The Sertorian War in Spain
When Sulla's victory in the civil war made Rome uninhabitable for Marians, Quintus Sertorius fled to Spain. He was a brilliant soldier who had served under Marius, lost an eye in battle, and earned a reputation for extraordinary tactical creativity. The Iberian tribes, impressed by his courage and relative fairness, rallied to him. Sertorius established what amounted to an alternative Roman government. He assembled a senate of exiled Roman senators, set up a school at Osca where the sons of Iberian chieftains were educated in Latin and Greek, and wore the Roman magistrate's toga. His stated goal was to return to Rome and restore the Marian constitution. Military genius made him nearly unbeatable in the Spanish terrain. He defeated governor after governor. The young Pompey was sent in 77 BCE with fresh forces. He suffered serious reverses — Sertorius defeated him in battle at the Sucro River. But Sertorius's position slowly eroded. In 72 BCE his chief lieutenant Marcus Perperna arranged his assassination at a dinner party. Pompey then destroyed the remnant army and executed Perperna.
- Year: 80 BCE
- Category: Military
