Allia
Allia is a historically significant stream located in the Crustuminian mountains, notable for its role in a crucial military conflict in early Roman history. In approximately 390/387 BC, the Romans faced a disastrous defeat at the hands of invading Gauls, specifically the Senones, who were commanded by their king, Brennus. This encounter marked a pivotal moment for the Roman military, as the Roman forces—consisting of two legions—were overmatched and suffered a significant rout. The Gauls subsequently advanced into Rome, leading to the plundering and burning of much of the city, with only the Capitol able to withstand the assault.
The battle's date, July 18th, became etched in Roman memory as an ominous day, surrounded by various legends and prophecies. Notably, a divine seer, Aius Locutius, is said to have forewarned the Romans of the impending invasion. Furthermore, tales of the Roman leader Camillus emerged, highlighting his role in ultimately driving the Gauls out of the city. The events surrounding Allia not only represent a key military encounter but also illustrate the complex interplay of myth and history in ancient Rome.
Allia
River (Fosso Maestro)
A stream that rises in the Crustuminian mountains (named after the town of Crustumerium) and flows into the Tiber about eleven miles from Rome. The scene of the gravest military disaster in the early history of the Romans, when in c 390/387 BC their army, consisting of two legions—perhaps the largest force they had ever put into the field—was overwhelmed by invading Gauls (Senones) about 30,000 strong, i.e., outnumbering them twofold, under the command of their king Brennus. Diodorus locates the engagement on the west bank of the Tiber, but Livy and Plutarch are probably correct in ascribing it to the east bank, with the Romans' right wing, forming their reserve, standing on the Crustuminian slopes. The Gauls routed this force on the hill slopes and drove the main Roman army back to the Tiber. Three days later the Gauls arrived in Rome itself. The priests and Vestal Virgins had fled to Caere. Only the Capitol resisted; the rest of the city was plundered and burned.
The date of the engagement, July 18th, was remembered ever afterward as a day of evil omen. The event was also encrusted with legends. It was said that a little before the battle an unknown divine seer, Aius Locutius (`sayer and speaker’), bade a certain Marcus Caedicius tell the city's magistrates that the Gauls were on their way; and after their departure a precinct and shrine were dedicated on the Via Nova where the voice had been heard. It was also recounted that the Gauls, when they arrived in Rome, found those senators who had been too old to fight seated on their ivory chairs like gods on their thrones, awaiting their fate in serene patience. Many stories gathered round the name of the Roman leader Camillus, who allegedly drove the Gauls out of the city.