Quintus Sertorius

Quintus Sertorius held Spain against the Roman Senate for eight years and was one of the ablest commanders of the late Republic. Born around 126 BC at Nursia in Sabine country to an equestrian family, he trained as an orator and jurist before turning to soldiering. He served under Caepio at Arausio in 105 BC, one of Rome's worst defeats, and escaped by swimming the Rhône in armour. He served with Marius against the Cimbri and Teutones, and went to Spain, where he learned the language and reconnoitred enemy camps in disguise. He lost an eye in Gaul and said he wore the loss where everyone could see it. He sided with Marius and Cinna in the civil war, though he criticised the massacres, and was sent to govern Spain. Sulla's victory made him an outlaw, and after being driven out he was invited back by the Lusitanians in 80 BC. He commanded Roman exiles and Iberian tribes together, and beat successive senatorial armies. His method was mobility and ambush rather than pitched battle, and he supplied the Roman government-in-exile with a senate of three hundred, magistrates and a school at Osca where the sons of Iberian nobles were educated in Latin and Greek — as instruction and as hostages. He kept a white fawn given to him by a local man and let it be believed that it carried messages from the goddess Diana, which held his allies' loyalty. Pompey was sent against him and was beaten repeatedly. He was murdered at a banquet in 72 BC by his own officer Marcus Perperna, and the revolt collapsed immediately.

• Lived: 123 BCE – 72 BCE
• Nationality: Roman
• Roles: general, governor, rebel_leader