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What happened at the Battle of Vercellae in 101 BCE?

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At the Battle of Vercellae in 101 BCE, the Roman general Gaius Marius combined his forces with those of the consul Quintus Lutatius Catulus to decisively defeat the Cimbri tribe.12

The engagement took place on the Campi Raudii, located near Vercellae in the Po River valley. Following a serious setback previously suffered by Catulus, the combined Roman army successfully annihilated the entire Cimbri force, effectively ending the Germanic threat to Italy.231

While Marius and Catulus celebrated a joint triumph for the victory, the event was marked by internal friction; Marius claimed full credit for the success, while Catulus and his subordinate Sulla provided conflicting accounts in their respective memoirs. This victory represented the apex of Marius's military success, occurring during his fifth consecutive consulship.23