Battle of the Tolenus River

Rutilius and Marius constructed two bridges across the Tolenus River^{[note 2]} in eastern Latium, pitching camps on one side of the river, while the Marsian commander Titus Vettius Scato set up camp on the other side of the river, nearer to Marius's camp. The night before the battle, Scato sent an ambush force to the location of Rutilius's bridge, and when Rutilius attempted to cross with his army in the morning, they were attacked, and Rutilius was killed.^[3]

Marius, downstream from the attack, observed bodies floating down the river and therefore decided to advance across the river, taking Scato's undermanned camp by surprise and forcing Scato to retreat with his ambush force in search of provisions.^[4]

The Battle of the Tolenus River was the largest engagement of the Social War thus far, with around 8,000 killed on both sides. Despite the equal losses, the battle was unquestionably a Roman defeat with the death of the consul Rutilius. The senate decided against holding elections to replace Rutilius, instead handing control of his army jointly to Marius and Quintus Servilius Caepio.^[5]