Battle of Lake Benacus

Lake Garda, the location of the battle

Battle of Lake Benacus
Part of the Roman-Alamanni conflict
Date November 268 Location Lake Garda, modern Italy Result Decisive Roman victory
Belligerents
Roman Empire	Alamanni
Commanders and leaders
Claudius II, Aurelian	Unknown

The Battle of Lake Benacus was fought along the banks of Lake Garda in northern Italy, which was known to the Romans as Benacus, in early 269 AD, between the army under the command of the Roman Emperor Claudius II and the Germanic tribes of the Alamanni and Juthungi.

Ιν 268, τhe Alamanni, who had been making incursions into Roman territory since the reign of Marcus Aurelius, had broken through the Roman frontier at the Danube and crossed the Alps, when the power struggles around Mediolanum (Aureolus' revolt, murder of Gallienus, confrontation between Aureolus and Claudius) forced the Romans to denude the frontier of troops. The Alamanni started pillaging northern Italy while Claudius headed north to confront them. Details of the battle are unknown but future emperor Aurelian certainly played a part. After this victory, Claudius assumed the title Germanicus Maximus.

References

• Watson, Alaric (1999). Aurelian and the Third Century, Routledge, 1999, ISBN-0-415-30187-4.