Battle of Lake Constance

The naval battle on Lake Constance was a military confrontation between the Romans and Celts, which occurred in the year 15 BC, on Lake Constance (Latin Lacus Brigantinus ). With the classic ancient naval battles but it is hardly comparable in extent and importance.

The battle was part of the conducted by Drusus and Tiberius to the conquest of Raetia last phase of the Alps campaigns. Here penetrated Drusus of northern Italy from the Alps in the direction of today's Augsburg (Augusta Vindelicorum ), while Tiberius gathered together his army of some 10,000 legionaries and a similarly large number of auxiliary troops, first in southwest Germany ( Roman camp Dangstetten ) and then over the Constance eastward push forward to Augsburg. At Lake Constance arrived, Tiberius had a flotilla of cargo ships built, where he (possibly the Mainau ) used an island as a base. According to Strabo, it should be then come to a naval battle with the resident Celtic tribe of Vindelici, while Cassius Dio just reported that Tiberius crossed the sea in ships.

Swell

  • Cassius Dio: Roman History. 54, 22 (English translation )
  • Strabo: Geographika. 7, 1, 5 (English translation )
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