The Cimbri and Teutones were northern tribes who had been pushed from their homes in Jutland. They were looking for a place to settle. Italy looked like a likely spot, but so did Gaul and Spain. Other tribes allied with them, but in the end the Romans defeated them.
In 113 B.C. Cn. Papirius Carbo (consul) fought the Cimbri and Teutones at Noreia. Carbo expected to win because the tribes were burdened with all their baggage, but he didn't.


After the battle, the tribes failed to press their advantage, but instead went to Eastern Gaul, along with the Tigurini and other Celtic tribes.

The northern tribes met the Roman army under M. Junius Silanus (consul) at the border of Gallia Narbonensis, where they asked for land and offered themselves as mercenary soldiers. When the Senate refused, the tribes attacked and defeated Silanus.

In 107, the Tigurini killed L. Cassius Longinus (consul) at Burdigala; his lieutenant C. Popilius Laenas was released, but only after his men went under the yoke.

In 105, when their request for land in Italy was again refused, the northmen fought the Romans under proconsul Quintus Servilius Caepio and the consul Gnaeus Mallius Maximus at Arausio. Using the Rhone to their advantage, the Cimbri and Teutones may have killed as many as 80,000 Romans.

The Teutones didn't push their advantage, but went back to Gaul, while the Cimbri went to Spain. This gave the Romans and their general Marius three years to prepare to face the frightening Cimbri and Teutones.

In 102 BC, the tribes reunited to face the Romans. Marius faced the Teutones near Aquae Sextiae at a spot that allowed no room for retreat of the defeated. Marius won the battle and a very large number of Teutones were taken prisoner. Then Marius joined up with Quintus Lutatius Catulus (consul) by the Po River in 101. Marius slaughtered the Cimbri at Campi Raudii near Vercellae. While the defeat was total, it is just possible that some Cimbri survived.