Caepio attacks a prepared position hastily and without coordinating with Mallius, committing his veteran force before the consul can intervene. The assault sacrifices the advantage of Roman numbers and allows the Cimbri and Teutones to defeat the armies in sequence. After destroying Caepio's force, they seize the rich supplies in his camp and turn on Mallius's newer army. Flight toward a cold, swollen river compounds the slaughter as armored soldiers try to cross in haste. The cited tradition reports about 80,000 soldiers and 40,000 camp followers killed, figures whose exact proportion is uncertain but whose scale reflects the collapse of both camps.
Chapter · 58:48-1:04:23
Caepio turns two Roman armies into two defeats
Caepio's unsupported assault is destroyed first, allowing the victors to loot his camp and then overwhelm Mallius's inexperienced army.