Battle of Mount Olympus
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Mount Olympus was fought in 189 BC
between the Galatian
Gauls
of Asia Minor
and an alliance consisting of Rome
and Pergamum. The battle ended in a crushing allied victory.
Livy
is the main source for this battle, and his description can be found in book 38, chapters 17-23.
invaded Greece. This caused him to come into conflict with the Romans who defeated him in Greece
and followed him into Asia Minor
. In Asia Minor, the Romans with their allies, Pergamum defeated Antiochus at the Battle of Magnesia
. This forced the Seleucids to sue for peace and to abandon Asia Minor.
In 189, Scipio Asiaticus
was replaced as consul by Gnaeus Manlius Vulso
. One of his tasks was to conclude the treaty that Scipio had been arranging with Antiochus. When he arrived he addressed the troops and commended them on their victory over the Seleucids and proposed a new war, a war against the Galatian
Gauls
of Asia Minor
.
The pretext he used for the invasion was that the Galatian had supplied soldiers to the Seleucid army at the Battle of Magnesia
. The principal reason for the invasion was Manlius' desire to seize the wealth of the Galatians who had become rich from plundering their neighbours and to gain glory for himself.
Vulso was joined in Ephesus
by Attalus, the brother of King Eumenes II
of Pergamum. Attalus brought with him some infantry and cavalry and with these reinforcements, Vulso began his march inland. During the march inland through Asia Minor, Vulso extracted tribute from the cities along the way as well as intervening in conflicts.
When the army reached the border with Galatia, the consul addressed his troops about the upcoming war and then sent envoys to Eposognatus, chieftain of the Tectosagi which was one of the three Galatian tribes. The envoys returned and replied that the chieftain of the Tectosagi begged the Romans not to invade his territory. He also claimed that he would attempt to force the submission of the other chieftains.
The battle began as did many battles in the Roman Republic
, with the launching of missiles and skirmishing of light troops. Livy claims that the Gauls fared badly right from the start, unable to protect themselves against the number of missiles being launched at them. They tried to retaliate with stones, but were not only unskilled in throwing them, but the stones themselves were too small to be of any help.
Livy goes on to describe the panic and hopelessness of the Gallic situation, seemingly trapped in a war of missiles: a type of warfare to which they were unsuited. When the Gauls rushed the light infantry, the Roman velites
, in a rarely described instance of hand-to-hand combat, slew the enraged and hysterical Gauls with their swords.
The standards of the legions began to advance on the Gauls which caused them to fall back in panic, retreating to their camp. The Romans occupied the surrounding hills and trapped their enemy, at which point the consul ordered his soldiers to rest temporarily. During this time, the light infantry gathered what missiles they could that were lying around the battlefield and prepared for a second attack. The Gauls prepared for the assault by stationing themselves in front of the walls of their camp, as the camp itself was insufficiently built to serve as a fortification.
The consul once again ordered the light infantry to commence the battle, and describes the onslaught that the Gauls faced:
At this point, the heavy infantry advanced, throwing their javelins, and causing even more panic. The Gauls fled from the camp in all directions, whom the consul ordered to pursue. Finally, the cavalry having not played any role in the battle, eventually joined the pursuit, capturing and killing many Gauls.
Vulso would meet the Gauls in battle again, not long afterwards at the Battle of Ancyra.
between the Galatian
Gauls
of Asia Minor
and an alliance consisting of Rome
and Pergamum. The battle ended in a crushing allied victory.
Livy
is the main source for this battle, and his description can be found in book 38, chapters 17-23.
invaded Greece. This caused him to come into conflict with the Romans who defeated him in Greece
and followed him into Asia Minor
. In Asia Minor, the Romans with their allies, Pergamum defeated Antiochus at the Battle of Magnesia
. This forced the Seleucids to sue for peace and to abandon Asia Minor.
In 189, Scipio Asiaticus
was replaced as consul by Gnaeus Manlius Vulso
. One of his tasks was to conclude the treaty that Scipio had been arranging with Antiochus. When he arrived he addressed the troops and commended them on their victory over the Seleucids and proposed a new war, a war against the Galatian
Gauls
of Asia Minor
.
The pretext he used for the invasion was that the Galatian had supplied soldiers to the Seleucid army at the Battle of Magnesia
. The principal reason for the invasion was Manlius' desire to seize the wealth of the Galatians who had become rich from plundering their neighbours and to gain glory for himself.
Vulso was joined in Ephesus
by Attalus, the brother of King Eumenes II
of Pergamum. Attalus brought with him some infantry and cavalry and with these reinforcements, Vulso began his march inland. During the march inland through Asia Minor, Vulso extracted tribute from the cities along the way as well as intervening in conflicts.
When the army reached the border with Galatia, the consul addressed his troops about the upcoming war and then sent envoys to Eposognatus, chieftain of the Tectosagi which was one of the three Galatian tribes. The envoys returned and replied that the chieftain of the Tectosagi begged the Romans not to invade his territory. He also claimed that he would attempt to force the submission of the other chieftains.
The battle began as did many battles in the Roman Republic
, with the launching of missiles and skirmishing of light troops. Livy claims that the Gauls fared badly right from the start, unable to protect themselves against the number of missiles being launched at them. They tried to retaliate with stones, but were not only unskilled in throwing them, but the stones themselves were too small to be of any help.
Livy goes on to describe the panic and hopelessness of the Gallic situation, seemingly trapped in a war of missiles: a type of warfare to which they were unsuited. When the Gauls rushed the light infantry, the Roman velites
, in a rarely described instance of hand-to-hand combat, slew the enraged and hysterical Gauls with their swords.
The standards of the legions began to advance on the Gauls which caused them to fall back in panic, retreating to their camp. The Romans occupied the surrounding hills and trapped their enemy, at which point the consul ordered his soldiers to rest temporarily. During this time, the light infantry gathered what missiles they could that were lying around the battlefield and prepared for a second attack. The Gauls prepared for the assault by stationing themselves in front of the walls of their camp, as the camp itself was insufficiently built to serve as a fortification.
The consul once again ordered the light infantry to commence the battle, and describes the onslaught that the Gauls faced:
At this point, the heavy infantry advanced, throwing their javelins, and causing even more panic. The Gauls fled from the camp in all directions, whom the consul ordered to pursue. Finally, the cavalry having not played any role in the battle, eventually joined the pursuit, capturing and killing many Gauls.
Vulso would meet the Gauls in battle again, not long afterwards at the Battle of Ancyra.
between the Galatian
Gauls
of Asia Minor
and an alliance consisting of Rome
and Pergamum. The battle ended in a crushing allied victory.
Livy
is the main source for this battle, and his description can be found in book 38, chapters 17-23.
invaded Greece. This caused him to come into conflict with the Romans who defeated him in Greece
and followed him into Asia Minor
. In Asia Minor, the Romans with their allies, Pergamum defeated Antiochus at the Battle of Magnesia
. This forced the Seleucids to sue for peace and to abandon Asia Minor.
In 189, Scipio Asiaticus
was replaced as consul by Gnaeus Manlius Vulso
. One of his tasks was to conclude the treaty that Scipio had been arranging with Antiochus. When he arrived he addressed the troops and commended them on their victory over the Seleucids and proposed a new war, a war against the Galatian
Gauls
of Asia Minor
.
The pretext he used for the invasion was that the Galatian had supplied soldiers to the Seleucid army at the Battle of Magnesia
. The principal reason for the invasion was Manlius' desire to seize the wealth of the Galatians who had become rich from plundering their neighbours and to gain glory for himself.
Vulso was joined in Ephesus
by Attalus, the brother of King Eumenes II
of Pergamum. Attalus brought with him some infantry and cavalry and with these reinforcements, Vulso began his march inland. During the march inland through Asia Minor, Vulso extracted tribute from the cities along the way as well as intervening in conflicts.
When the army reached the border with Galatia, the consul addressed his troops about the upcoming war and then sent envoys to Eposognatus, chieftain of the Tectosagi which was one of the three Galatian tribes. The envoys returned and replied that the chieftain of the Tectosagi begged the Romans not to invade his territory. He also claimed that he would attempt to force the submission of the other chieftains.
The battle began as did many battles in the Roman Republic
, with the launching of missiles and skirmishing of light troops. Livy claims that the Gauls fared badly right from the start, unable to protect themselves against the number of missiles being launched at them. They tried to retaliate with stones, but were not only unskilled in throwing them, but the stones themselves were too small to be of any help.
Livy goes on to describe the panic and hopelessness of the Gallic situation, seemingly trapped in a war of missiles: a type of warfare to which they were unsuited. When the Gauls rushed the light infantry, the Roman velites
, in a rarely described instance of hand-to-hand combat, slew the enraged and hysterical Gauls with their swords.
The standards of the legions began to advance on the Gauls which caused them to fall back in panic, retreating to their camp. The Romans occupied the surrounding hills and trapped their enemy, at which point the consul ordered his soldiers to rest temporarily. During this time, the light infantry gathered what missiles they could that were lying around the battlefield and prepared for a second attack. The Gauls prepared for the assault by stationing themselves in front of the walls of their camp, as the camp itself was insufficiently built to serve as a fortification.
The consul once again ordered the light infantry to commence the battle, and describes the onslaught that the Gauls faced:
At this point, the heavy infantry advanced, throwing their javelins, and causing even more panic. The Gauls fled from the camp in all directions, whom the consul ordered to pursue. Finally, the cavalry having not played any role in the battle, eventually joined the pursuit, capturing and killing many Gauls.
Vulso would meet the Gauls in battle again, not long afterwards at the Battle of Ancyra.
189 BC
Year 189 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Nobilior and Vulso...
between the Galatian
Galatian
Galatian may refer to:*of or relating to Galatia or its people*Galatian language...
Gauls
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
of Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
and an alliance consisting of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Pergamum. The battle ended in a crushing allied victory.
Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
is the main source for this battle, and his description can be found in book 38, chapters 17-23.
Prelude
In 191 BC, Antiochus III of the Seleucid EmpireSeleucid Empire
The Seleucid Empire was a Greek-Macedonian state that was created out of the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.The Seleucid Empire was a major centre...
invaded Greece. This caused him to come into conflict with the Romans who defeated him in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and followed him into Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
. In Asia Minor, the Romans with their allies, Pergamum defeated Antiochus at the Battle of Magnesia
Battle of Magnesia
The Battle of Magnesia was fought in 190 BC near Magnesia ad Sipylum, on the plains of Lydia , between the Romans, led by the consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio and his brother, the famed general Scipio Africanus, with their ally Eumenes II of Pergamum against the army of Antiochus III the Great of the...
. This forced the Seleucids to sue for peace and to abandon Asia Minor.
In 189, Scipio Asiaticus
Scipio Asiaticus
Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus was a Roman general and statesman. He was the son of Publius Cornelius Scipio and the older brother of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus...
was replaced as consul by Gnaeus Manlius Vulso
Gnaeus Manlius Vulso
Gnaeus Manlius Vulso was a Roman consul for the year 189 BC, together with Marcus Fulvius Nobilior. He led a victorius campaign against the Galatian Gauls of Asia Minor in 189 BC during the Galatian War. He may have been awarded a triumph in 187BCE...
. One of his tasks was to conclude the treaty that Scipio had been arranging with Antiochus. When he arrived he addressed the troops and commended them on their victory over the Seleucids and proposed a new war, a war against the Galatian
Galatian
Galatian may refer to:*of or relating to Galatia or its people*Galatian language...
Gauls
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
of Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
.
The pretext he used for the invasion was that the Galatian had supplied soldiers to the Seleucid army at the Battle of Magnesia
Battle of Magnesia
The Battle of Magnesia was fought in 190 BC near Magnesia ad Sipylum, on the plains of Lydia , between the Romans, led by the consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio and his brother, the famed general Scipio Africanus, with their ally Eumenes II of Pergamum against the army of Antiochus III the Great of the...
. The principal reason for the invasion was Manlius' desire to seize the wealth of the Galatians who had become rich from plundering their neighbours and to gain glory for himself.
Vulso was joined in Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
by Attalus, the brother of King Eumenes II
Eumenes II
Eumenes II of Pergamon was king of Pergamon and a member of the Attalid dynasty. The son of king Attalus I and queen Apollonis, he followed in his father's footsteps and collaborated with the Romans to oppose first Macedonian, then Seleucid expansion towards the Aegean, leading to the defeat of...
of Pergamum. Attalus brought with him some infantry and cavalry and with these reinforcements, Vulso began his march inland. During the march inland through Asia Minor, Vulso extracted tribute from the cities along the way as well as intervening in conflicts.
When the army reached the border with Galatia, the consul addressed his troops about the upcoming war and then sent envoys to Eposognatus, chieftain of the Tectosagi which was one of the three Galatian tribes. The envoys returned and replied that the chieftain of the Tectosagi begged the Romans not to invade his territory. He also claimed that he would attempt to force the submission of the other chieftains.
Battle
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...
, with the launching of missiles and skirmishing of light troops. Livy claims that the Gauls fared badly right from the start, unable to protect themselves against the number of missiles being launched at them. They tried to retaliate with stones, but were not only unskilled in throwing them, but the stones themselves were too small to be of any help.
Livy goes on to describe the panic and hopelessness of the Gallic situation, seemingly trapped in a war of missiles: a type of warfare to which they were unsuited. When the Gauls rushed the light infantry, the Roman velites
Velites
Velites were a class of infantry in the Polybian legions of the early Roman republic. Velites were light infantry and skirmishers who were armed with a number of light javelins, or hastae velitares, to fling at the enemy, and also carried short thrusting swords, or gladii for use in melee...
, in a rarely described instance of hand-to-hand combat, slew the enraged and hysterical Gauls with their swords.
The standards of the legions began to advance on the Gauls which caused them to fall back in panic, retreating to their camp. The Romans occupied the surrounding hills and trapped their enemy, at which point the consul ordered his soldiers to rest temporarily. During this time, the light infantry gathered what missiles they could that were lying around the battlefield and prepared for a second attack. The Gauls prepared for the assault by stationing themselves in front of the walls of their camp, as the camp itself was insufficiently built to serve as a fortification.
The consul once again ordered the light infantry to commence the battle, and describes the onslaught that the Gauls faced:
They were then deluged by missiles of every kind; and since the more numerous and close-packed the defenders were, the less did any weapons fall harmlessly between them, they were at once forced within the rampart, leaving strong guards only at the very approaches to the gates. A huge number of missiles was hurled at the crowd herded into the camp, and the shouting, mingled with the lamentations of the women and children, denoted that many were wounded.
At this point, the heavy infantry advanced, throwing their javelins, and causing even more panic. The Gauls fled from the camp in all directions, whom the consul ordered to pursue. Finally, the cavalry having not played any role in the battle, eventually joined the pursuit, capturing and killing many Gauls.
Aftermath
As Livy points out, calculating the number of slain was made difficult by how scattered their bodies were (from having fled the camp). The victory brought much booty for the Roman Republic, and for all the soldiers involved.Vulso would meet the Gauls in battle again, not long afterwards at the Battle of Ancyra.
Primary Sources
- LivyLivyTitus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
, translated by Henry Bettison, (1976). Rome and the Mediterranean. London: Penguin Classics. ISBN 0-14-044318-5.
On-line sources
The Battle of Mount Olympus was fought in 189 BC189 BC
Year 189 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Nobilior and Vulso...
between the Galatian
Galatian
Galatian may refer to:*of or relating to Galatia or its people*Galatian language...
Gauls
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
of Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
and an alliance consisting of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Pergamum. The battle ended in a crushing allied victory.
Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
is the main source for this battle, and his description can be found in book 38, chapters 17-23.
Prelude
In 191 BC, Antiochus III of the Seleucid EmpireSeleucid Empire
The Seleucid Empire was a Greek-Macedonian state that was created out of the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.The Seleucid Empire was a major centre...
invaded Greece. This caused him to come into conflict with the Romans who defeated him in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and followed him into Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
. In Asia Minor, the Romans with their allies, Pergamum defeated Antiochus at the Battle of Magnesia
Battle of Magnesia
The Battle of Magnesia was fought in 190 BC near Magnesia ad Sipylum, on the plains of Lydia , between the Romans, led by the consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio and his brother, the famed general Scipio Africanus, with their ally Eumenes II of Pergamum against the army of Antiochus III the Great of the...
. This forced the Seleucids to sue for peace and to abandon Asia Minor.
In 189, Scipio Asiaticus
Scipio Asiaticus
Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus was a Roman general and statesman. He was the son of Publius Cornelius Scipio and the older brother of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus...
was replaced as consul by Gnaeus Manlius Vulso
Gnaeus Manlius Vulso
Gnaeus Manlius Vulso was a Roman consul for the year 189 BC, together with Marcus Fulvius Nobilior. He led a victorius campaign against the Galatian Gauls of Asia Minor in 189 BC during the Galatian War. He may have been awarded a triumph in 187BCE...
. One of his tasks was to conclude the treaty that Scipio had been arranging with Antiochus. When he arrived he addressed the troops and commended them on their victory over the Seleucids and proposed a new war, a war against the Galatian
Galatian
Galatian may refer to:*of or relating to Galatia or its people*Galatian language...
Gauls
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
of Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
.
The pretext he used for the invasion was that the Galatian had supplied soldiers to the Seleucid army at the Battle of Magnesia
Battle of Magnesia
The Battle of Magnesia was fought in 190 BC near Magnesia ad Sipylum, on the plains of Lydia , between the Romans, led by the consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio and his brother, the famed general Scipio Africanus, with their ally Eumenes II of Pergamum against the army of Antiochus III the Great of the...
. The principal reason for the invasion was Manlius' desire to seize the wealth of the Galatians who had become rich from plundering their neighbours and to gain glory for himself.
Vulso was joined in Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
by Attalus, the brother of King Eumenes II
Eumenes II
Eumenes II of Pergamon was king of Pergamon and a member of the Attalid dynasty. The son of king Attalus I and queen Apollonis, he followed in his father's footsteps and collaborated with the Romans to oppose first Macedonian, then Seleucid expansion towards the Aegean, leading to the defeat of...
of Pergamum. Attalus brought with him some infantry and cavalry and with these reinforcements, Vulso began his march inland. During the march inland through Asia Minor, Vulso extracted tribute from the cities along the way as well as intervening in conflicts.
When the army reached the border with Galatia, the consul addressed his troops about the upcoming war and then sent envoys to Eposognatus, chieftain of the Tectosagi which was one of the three Galatian tribes. The envoys returned and replied that the chieftain of the Tectosagi begged the Romans not to invade his territory. He also claimed that he would attempt to force the submission of the other chieftains.
Battle
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...
, with the launching of missiles and skirmishing of light troops. Livy claims that the Gauls fared badly right from the start, unable to protect themselves against the number of missiles being launched at them. They tried to retaliate with stones, but were not only unskilled in throwing them, but the stones themselves were too small to be of any help.
Livy goes on to describe the panic and hopelessness of the Gallic situation, seemingly trapped in a war of missiles: a type of warfare to which they were unsuited. When the Gauls rushed the light infantry, the Roman velites
Velites
Velites were a class of infantry in the Polybian legions of the early Roman republic. Velites were light infantry and skirmishers who were armed with a number of light javelins, or hastae velitares, to fling at the enemy, and also carried short thrusting swords, or gladii for use in melee...
, in a rarely described instance of hand-to-hand combat, slew the enraged and hysterical Gauls with their swords.
The standards of the legions began to advance on the Gauls which caused them to fall back in panic, retreating to their camp. The Romans occupied the surrounding hills and trapped their enemy, at which point the consul ordered his soldiers to rest temporarily. During this time, the light infantry gathered what missiles they could that were lying around the battlefield and prepared for a second attack. The Gauls prepared for the assault by stationing themselves in front of the walls of their camp, as the camp itself was insufficiently built to serve as a fortification.
The consul once again ordered the light infantry to commence the battle, and describes the onslaught that the Gauls faced:
They were then deluged by missiles of every kind; and since the more numerous and close-packed the defenders were, the less did any weapons fall harmlessly between them, they were at once forced within the rampart, leaving strong guards only at the very approaches to the gates. A huge number of missiles was hurled at the crowd herded into the camp, and the shouting, mingled with the lamentations of the women and children, denoted that many were wounded.
At this point, the heavy infantry advanced, throwing their javelins, and causing even more panic. The Gauls fled from the camp in all directions, whom the consul ordered to pursue. Finally, the cavalry having not played any role in the battle, eventually joined the pursuit, capturing and killing many Gauls.
Aftermath
As Livy points out, calculating the number of slain was made difficult by how scattered their bodies were (from having fled the camp). The victory brought much booty for the Roman Republic, and for all the soldiers involved.Vulso would meet the Gauls in battle again, not long afterwards at the Battle of Ancyra.
Primary Sources
- LivyLivyTitus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
, translated by Henry Bettison, (1976). Rome and the Mediterranean. London: Penguin Classics. ISBN 0-14-044318-5.
On-line sources
The Battle of Mount Olympus was fought in 189 BC189 BC
Year 189 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Nobilior and Vulso...
between the Galatian
Galatian
Galatian may refer to:*of or relating to Galatia or its people*Galatian language...
Gauls
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
of Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
and an alliance consisting of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Pergamum. The battle ended in a crushing allied victory.
Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
is the main source for this battle, and his description can be found in book 38, chapters 17-23.
Prelude
In 191 BC, Antiochus III of the Seleucid EmpireSeleucid Empire
The Seleucid Empire was a Greek-Macedonian state that was created out of the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.The Seleucid Empire was a major centre...
invaded Greece. This caused him to come into conflict with the Romans who defeated him in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and followed him into Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
. In Asia Minor, the Romans with their allies, Pergamum defeated Antiochus at the Battle of Magnesia
Battle of Magnesia
The Battle of Magnesia was fought in 190 BC near Magnesia ad Sipylum, on the plains of Lydia , between the Romans, led by the consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio and his brother, the famed general Scipio Africanus, with their ally Eumenes II of Pergamum against the army of Antiochus III the Great of the...
. This forced the Seleucids to sue for peace and to abandon Asia Minor.
In 189, Scipio Asiaticus
Scipio Asiaticus
Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus was a Roman general and statesman. He was the son of Publius Cornelius Scipio and the older brother of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus...
was replaced as consul by Gnaeus Manlius Vulso
Gnaeus Manlius Vulso
Gnaeus Manlius Vulso was a Roman consul for the year 189 BC, together with Marcus Fulvius Nobilior. He led a victorius campaign against the Galatian Gauls of Asia Minor in 189 BC during the Galatian War. He may have been awarded a triumph in 187BCE...
. One of his tasks was to conclude the treaty that Scipio had been arranging with Antiochus. When he arrived he addressed the troops and commended them on their victory over the Seleucids and proposed a new war, a war against the Galatian
Galatian
Galatian may refer to:*of or relating to Galatia or its people*Galatian language...
Gauls
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
of Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
.
The pretext he used for the invasion was that the Galatian had supplied soldiers to the Seleucid army at the Battle of Magnesia
Battle of Magnesia
The Battle of Magnesia was fought in 190 BC near Magnesia ad Sipylum, on the plains of Lydia , between the Romans, led by the consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio and his brother, the famed general Scipio Africanus, with their ally Eumenes II of Pergamum against the army of Antiochus III the Great of the...
. The principal reason for the invasion was Manlius' desire to seize the wealth of the Galatians who had become rich from plundering their neighbours and to gain glory for himself.
Vulso was joined in Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
by Attalus, the brother of King Eumenes II
Eumenes II
Eumenes II of Pergamon was king of Pergamon and a member of the Attalid dynasty. The son of king Attalus I and queen Apollonis, he followed in his father's footsteps and collaborated with the Romans to oppose first Macedonian, then Seleucid expansion towards the Aegean, leading to the defeat of...
of Pergamum. Attalus brought with him some infantry and cavalry and with these reinforcements, Vulso began his march inland. During the march inland through Asia Minor, Vulso extracted tribute from the cities along the way as well as intervening in conflicts.
When the army reached the border with Galatia, the consul addressed his troops about the upcoming war and then sent envoys to Eposognatus, chieftain of the Tectosagi which was one of the three Galatian tribes. The envoys returned and replied that the chieftain of the Tectosagi begged the Romans not to invade his territory. He also claimed that he would attempt to force the submission of the other chieftains.
Battle
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...
, with the launching of missiles and skirmishing of light troops. Livy claims that the Gauls fared badly right from the start, unable to protect themselves against the number of missiles being launched at them. They tried to retaliate with stones, but were not only unskilled in throwing them, but the stones themselves were too small to be of any help.
Livy goes on to describe the panic and hopelessness of the Gallic situation, seemingly trapped in a war of missiles: a type of warfare to which they were unsuited. When the Gauls rushed the light infantry, the Roman velites
Velites
Velites were a class of infantry in the Polybian legions of the early Roman republic. Velites were light infantry and skirmishers who were armed with a number of light javelins, or hastae velitares, to fling at the enemy, and also carried short thrusting swords, or gladii for use in melee...
, in a rarely described instance of hand-to-hand combat, slew the enraged and hysterical Gauls with their swords.
The standards of the legions began to advance on the Gauls which caused them to fall back in panic, retreating to their camp. The Romans occupied the surrounding hills and trapped their enemy, at which point the consul ordered his soldiers to rest temporarily. During this time, the light infantry gathered what missiles they could that were lying around the battlefield and prepared for a second attack. The Gauls prepared for the assault by stationing themselves in front of the walls of their camp, as the camp itself was insufficiently built to serve as a fortification.
The consul once again ordered the light infantry to commence the battle, and describes the onslaught that the Gauls faced:
They were then deluged by missiles of every kind; and since the more numerous and close-packed the defenders were, the less did any weapons fall harmlessly between them, they were at once forced within the rampart, leaving strong guards only at the very approaches to the gates. A huge number of missiles was hurled at the crowd herded into the camp, and the shouting, mingled with the lamentations of the women and children, denoted that many were wounded.
At this point, the heavy infantry advanced, throwing their javelins, and causing even more panic. The Gauls fled from the camp in all directions, whom the consul ordered to pursue. Finally, the cavalry having not played any role in the battle, eventually joined the pursuit, capturing and killing many Gauls.
Aftermath
As Livy points out, calculating the number of slain was made difficult by how scattered their bodies were (from having fled the camp). The victory brought much booty for the Roman Republic, and for all the soldiers involved.Vulso would meet the Gauls in battle again, not long afterwards at the Battle of Ancyra.
Primary Sources
- LivyLivyTitus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
, translated by Henry Bettison, (1976). Rome and the Mediterranean. London: Penguin Classics. ISBN 0-14-044318-5.