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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;expat, post: 24710584, member: 111067&quot;]The Sertorian Wars 80 – 72 BCE</p><p>The Sertorian War (80-72 BC) was the last stand of the Marian faction after their defeat in Italy during Sulla’s second civil war, and saw Quintus Sertorius hold out in Spain for over a decade before finally being defeated by Pompey and Metellus Pius.</p><p>Sadly no good complete narrative of the war has survived. The longest accounts come from Plutarch’s lives of Sertorius and of Pompey.</p><p>Sertorius was one of the more able leaders on the Marian side during Sulla’s civil wars. He had served under Marius during the&nbsp; Cimbric Wars where he made quite a name for himself, starting as one of the few Romans to escape from the disaster atArausio. During the wars the wandering tribes had invaded Spain, and large parts of the country probably slipped out of Roman control. Sertorius served in Spain in 97-93 BC, where he further enhanced his reputation fighting against the Celtiberians. He was elected as Quaestor in 90 BC, the lowest ranked of the Roman magistrates. He fought with bravery and skill during the Social War and in 88 BC was so popular in Rome that he was greeted with a standing ovation during his first visit to the theatre after returning from the field. He attempted to stand for election as tribune, but he was blocked by Sulla, possibly because of his connection to Marius or possibly because of his relatively low social standing.</p><p>Things didn’t get better for Sertorius, and towards the end of 83 BC he decided to leave Italy and take up his post as Governor of Nearer Spain, already allocated to him by the Marian establishment in Rome.</p><p>Sertorius began to build up his excellent army. He recruited Lusitanians, and later Celiberians, as well as the Roman colonists of the area. He treated his Iberian troops very well, and for many years was able to rely on their loyalty. He created a flexible army that was able to more than hold it’s own in conventional battles (allowingSertorius to remain undefeated between 79 and 72 BC), and was also very able in guerrilla warfare.</p><p>A Roman Republican coin printed in Spain.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1579384[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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