The terrible defeat had one beneficial result for Rome. In terms of human lives lost, Arausio was among the most lethal battles in world history, and Rome’s worst defeat since Cannae. With a boost in confidence from this easy victory, the barbarians proceeded to advance, pin Maximus’ army against the river, and destroy it also. Caepio’s army was annihilated in this piecemeal assault. Caepio, motivated by hatred and envy of Maximus, foolishly launched a hasty attack on the barbarians. The sight of two Roman armies made Boiorix cautious, and he entered into negotiations with Maximus. Caepio made his camp closer to the enemy (seeking to rob Maximus of the victory) and his dispositions are shown on the battlefield (Maximus and his army have made camp off map). However, the armies did not camp together.
The Roman forces were camped by the Rhone River, near Arausio (modern Orange). However, bitter differences between the Consul Gnaeus Mallius Maximus and the Proconsul Quintus Servillius Caepio prevented the two Roman armies from cooperating, with devastating results. Two Roman armies were sent to stop this migration with nearly 80,000 legionnaires. At the same time, a major migration by the Cimbri, Teutons, and Ambrones, under the Kings Boiorix and Teutobod, was moving south, reportedly with over 200,000 men (more likely the fighters numbered about 50,000). Following the Punic Wars, Rome set out to consolidate the territories it had captured beyond the Alps.
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