A Roman defeat during the Social War in which Lucius Julius Caesar lost roughly 8,000 men after being ambushed at Taenum, boosting Italian rebel morale.
Key Facts
- Roman infantry
- 30,000 soldiers
- Roman cavalry
- 5,000 soldiers
- Roman casualties
- 8,000 of 35,000 soldiers
- Roman commander's condition
- Lucius Caesar was ill; evacuated on a litter
- Conflict
- Social War, 90 BC
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Social War, Italian allied peoples revolted against Rome seeking citizenship rights. Roman consul Lucius Julius Caesar led an army of 35,000 men through the region, creating an opportunity for Italian rebel commander Marius Egnatius to exploit a vulnerable march through a narrow defile.
As Lucius Caesar's army passed through a defile near Taenum, Marius Egnatius launched an ambush. Despite suffering heavy initial losses, the Romans fought their way out in a desperate retreat to the town of Teanum, where they took up a defensive position. Caesar himself, gravely ill, had to be carried from the field on a litter.
The battle resulted in approximately 8,000 Roman dead and a significant morale blow for Rome. The rebel victory at Taenum offset the Italian forces' prior defeat at Acerrae, helping to sustain the Italian rebel cause during the Social War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Lucius Julius Caesar.
Side B
1 belligerent
Marius Egnatius.