Sertorian War

Sertorian War
Part of the Crisis of the Roman Republic
Troop movements and battles of the Sertorian War between 76–75 BC
Date 80–72 BC Location Hispania (Iberian peninsula) Result Sullan victory
Belligerents
Sertorians Iberian peoples Celtiberians Cilician Pirates	Sullan senate
Commanders and leaders
Quintus Sertorius X Lucius Hirtuleius † M. Perperna Veiento  Gaius Herennius † Gaius Octavius Graecinus Gaius Tarquitius Priscus Lucius Insteius Gaius Insteius Marcus Marius	Metellus Pius Pompey Gaius Memmius † Lucius Afranius Decimus Laelius † Lucius Fufidius Gaius Aurelius Cotta M. Domitius Calvinus † Lucius Thorius Balbus † Quintus Calidius Lucius Manlius Lucius Cornelius Balbus

The Sertorian War was a civil war in the Roman Republic fought from 80 to 72 BC between two Roman factions, one led by Quintus Sertorius and another led by the senate as constituted in the aftermath of Sulla's civil war. The war was fought on the Iberian peninsula (called Hispania by the Romans) and was one of the Roman civil wars of the first century BC. The Sertorians comprised many Roman exiles from the Sullan proscriptions led by Sertorius, who fashioned himself proconsul, and native Celts, Aquitanians, and Iberians.

The war takes its name from Quintus Sertorius, the leader of the opposition. It was notable for Sertorius' successful use of guerrilla warfare. Sertorius was sent by the Marian regime as proconsul to Hispania in 83 BC, but was ejected by a Sullan army in 81 BC. He returned in 80 BC, landing in Hispania Ulterior, and campaigned with success against the Sullan governors, depicting himself as the legitimate Roman governor of Hispania while winning over the native tribes.

Sertorius consolidated control over both Hispanian provinces (Ulterior and Citerior) between 80–77 BC through pitched battles and guerrilla warfare, along with the aid of his legate Lucius Hirtuleius. Metellus Pius, sent against Sertorius in 80 BC, failed to dislodge him after several years of campaigning. The Roman Senate sent Pompey to help Metellus in late 77 BC, but in 76 BC Pompey was defeated by Sertorius at the Battle of Lauron, and the Sullan generals made no progress in the year.

75 BC featured four large battles that deteriorated the Sertorian cause. Marcus Perperna Veiento and Gaius Herennius were defeated by Pompey at the Battle of Valentia, while Metellus defeated Hirtuleius at the Battle of Italica. Sertorius engaged Pompey at the indecisive Battle of Sucro, and then the combined armies of Pompey and Metellus at the indecisive Battle of Saguntum.

The Sertorian armies were greatly diminished following these battles. The Sullan generals were able to call on reinforcements from Rome, and from 74 BC onward conducted a war of attrition that the Sertorians were unable to stop. After years of fighting, discontent in the Sertorian coalition grew and culminated in the assassination of Sertorius by Perperna in 73 or 72 BC. The war ended soon after when Perperna was promptly defeated by Pompey in the Battle of Osca.^[1]