Atlas of Battles

battle, major, ancient

Battle of the Sabis

Battle of the Sabis was a battle fought in 57 BC at Saulzoir, in what is now France. It was part of the Gallic War, which ran from 58 BC to 51 BC. The recorded result: Roman victory. Recorded strength: 30,000–45,000 men (8 legions plus auxiliaries and allies) against 75,000 warriors.

See it on the globe Read the article

Campagne de César contre les Belges (Détail de la carte de la Gaule en 57 av. J.-C.)
Campagne de César contre les Belges (Détail de la carte de la Gaule en 57 av. J.-C.). User:Coldeel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought57 BC
WhereSaulzoir, France50.233N, 3.442E
OutcomeRoman victory
BelligerentsRoman RepublicagainstNervii; Viromandui; Atrebates; Aduatuci
Casualties and lossesUnknownand59,500
Part ofGallic War58 BC to 51 BC

Where it sits in the Gallic War

Battle of Magetobria, 63 BCBattle of Bibracte, 58 BCBattle of the Arar, 58 BCBattle of Vosges, 58 BCBattle of Cavillonum, 58 BCBattle of Vesontio, 58 BCBattle of the Sabis, 57 BCBattle of the Axona, 57 BCBattle of Octodurus, 57 BCSiege of Bibrax, 57 BCSiege of the Atuatuci, 57 BCBattle of Morbihan, 56 BCBattle of Vernix, 56 BCBattle against the Aquitanians, 56 BCSiege of Namur, 54 BCBattle of the Sambre, 54 BCAmbiorix's Revolt, 54 BCBattle of the Semois River, 53 BCBattle of Gergovia, 52 BCBattle of Lutetia, 52 BCBattle of Noviodunum, 52 BCBattle of the Saône, 52 BCSiege of Avaricum, 52 BCBattle of Alesia, 52 BCBattle of Vingeanne, 52 BCSiege of Uxellodunum, 51 BC63 BC51 BCBattle of the Sabis, 57 BC
26 placed engagements of the Gallic War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date57 BC (year precision)
PlaceSaulzoir, France
50.233N, 3.442E
KindBattle, ancient
Strength30,000–45,000 men (8 legions plus auxiliaries and allies)75,000 warriors
Casualties and lossesUnknown59,500
Commanders
  • Boduognatus
Battle of the SabisBattle of the SabisBattle of the SambreBattle of Villers-en-CauchiesBattle of Le QuesnoyBattle of Avesnes-le-SecSiege of BouchainBattle of the SambreSiege of BouchainBrusselsLilleAntwerpenRouenCharleroiReimsBruggeAmiens100 km50.233N, 3.442E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of the Sabis
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of the Sabis today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2025-08-17. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025.

The recorded site stands at about 59 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 34 to 116 m, 82 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 75% cropland, 12% grassland, 9% tree cover.

cropland: 75%grassland: 12%tree cover: 9%built-up: 5%cropland 75%grassland 12%tree cover 9%built-up 5%
west to east, 10.0 km49 to 98 mnorth to south, 10.0 km46 to 93 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 7 times between 57 BC and 1794.

In the same war

Battle of the Sabis is one of 159 engagements of the 1st century BC in the atlas and one of 1,383 in present-day France.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1268733, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of the Sabis, revision 1378284313, 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.