 47 BC | Julius Caesar | Pharnaces II of Pontus | Rome |
| Battle of Thapsus | 46 BC | Julius Caesar | Metellus Scipio and Juba I of Numidia | Julius Caesar |
| Battle of Munda | 45 BC | Julius Caesar | Gnaeus Pompeius the Younger and Titus Labienus | Julius Caesar |
| Battle of Forum Gallorum | 43 BC | Aulus Hirtius and Gaius Vibius Pansa | Mark Antony | Senate |
| Battle of Mutina | 43 BC | Aulus Hirtius and Octavian | Mark Antony | Senate |
| Battle of Philippi | 42 BC | Mark Antony and Octavian | Brutus and Cassius | Mark Antony and Octavian |
| Battle of Actium | 31 BC | Agrippa | Mark Antony and Cleopatra | Octavian |
| Battle of Idistaviso | AD 16 | Germanicus | Germanic coalition under Arminius | Rome |
| Siege of Jotapata | AD 67 | Vespasian | Galilean rebels under Josephus | Rome |
| First Battle of Bedriacum | AD 69 | Otho's generals (Suetonius Paulinus, Salvius Titianus) | Vitellian army under Caecina and Valens | Vitellius |
| Siege of Jerusalem | AD 70 | Titus | Judaean rebels under Simon bar Giora and John of Gischala | Rome |
| Siege of Masada | c. AD 73 | Flavius Silva | Sicarii under Eleazar ben Yair | Rome |
| Battle of Mons Graupius | c. AD 83 | Agricola | Caledonians under Calgacus | Rome |
| Battle of Lugdunum | AD 197 | Septimius Severus | Clodius Albinus | Septimius Severus |
| Battle of Nisibis | AD 217 | Macrinus | Parthia under Artabanus IV | Indecisive (Rome paid for peace) |
| Battle at the Harzhorn | c. AD 235 | Maximinus Thrax | Germanic tribes | Rome |
| Battle of Misiche | AD 244 | Gordian III | Sasanian Persia under Shapur I | Sasanian Persia |
| Battle of Abritus | AD 251 | Decius | Goths under Cniva | Goths |
| Battle of Edessa | AD 260 | Valerian | Sasanian Persia under Shapur I | Sasanian Persia |
| Battle of Naissus | c. AD 269 | Claudius Gothicus | Goths | Rome |
| Fall of Palmyra | AD 272–273 | Aurelian | Palmyrene Empire under Zenobia | Rome |
| Battle of Châlons (274) | AD 274 | Aurelian | Gallic Empire under Tetricus | Rome |
| Battle of the Milvian Bridge | AD 312 | Constantine I | Maxentius | Constantine I |
| Battle of Adrianople (324) | AD 324 | Constantine I | Licinius | Constantine I |
| Battle of the Hellespont | AD 324 | Crispus | Fleet of Licinius under Abantus (Amandus) | Constantine I |
| Battle of Chrysopolis | AD 324 | Constantine I | Licinius | Constantine I |
| Battle of Mursa Major | AD 351 | Constantius II | Magnentius | Constantius II |
| Battle of Strasbourg | AD 357 | Julian | Alamanni under Chnodomar | Rome |
| Siege of Amida | AD 359 | Sasanian Persia under Shapur II | Sasanian Persia | |
| Battle of Adrianople | AD 378 | Valens | Goths under Fritigern | Goths |
| Battle of the Frigidus | AD 394 | Theodosius I | Eugenius and Arbogast | Theodosius I |
| Sack of Rome (410) | AD 410 | Visigoths under Alaric | Visigoths | |
| Battle of the Catalaunian Plains | AD 451 | Aetius | Huns and allies under Attila | Rome and Visigoths |
| Sack of Rome (455) | AD 455 | Vandals under Gaiseric | Vandals | |
| Battle of Cape Bon | AD 468 | Basiliscus | Vandals under Gaiseric | Vandals |
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