Burdigala > Bordeaux Aquitaine France

The Cimbri and Their Allies Defeat Rome Again at Burdigala (107 BCE)

Following their victories at Noreia (113 BCE) and in Gallia Narbonensis (109 BCE), the Cimbri and their allied tribes continued their campaign of destruction in Roman territory. In 107 BCE, they clashed with another Roman army at Burdigala (modern Bordeaux), dealing the Republic another devastating defeat.

The Battle of Burdigala and the Death of Gaius Cassius Longinus Ravilla

• The Roman consul Gaius Cassius Longinus Ravilla led a military campaign against the Cimbri and their allies, seeking to halt their advances in southern Gaul.
• At Burdigala (modern Bordeaux), the Roman forces were decisively defeated, with Longinus himself killed in battle.
• This marked yet another catastrophic loss for Rome, demonstrating its inability to contain the Cimbrian threat.

Consequences of the Defeat

• The Roman Senate and military leadership were in crisis, as the Republic had now suffered three major defeats against the Cimbri and Teutons within just six years (113–107 BCE).
• The continued military failures in Gaul fueled panic in Rome, leading to calls for military reform and new leadership.
• The Cimbri, however, did not immediately invade Italy, instead continuing their movements through Gaul, searching for lands to settle.

Toward the Climax of the Cimbrian War

The Roman defeats at Noreia, Gallia Narbonensis, and Burdigala set the stage for one of the greatest military crises of the Roman Republic, eventually leading to the rise of Gaius Marius, who would later be tasked with defeating the Cimbri and their allies in a series of decisive battles (102–101 BCE).

The Cimbrian victories in Gaul reinforced their status as one of Rome’s most formidable adversaries, contributing to the political instability and military reforms that would shape the late Republic.

The Devastation of Gaul by the Vandals

Following the death of King Godigisel, his eldest surviving son, Gunderic, leads the Vandals on a brutal campaign through Gaul, leaving a trail of destruction and plunder in their wake. With Roman defenses in ruins and local authorities powerless to resist, the Vandals ravage the land, pillaging cities and settlements as they push westward and southward through Aquitaine.

Their advance further destabilizes Roman rule in Gaul, compounding the chaos caused by earlier Germanic incursions. The Vandal march is not simply one of conquest but also of desperation, as they seek new lands to settle amid the ongoing disintegration of the Western Roman Empire.

The devastation inflicted upon Aquitaine marks another irreversible blow to Roman control in the region, setting the stage for the eventual fragmentation of imperial authority and the rise of new barbarian kingdoms in former Roman territories.