Verus' German Campaigns

Location
 Territorialchanges
 38,000:• 6 legions plus auxiliaries• 4,000 cavalry
 3,000 killed and 1,000 wounded

After the victory at Bagistana in March of 1030, Aurelian appointed Marcus to be the governor of Germania Superior, sending him west to deal with trouble on the Rhine and Pannonian. He is recorded to have arrived to the city of Augusta Raurica on 24 May 1030, and quickly he took command of the situation.

While to the north the general Galerius pushed the Franks back behind across the Rhine and built fortifications and bridgeheads on the right bank Marcus focused his efforts against the Alemanni and Longiones. Both tribes had during the chaos of the recent crises advanced through and occupied the Neckar valley, between the Rhine and Danube, and had since been frequently launching raids into Gaul. At the same time he crossed the the Neckar and drove out the invaders. He defeated them at the Battle of the Tragisama, near the town of Tarduna, and took the Longiones leader Semnon prisoner, but opted to free Semnon. In return the Alemanni and Longiones had to return to their homelands, surrender all that they had looted, and hand over all the captured Romans.

He then moved his attention to the Vandals and Burgundians who had suddenly in August crossed the Danube and invaded Raetia, laying siege to the city of Augusta Vindelicorum. Ceionius defeated them at the Battle of Lechfeld.

For his victories he received the title *Germanicus Maximus.* Reportedly, 400,000 barbarians were killed during the campaign, though this is probably an exaggeration.

With the invaders defeated, in 1031 Marcus launched a series of minor campaigns across the Rhine and Danube into the Barbarian homelands, securing tribal loyalty and establishing client rulers in disloyal tribes.

## Campaign against the Franks

Galerius' led three legions in the North against the Franks, after a few months of campaigning they subdued the Franks, and captured Genobaud, the Frankish king.

## Campaign against the Vandals and Burgundians

In mid August a large group of Vandals and Burgundians under the leadership of p and p respectively crossed the Danube into Raetia. Initially they pillaged the countryside, though with the region already diminished from previous raids, they set their eyes on a larger targets, the provincial capital of  Augusta Vindelicorum and the city of Ovilava. The invading army split in two, 25,000 going to Augusta Vindelicorum and 15,000 going to Olivava. Both cities were quickly besieged.

Ceionius, upon receiving word of the barbarian incursion, left Legio XXII Primigenia behind to wrap up operations against the Alemanni, and marched with haste to relieve Augusta Vendelicorum. Despite repeated attempts to breach Augusta Vindelicorum, the citizens had succeeded in repelling the barbarians. The most fiercely contested fighting occurred on 18 August on the western side of the wall where some Vandals managed to reach the top of the wall, but they broke off their attack after one of their leaders fell.

The Roman army emerged to the north of the city, and was heavily outnumbered

## Aftermath

Ceionius' campaigns stabilized the Rhine and Upper Danube frontiers, and it wouldn't be for about another twenty years that their would be any significant military actions in those regions. Ceionius himself was awarded a triumph in Rome for his victories. The notoriety and good reputation that the wars brought him was a major factor in his appointment to the rank of Caesar by Aurelian and his eventual ascension to the imperial throne.