Quintus Titurius Sabinus

Quintus Sabinus Titurius († 54 BC at Atuatuca [ northern Gaul ] ) was in the army legate Gaius Julius Caesar during the Gallic war.

His father was probably in the year 87 BC in the service of Sulla. Maybe the father is also one of the legates of Pompey in Spain ( 75 BC).

Maybe Titurius already belonged to the unnamed legate of Caesar during the year 58 BC, 57 BC, he took part in the fight against Belger part. The following year he submitted with three legions Veneller, Coriosoliten and Lexovier under Viridovix.

During Caesar's first transition to Britain in 55 BC led Titurius together with the legate Lucius Cotta Aurunculeius a punitive expedition against the Belgae tribes of the Morini and the Menapii whose areas probably were in the range of the Scheldt and the Rhine-Meuse estuary.

To the next and last time Titurius met in November 54 BC in appearance. Together with Cotta he has command of a legion and 5 cohorts (about 10,000 men ) that were placed in the fortified place Atuatuca of the Celtic tribe of the Eburons into winter storage. There they were attacked by the Eburons under the leadership of their king Ambiorix.

Using a ruse succeeded the Eburones King to lure the Romans from their fortified camp. Caesar describes in detail the confrontation between the two legates Cotta and Titurius, the former wanted to defend the fortified camp and wait for relief, the latter removed the safety in flight for about 50 miles, the nearest winter camp was looking for. Cotta is described as brave and virtuous, Titurius as cowardly and headless.

Titurius prevailed. The Romans left the armed camps, as it had wanted Ambiorix. The Eburons attacked the marching column in a valley, had as Cotta foreseen it. Fifteen Roman cohorts were almost completely wiped out. Cotta was wounded by a sling-stone in the face, but refused to cooperate with Titurius to leave the battle and Ambiorix be and to ask for the life of the Legionaries.

Quintus Titurius Sabinus and the centurions of the first order, who had laid down their arms before Ambiorix were massacred. Even Lucius Cotta Aurunculeius was killed in a brave fight, along with the majority of its soldiers. Caesar kept him in his writings as a tribute and gave Titurius alone to blame for the " bad luck " ( calamitas ) of Atuatuca.