Battle of Ruspina

Overview

The Battle of Ruspina was fought on 4 January 46 BC in the Roman province of Africa, between the Republican forces of the Optimates and forces loyal to Julius Caesar. The Republican army was commanded by Titus Labienus, Caesar's former lieutenant during the Gallic Wars who had defected to the Republican side at the beginning of the civil war.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Ruspina, fought on 4 January 46 BC in the Roman province of Africa, was an engagement between Caesarian forces under Julius Caesar and Republican Optimate forces commanded by Titus Labienus. Labienus had been one of Caesar's most capable lieutenants during the Gallic Wars before defecting to the Republican cause at the outset of the civil war, making the confrontation a direct contest between former comrades and the command traditions they represented. The engagement took place within the African theater of Caesar's Civil War, a campaign that would culminate in the decisive Battle of Thapsus later in 46 BC. Beyond these facts, the outcome and its operational consequences are not recorded in the available sources.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (5)