Battle of Thapsus

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Battle of Thapsus
Part of Caesar's Civil War
Initial troop deployment of the battle
Date April 6, 46 BC (Julian calendar) Location Thapsus (Tunisia), modern Ras Dimas 35°37′28″N 11°02′52″E / 35.6244°N 11.0478°E / 35.6244; 11.0478 Result Caesarian victory
Belligerents
Populares	Optimates Numidia
Commanders and leaders
Gaius Julius Caesar	Metellus Scipio Marcus Petreius Juba I of Numidia Titus Labienus Lucius Afranius Publius Attius Varus (fleet commander) Vergilius (garrison commander of Thapsus)
Units involved
Legio V (the fifth legion)[1] Legio VII (the seventh legion)[1] Legio VIII (the eighth legion)[1] Legio IX (the ninth legion)[1] Legio X (the tenth legion)[1] Legio XIII (the thirteenth legion)[1] Legio XIV (the fourteenth legion)[1] Legio XXV (the twenty-fifth legion)[1] Legio XXVI (the twenty-sixth legion)[1] Legio XXVIII (the twenty-eighth legion)[1] Legio XXIX (the twenty-ninth legion) Legio XXX (the thirtieth legion)[1] Auxiliary Gallic cavalry Auxiliary Germanic cavalry Auxiliary Gaetulian cavalry	Optimates' army Juba's army
Strength
50,000−70,000 (at least 12 legions), 5,000 cavalry	70,000−90,000 (at least 12 legions), 14,500 cavalry Juba's allied troops with 60 elephants
Casualties and losses
Nearly 1,000	About 10,000

The Battle of Thapsus was a military engagement that took place on April 6, 46 BC^[2] near Thapsus (in modern Tunisia). The forces of the Optimates, led by Quintus Caecilius Metellus Scipio, were defeated by the forces of Julius Caesar.^[3] It was followed shortly by the suicides of Scipio and his ally, Cato the Younger, the Numidian king Juba, and his Roman peer Marcus Petreius.