Battle of Utica ( 49 BC ) The Battle of Utica ( 49 BC ) was fought between Julius Caesar ' s general Gaius Scribonius Curio and Numidian cavalry and foot soldiers sent by King Juba I of Numidia and commanded by Publius Attius Varus . Curio defeated the Numidians and drove Varus back into the town of Utica . Background . With Caesar ’ s crossing of the Rubicon in January 49 BC , he plunged the Roman Republic into civil war with a clique of Roman senators who were determined to destroy him , under the military leadership of Pompey . Having pushed through Italy in an attempt to reach Pompey and detach him from the Republican leadership , he was unable to prevent them taking ship at Brundisium and fleeing to Epirus . Instead of pursuing them , Caesar decided to deal with the Pompeian forces holding important western provinces . So in March 49 BC , while he marched to Hispania , he sent thirty - one cohorts ( approximately three legions ) to Africa under the command of Gaius Scribonius Curio to deal with the Pompeian forces there . Prior to Curio ’ s departure , this force was supplemented by an additional legion and 1 , 000 Gallic cavalry . As Curio had precious little experience in war , he appointed a trusted military subordinate , Gaius Caninius Rebilus as Curio ’ s legate . By this point Africa was held by Attius Varus , who , after fleeing from Auximum during Caesar ’ s march through Italy , had made his way to Utica . He found the province in a state of limbo , as the propraetor , Considius Longus , had finished his term as governor and had returned to Italy , and his designated successor , Aelius Tubero , had not yet arrived . Varus had previously been the Propraetor of Africa some years before , and now decided to take possession of the province in Pompey ’ s name . Using his local knowledge , and the local connections built up through his " clientela " , he managed to raise two legions . When Tubero finally appeared off Utica to take up his post , Varus drove him off and forced him to leave . To further cement his position in Africa , Varus relied on the support of King Juba of Numidia , a client state , whose father owed his position to Pompey , while Juba himself had a personal grudge against Curio , because , as plebeian tribune , Curio had once proposed a law that would have converted Numidia into a Roman province . In the interim , Curio had crossed into Sicily , forcing out a leading Republican senator , Marcus Porcius Cato , who fled Syracuse on April 23 , 49 BC to join Pompey in the east . With the opposition in Sicily suppressed with no fighting , Curio decided to remain there , wanting to hear of developments in Spain before committing himself to the African campaign . It wasn ’ t until early August that Curio , leaving half his forces in Sicily , embarked from Lilybaeum , and a fleet of one hundred transports and twelve galleys transported two legions and 500 cavalry , and , chasing off the patrolling ships of Lucius Caesar disembarked at Thonara Bay at Cape Bon . Preliminary Operations . After ordering his fleet to sail to Utica , Curio began his march there around the gulf . Within three days he had reached the southern bank of the Bagradas river . Leaving the infantry there with Rebilus , he took his cavalry and rode northward to scout out a camp near Utica , the " Castra Cornelia " , situated on a hill to the west of the town . From that position he was able to assess Varus ’ s camp , which was situated next to the town , with his further side protected by Utica ’ s north - eastern wall , while his nearer side was protected by the sea and an outdoor theatre , ensuring that his camp could only be approached by a narrow passage . Turning south , he noticed a stream of fugitives fleeing to the safety of Utica ’ s walls , and he decided to attack the crowds to instil panic . This forced Varus to send 1 , 000 Numidian troops ( 600 cavalry and 400 soldiers ) to their rescue . The two forces clashed and the Numidians , unused to close fighting , were repulsed , losing 120 men in the process , as the remainder of the troops retreated to the town . Next , Curio , observing that some 200 ships containing the supplies for Varus ’ s army , lay unprotected in Utica ’ s harbour , and that his fleet was already in position , decided to take possession of the supplies . He ordered the captains of the vessels to remove their cargoes and place them on the shore , next to where Curio was planning to make his camp . After threatening to kill them , they complied and promptly set sail after they had emptied their holds . Returning victorious to his camp on the Bagradas , the legions acclaimed him as " Imperator " . The next day he ordered his forces to march towards Utica , but instead of heading towards the Castra Cornelia which he had spied out for his camp , he decided to take the offensive and placed himself on a ridge to the south - west of the town . His soldiers were still preparing their camp when patrols reported seeing large Numidian reinforcements on their way , King Juba having sent them to reinforce Varus ’ s position . When they came into view , Curio , who had not bothered to send out scouts , started showing signs of nervousness . He urgently sent out his cavalry to impede the Numidian advance , while he impatiently recalled his legionaries from the trenches and began to line them up in battle formation . His cavalry engaged the Numidians who , approaching in a disorganized fashion , were caught unawares and were dispersed with heavy losses . Before Curio could send his legions in , the Numidian cavalry had escaped from the slaughter , and quickly made their way into the town . The following night , two centurions , accompanied by twenty - two men , deserted Curio ’ s camp and made their way to Varus . They told him that Curio ’ s troops were deeply unhappy with their commander , and that he should attempt to win them over prior to battle . Varus agreed with this strategy and the following morning , he assembled his troops and led them out of their camp . Curio followed suit . The two armies were separated by a valley some in width , between the town and a morass , with Curio ’ s right flank and Varus ’ s left touching by the morass . Varus ’ s brother , Sextus Quintilius Varus , a senator , emerged from Varus ’ s troops and urged Curio ’ s troops not to fight for their commander , but to join their own side . The troops listened in silence , and Varus returned to his camp , with Curio again doing the same . That day , with Curio ’ s men contemplating abandoning their commander , Curio summoned his officers to seek their advice . Some counselled Curio to attack immediately , before mutiny could break out . Others suggested that he wait and let Varus come to him , giving his soldiers time to calm themselves down . Curio rejected both sets of advice and decided to talk to the men directly . Ordering his troops to line up , he reminded them of their oaths to Caesar , and that they had acclaimed him Imperator . By the time he was done , his troops had been brought around to supporting him , and all mutterings subsided . The Battle . The next day it was Curio who led his men out for battle , with Varus following . They lined up their troops as they had the day before , on either side of the valley . Although the sides of the valley were only about seven feet high , they were quite steep , so each army waited for the other to commence operations and start crossing the valley . Eventually Varus ordered the Numidian cavalry , with support from lightly - armed auxiliaries , to cross the valley . As they proceeded , Curio sent in his cavalry , supported by two cohorts , and they launched themselves at Varus ’ s advancing troops . The Numidian cavalry , already having been beaten two days before , turned around and fled . The auxiliaries in turn were surrounded and slaughtered where they stood . At this point Curio ’ s legate , Gaius Caninius Rebilus , turned to Curio and urged him to take the opportunity and press his advantage . Reminding his men of the oaths they had taken the day before , Curio led the charge . Crossing the valley and scrambling up the enemy embankment , Curio discovered that Varus ’ s men had broken and run . Chasing after them , many of Varus ’ s troops were trampled to death by their own men in their haste to flee , while others were killed by Curio ’ s men . Many never stopped until they reached the town of Utica . Varus was so completely demoralised that he withdrew almost his entire army into the town , leaving only a trumpeter and a few tents behind to keep up appearances . The end result was Varus lost some 600 men , while another 1 , 000 were wounded ; Curio ’ s own tally of injured came to 100 . Aftermath . In the confusion of the battle , Curio was urged to take the town before Varus could regroup , but he held himself back , as he did not have the means at hand to undertake an assault of the town . The next day however , he began to form a contravallation of Utica , with the intent of starving the town into submission . Varus was approached by the leading citizens of the town , who begged him to surrender and spare the town the horrors of a siege . Varus , however , had just learned that King Juba was on his way with a large force , and so reassured them that with Juba ’ s assistance , Curio would soon be defeated . Curio heard similar reports and abandoned the siege , making his way to the Castra Cornelia . False reports from Utica about Juba ’ s strength caused him to drop his guard , leading to the Battle of the Bagradas River .