Battle of Cartagena (461)

Battle of Cartagena
	Part of the Germanic Wars
	; Although the battle took place on the coast of the province Carthaginensis (green), it was not in the provincial capital Cartagena itself, but 40 nautical miles away in Portus Ilicitanus (Santa Pola)
Date	460 (or 461) CE
Location	Portus Ilicitanus (today Santa Pola, Spain)
Result	Vandalic victory
Belligerents
Vandals	Western Roman Empire
Strength
unknown	300 ships
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of Cartagena occurred on May 13, 460^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7] (or 461^[8]) and was part of the wars of Majorian. Although many sources call it battle of Cartagena, the battle did not take place at Cartagena but on the coast of Roman Carthaginensis province at Portus Ilicitanus (today Santa Pola)^[1]^[3]^[8] in the bay of Alicante.^[5] Since Portus Ilicitanus was the port of Elche (Ilici), the battle is sometimes referred as battle of Elche.^[1]^[6]

460: Eo anno captae sunt naves a Vandalis ad Elecem juxta Carthaginem Spartariam.
— Marius Aventicensis, Chronica de obispo de Aventicum

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Ian Hughes: Gaiseric - The Vandal Who Destroyed Rome, pages 61, 95 and 151–165. Pen and Sword, Barnsley 2017
^ ^a ^b ^c Tony Jaques: Dictionary of Battles and Sieges, Vol. 1 (A-E), page 205. Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport/London 2007
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Michael Kulikowski: Late Roman Spain and Its Cities, page 191. JHU Press, Baltimore 2010
^ ^a ^b ^c Simon MacDowall: Conquerors of the Roman Empire - The Vandals, page X. Pen and Sword, Barnsley 2016
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Britannica.com: Majorian - Roman emperor
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d John Powell: Magill's Guide to Military History, Vol. 3, page 936. Salem Press, Ipswich 2001
^ ^a ^b Brill Online: Ilici
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Peter Heather: The Fall of the Roman Empire - A New History of Rome and the Barbarians, page X. Oxford University Press, New York 2005

[Hughes-1] Ian Hughes: Gaiseric - The Vandal Who Destroyed Rome, pages 61, 95 and 151–165. Pen and Sword, Barnsley 2017

[Jaques-2] Tony Jaques: Dictionary of Battles and Sieges, Vol. 1 (A-E), page 205. Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport/London 2007

[Kuli-3] Michael Kulikowski: Late Roman Spain and Its Cities, page 191. JHU Press, Baltimore 2010

[Mac-4] Simon MacDowall: Conquerors of the Roman Empire - The Vandals, page X. Pen and Sword, Barnsley 2016

[Britannica-5] Britannica.com: Majorian - Roman emperor

[Powell-6] John Powell: Magill's Guide to Military History, Vol. 3, page 936. Salem Press, Ipswich 2001

[Brill-7] Brill Online: Ilici

[Heather-8] Peter Heather: The Fall of the Roman Empire - A New History of Rome and the Barbarians, page X. Oxford University Press, New York 2005

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