Battle of Faventia (82 BC)
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| Battle of Faventia | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Sulla's Second Civil War | |||||||
 Roman era gate at Faventia. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Optimates | Populares | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius | Gaius Norbanus Balbus | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 20,000 Legionaries | 25,000 Legionaries | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Low | 9,000–10,000 killed and 6,000 defected (all but 1,000 lost)[1] | ||||||
The Battle of Faventia took place in September of 82 BC at Faventia during the context of Sulla's Second Civil War. The battle pitted the Optimates under the command of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius against the Populares forces commanded by Gaius Norbanus Balbus. The battle resulted in an Optimate victory.
Through the course of the campaign of 82 BC, the Populares forces had divided into two groups, those in the north under the command of Gnaeus Papirius Carbo, and those in the south who were commanded by Gaius Marius the Younger. Sulla had successfully defeated Marius Battle of Sacriporto and had managed to pin Marius and his fellow survivors under a siege at Preneste. Rome itself soon after had fallen to the Optimates. Soon after, the war had shifted to Etruria where Sulla engaged in a pitched cavalry skirmish against Popular forces near the Glanis River, emerging victorious.[2] His forces managed to defeat those of Gnaeus Papirius Carbo after expelling Carbo from Picenum.