Aneroëstes
Encyclopedia
Aneroëstes (died 225 BC) was one of the two leaders of the Gaesatae
, a group of Gaul
ish mercenaries who lived in the Alps
near the Rhône
and fought against the Roman Republic
in the Battle of Telamon
of 224 BC. He and his colleague Concolitanus
were hired by the Boii
and Insubres
in response to the Roman colonisation of the formerly Gallic region of Picenum
. After some initial success in Etruria
, when faced with the army of the consul Lucius Aemilius Papus
, Aneroëstes persuaded the Gauls to withdraw, but they were cut off at Telamon (modern Talamone
, Tuscany
) by the other consul, Gaius Atilius Regulus
, and forced to fight a pitched battle
.
The Gaesatae fought at the front, naked apart from their weapons, but their small shields offered little protection against Roman javelins. The Gaesatae were forced back and their allies slaughtered. Colcolitanus was captured. Aneroëstes escaped with a small group of followers, who took their own lives.
Gaesatae
The Gaesatae were a group of Gaulish warriors who lived in the Alps near the river Rhône and fought against the Roman Republic in the Battle of Telamon of 225 BC...
, a group of Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
ish mercenaries who lived in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
near the Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
and fought against the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
in the Battle of Telamon
Battle of Telamon
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....
of 224 BC. He and his colleague Concolitanus
Concolitanus
Concolitanus was one of the two leaders of the Gaesatae, a group of Gaulish mercenaries who lived in the Alps near the Rhône and fought against the Roman Republic in the Battle of Telamon of 224 BC. He and his colleague Aneroëstes were hired by the Boii and Insubres in response to the Roman...
were hired by the Boii
Boii
The Boii were one of the most prominent ancient Celtic tribes of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul , Pannonia , in and around Bohemia, and Transalpine Gaul...
and Insubres
Insubres
The Insubres were a Gaulish population settled in Insubria, in what is now Lombardy . They were the founders of Milan . Though ethnically Celtic at the time of Roman conquest , they were most likely the result of the fusion of pre-existing Ligurian, Celtic and "Italic" population strata with Gaulish...
in response to the Roman colonisation of the formerly Gallic region of Picenum
Picenum
Picenum was a region of ancient Italy. The name is an exonym assigned by the Romans, who conquered and incorporated it into the Roman Republic. Picenum was the birthplace of such notables as Pompey the Great and his father Pompeius Strabo. It was situated in what is now Marche...
. After some initial success in Etruria
Etruria
Etruria—usually referred to in Greek and Latin source texts as Tyrrhenia—was a region of Central Italy, an area that covered part of what now are Tuscany, Latium, Emilia-Romagna, and Umbria. A particularly noteworthy work dealing with Etruscan locations is D. H...
, when faced with the army of the consul Lucius Aemilius Papus
Lucius Aemilius Papus
Lucius Aemilius Papus , or Lucius Aemilius Q.f. Cn.n. Papus, a member of the patrician gens Aemilia of the branch cognominated Papus, was a Roman general and statesman who led the Romans to victory over the Gauls in the Battle of Telamon in 225 BC.He was the son of Quintus Aemilius Papus, himself...
, Aneroëstes persuaded the Gauls to withdraw, but they were cut off at Telamon (modern Talamone
Talamone
Talamone is a town in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Orbetello, province of Grosseto, in the Tuscan Maremma....
, Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
) by the other consul, Gaius Atilius Regulus
Gaius Atilius Regulus (consul 225 BC)
Gaius Atilius M.f. M.n. Regulus 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...
, and forced to fight a pitched battle
Battle of Telamon
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....
.
The Gaesatae fought at the front, naked apart from their weapons, but their small shields offered little protection against Roman javelins. The Gaesatae were forced back and their allies slaughtered. Colcolitanus was captured. Aneroëstes escaped with a small group of followers, who took their own lives.