The battle demonstrated Roman resilience under Caecina against Germanic forces during Germanicus' campaigns, resulting in a Roman tactical victory and triumphal honours.
Key Facts
- Year
- 15 AD
- Roman commander
- Aulus Caecina Severus
- Germanic commander
- Arminius
- Roman legions involved
- First, Fifth, Twentieth, Twenty-First
- Outcome
- Roman victory; Caecina awarded triumphal honours
- Campaign context
- Part of Germanicus' three-year Germanic campaigns
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following an indecisive engagement with Arminius, Germanicus ordered Aulus Caecina Severus to withdraw his forces to the Rhine. En route, Caecina found the long causeways impassable and began repairs, leaving his army exposed to attack by an alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius.
Arminius attacked the Roman column at the Pontes Longi over multiple days. The legions were repeatedly threatened and nearly routed; Caecina himself lost his horse and was saved only by the First Legion. A false night alarm almost caused a rout, but Caecina restored discipline. When Germanic forces shifted to plundering baggage, the Roman legions regrouped on dry ground.
At dawn, Germanic forces launched a camp assault on the advice of Inguiomerus, but the Romans repelled the attack and drove them from the field. Caecina completed repairs to the Long Bridge and successfully withdrew to the Rhine. For the victory he was awarded triumphal honours by Rome.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Aulus Caecina Severus.
Side B
1 belligerent
Arminius, Inguiomerus.