Atlas of Battles

battle, ancient

Battle of Cantenna

Battle of Cantenna was a battle fought in 71 BC in what is now Italy. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at its recorded location. It was part of Third Servile War, which ran from 73 BC to 71 BC. The recorded result: Roman victory. Recorded strength: 8 Roman legions with auxiliaries (about 45,000 men) against about 30,000 runaway slaves and gladiators.

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Fought71 BC
WhereItaly40.483N, 15.956E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeRoman victory
BelligerentsRoman RepublicagainstSlave army
Casualties and lossesAbout 4,000–5,000 menand12,300 killed (Plutarch) and about 15,000 taken prisoner
Part ofThird Servile War73 BC to 71 BC

Where it sits in Third Servile War

Battle of Mount Gargano, 72 BCBattle of Modena, 72 BCBattle of the Silarius River, 71 BCBattle of Cantenna, 71 BCBattle of Petilia, 71 BC72 BC71 BCBattle of Cantenna, 71 BC
5 placed engagements of Third Servile War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date71 BC (year precision)
PlaceItaly
40.483N, 15.956E
KindBattle, ancient
Strength8 Roman legions with auxiliaries (about 45,000 men)about 30,000 runaway slaves and gladiators
Casualties and lossesAbout 4,000–5,000 men12,300 killed (Plutarch) and about 15,000 taken prisoner
Commanders
  • Marcus Licinius Crassus
  • Quintus Marcius Rufus
  • Lucius Pomptinus
  • Gannicus
  • Castus (rebel slave)
Battle of CantennaBattle of CantennaBattle of GrumentumBattle of MontepelosoSiege of AtellaSiege of MarateaSiege of MelfiBattle of GrumentumBattle of MontepelosoSiege of AtellaSiege of MarateaSiege of MelfiNaplesSalernoBariFoggiaBeneventoBarlettaCampobasso100 km40.483N, 15.956E
Placed at its recorded location; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 71 BC

Battle of Cantenna is one of 159 engagements of the 1st century BC in the atlas and one of 942 in present-day Italy.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q4087441, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Cantenna, revision 1370436091, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.