Battle of the Sabis

56 BCE.

Shown on the map at 50.233°, 3.442°.

The Battle of the Sabis also (arguably erroneously) known as the Battle of the Sambre or the Battle against the Nervians (or Nervii) was fought in 57 BC near modern Saulzoir in Northern France. At the River Sabis a Roman army under the command of Gaius Julius Caesar fought an association of Belgae tribes, principally the Nervii. Caesar was surprised and nearly defeated by a Belgae surprise attack. According to Caesar's commentaries, a combination of determined defence, skilled generalship, and the timely arrival of reinforcements allowed the Romans to turn the Belgae ambush into a Roman victory. Few primary sources describe the battle in detail, with most information coming from Caesar's own report on the battle from his book, Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Little is therefore known about the Nervii perspective on the battle.

Text from the Wikipedia article Battle of the Sabis, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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