The consuls lead their armies on their…

The consuls lead their armies on their own armed migration to the Rhône River near Orange, Vaucluse, where, disliking and distrusting each other, they erect separate camps on opposite sides of the river; by so doing they leave their disunited force open to separate attack by the migrating Cimbri and Teutones.

The overconfident Caepio foolishly attacks without support from Maximus; his legions are wiped out and his undefended camp overrun.

The now isolated and demoralized troops of Maximus are then easily defeated.

Thousands more are slain trying desperately to rally and defend his poorly positioned camp.

Only Caepio, Maximus, and a few hundred Romans escape with their lives across the carnage-choked river.

The Battle of Arausio is the costliest defeat Rome has suffered since Cannae and, in fact, the losses and long-term consequences are far greater.

Though the actual casualty figure remains debated, Livy claims that the total number of Roman casualties (not including camp followers or other noncombatants) amounted to eighty thousand.

Theodore Mommsen claims that besides the eighty thousand Roman soldiers, half as many of the auxiliaries and camp-followers perished.

Plutarch, in his "Life of Marius," did mention that the soil of the fields the battle had been fought upon were made so fertile by human remains that they were able to produce "magna copia" (a great quantity) of yield for many years.

For the Cimbri and Teutons it is a great (though temporary) triumph.

Instead of immediately gathering their allies and marching on Rome, the Cimbri proceed to Hispania, while the Teutones remain in Gaul.

Why they again failed to invade Italy remains a mystery.

Perhaps they thought easier plunder could be found in Gaul and Spain.

It is also possible that, owing to their reckless battle tactics, the Germans had suffered heavy casualties in their victories over the Romans and decided they were not yet strong enough to engage them on their home ground.

Unfortunately for them, they would soon be faced with one of the greatest Roman generals at the head of a new and much deadlier army.