Why did Rome face panic after the Battle of Arausio?

The panic in Rome following the Battle of Arausio in 105 BCE was primarily caused by the catastrophic destruction of two Roman armies—led by a consul and a proconsul—at the hands of the Cimbri and Teutoni.12

This defeat was the culmination of a series of military failures against these migrating Germanic tribes, which left the Roman state feeling vulnerable and exposed. The loss of these forces created an urgent need to raise new troops to defend against a potential invasion of Italy. The situation was so dire that it necessitated the repeated election of Gaius Marius to the consulship, as his military reputation and subsequent reforms were seen as the only viable solution to the crisis.3214

The immediate public alarm was eventually allayed by the firm actions of the consul Publius Rutilius Rufus, who prepared and trained the fresh forces that Marius would later lead to victory.42