Rome answers Arausio with panic, exile, and prosecution

The destruction leaves little between the victorious migrants and Rome, prompting panic and an urgent political search for responsibility. Mallius had lost both sons as well as his army, but personal tragedy did not protect him from prosecution. He and Caepio were exiled through interdiction from fire and water, denying them support within eight hundred miles of Rome. Caepio also received an immense fine tied to treasure that had disappeared during an earlier campaign under suspicious circumstances. The response demonstrates both genuine fear and the Senate's willingness to stretch normal legal practice after catastrophe.