Battle of the Bagradas River

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The Battle of the Bagradas River (49 BC) occurred on August 24 and was fought between Julius Caesar's general Gaius Scribonius Curio and the Pompeian Republicans under Publius Attius Varus and King Juba I of Numidia.

Caesar sent Curio to take Africa from the Republicans. Overconfident and holding the governor of Africa, Varus, in low esteem, Curio took fewer of his legions than were available to him. Curio led his army in a bold, uphill attack which swiftly routed Varus' army and in the process wounded Varus. Encouraged by this success, Curio acted on what proved to be faulty intelligence, and attacked what he believed to be a detachment of Juba's army but in fact was the bulk of Juba's forces and, after an initial success, Curio's forces were ambushed by Juba's military commander Saburra and virtually annihilated. Curio was surrounded with the remnants of his troops on a hilltop and killed himself to avoid being captured. Only a few were able to escape on their ships, and several senators were captured before being taken to Numidia for display and execution.

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