Battle of Octodurus
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Octodurus took place in the winter of 57-56 BC in the Gallic
town of Octodurus in what is now Martigny, Valais
, Switzerland
. The battle was the result of a Roman attempt to open the Great St. Bernard Pass
over the Alps. While it was a Roman victory, the ferocity of the fighting ended with the Roman legion moving back out of the Alps.
and some cavalry into the country of the Nantuates, Veragri
, and Seduni
. His purpose in sending this force was to open the Great St. Bernard Pass
over the Alps. Roman merchants were able to travel over the pass, but were sometimes attacked and were forced to pay tolls to the mountain tribes. Galba, after taking many strong places, and receiving the submission of the people, sent two cohorts into the country of the Nantuates, and wintered with the remaining cohorts in a town of the Veragri named Octodurus. The town was situated in a narrow valley, surrounded by mountains and divided by the Drance river. Galba gave one part of the town to the Galli to winter in, and assigned the other to his troops. He fortified the roman portion of the town with a ditch and rampart and prepared for winter. However, a few days after they moved into camp, a Gallic army attacked the fortifications. Caesar gives a number of reasons for this attack, amongst them a belief that the Romans wouldn't limit themselves to keeping the pass open, anger that a number of their children had been taken as hostages and a belief that the single under-strength Roman legion was vulnerable to attack.
.
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....
town of Octodurus in what is now Martigny, Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The battle was the result of a Roman attempt to open the Great St. Bernard Pass
Great St. Bernard Pass
Great St. Bernard Pass is the third highest road pass in Switzerland. It connects Martigny in the Canton of Valais in Switzerland to Aosta in Italy. It is the lowest pass lying on the ridge between the two highest summits of the Alps, Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa...
over the Alps. While it was a Roman victory, the ferocity of the fighting ended with the Roman legion moving back out of the Alps.
History
When Caesar was in Gallia (57—56 BC) he sent Servius Galba with the Twelfth LegionLegio XII Fulminata
Legio duodecima Fulminata , also known as Paterna, Victrix, Antiqua, Certa Constans, and Galliena, was a Roman legion, levied by Julius Caesar in 58 BC and which accompanied him during the Gallic wars until 49 BC. The unit was still guarding the Euphrates River crossing near Melitene at the...
and some cavalry into the country of the Nantuates, Veragri
Veragri
The Veragri were an ancient tribe located in present day Switzerland. The Veragri are placed by Julius Caesar in the canton of Valais between the Nantuates and the Seduni. Their chief town was Octodurus , whence the Veragri are called Octodurenses by Pliny. Dio Cassius The Veragri (Greek: ) were...
, and Seduni
Seduni
The Seduni or Sedunii were an ancient people in the valley of the Upper Rhone at Roman contact, whom Julius Caesar mentions: Nantuates Sedunos Veragrosque. These tribes were conquered by Rome are also mentioned in the Trophy of the Alps in the same order. They were east of the Veragri, in the...
. His purpose in sending this force was to open the Great St. Bernard Pass
Great St. Bernard Pass
Great St. Bernard Pass is the third highest road pass in Switzerland. It connects Martigny in the Canton of Valais in Switzerland to Aosta in Italy. It is the lowest pass lying on the ridge between the two highest summits of the Alps, Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa...
over the Alps. Roman merchants were able to travel over the pass, but were sometimes attacked and were forced to pay tolls to the mountain tribes. Galba, after taking many strong places, and receiving the submission of the people, sent two cohorts into the country of the Nantuates, and wintered with the remaining cohorts in a town of the Veragri named Octodurus. The town was situated in a narrow valley, surrounded by mountains and divided by the Drance river. Galba gave one part of the town to the Galli to winter in, and assigned the other to his troops. He fortified the roman portion of the town with a ditch and rampart and prepared for winter. However, a few days after they moved into camp, a Gallic army attacked the fortifications. Caesar gives a number of reasons for this attack, amongst them a belief that the Romans wouldn't limit themselves to keeping the pass open, anger that a number of their children had been taken as hostages and a belief that the single under-strength Roman legion was vulnerable to attack.
The battle
Several days after going into winter quarters the Romans woke up to find the Gallic half of the town deserted and the slopes above the town covered with a large force of Seduni and Veragri. The Roman fortifications were incomplete and he had only limited supplies. The Romans defended themselves from the fortifications for about six hours. At which time, fearing that they would not be able to keep the enemy out, they sortied. The Roman attack was successful and Caesar states that about one-third of the 30,000 tribesmen were killed. Smith mentions that due to the narrowness of the valley, the Gallic army might have been much smaller than Caesar records and that the casualty figures might also be inflated. However, if the battle ended with something of a stampede then the Gauls would probably have taken casualties as high as one-third.The aftermath
Despite the Roman decisive victory, Galba didn’t feel strong enough to remain at Octodurus. He was running short of supplies and worried about foraging in the Alps during winter. He may have also feared raids by the scattered fragments of the Gallic army which had retreated into the mountains. After burning the village, Galba marched out of the Alps and spent the rest of the winter in the lands of the AllobrogesAllobroges
The Allobroges were a Celtic tribe of ancient Gaul, located between the Rhône River and the Lake of Geneva in what later became Savoy, Dauphiné, and Vivarais. Their cities were in the areas of modern-day Annecy, Chambéry and Grenoble, the modern of Isère, and modern Switzerland...
.