External Threat of Roman Empire
● Sack of Rome by Gauls(390 BCE)
○ Gauls defeated Romans in Battle of Allia
■ Sacked city of Rome
■ Senate retreated
■ Rest of the city burned
■ 1000 pounds of gold to ransom the city
○ Roman first major defeat.
■ Gave fear of Northern Barbarian
■ Focused on stronger city defences
● Servian Wall
Julius Caesar's Campaigns in the Gaul (58-50 BCE)
● Caesar invaded Gaul
○ Claim to protect Roman allies
○ Defeated multiple tribes
○ Defeated revolts
■ Siege of Alesia(52 BCE)
○ Expansion of Roman control to Rhine River
■ Gained wealth and popularity
■ Leads to civil war with Pompey
○ Foundation of Roman-Germanic Frontier conflicts
■ Lasts 400+ years Battle of Teutoburg Forest (9CE)
● Three Roman legion was annihilated in Teutoburg forest
○ Germany
● Arminus
○ Trained with Romans
○ Led the ambush
○ 20,000 Romans died
● Abandoned plans to conquer Germania
○ East of Rhine were unoccupied
○ Rhine river Roman frontier of north
Marcomannic Wars(166-180 CE)
● Germanic tribe invades Roman province
○ During the time of plague
○ Internal unrest
● Long war for Rome
○ Balkan
● Marcus Aurelius
○ Created new Roman provinces
○ North of Danube
● First major Germanic pressure
● Weaken Rome’s frontier
○ Later germanic invasion in 3-5C