Editing Cimbri (section)

===Attacking the Roman Republic===
It was not until 105 BC that they planned an attack on the Roman Republic itself. At the [[Rhône]], the Cimbri clashed with the Roman armies.  Discord between the Roman commanders, the proconsul [[Quintus Servilius Caepio (consul 106 BC)|Quintus Servilius Caepio]] and the consul [[Gnaeus Mallius Maximus]], hindered Roman coordination and so the Cimbri succeeded in first defeating the legate [[Marcus Aurelius Scaurus]] and later inflicted a devastating defeat on Caepio and Maximus at the [[Battle of Arausio]]. The Romans lost as many as 80,000 men, according to [[Livy]]; [[Theodor Mommsen|Mommsen]] (in his ''[[History of Rome (Mommsen)|History of Rome]]'') thought that excluded auxiliary cavalry and non-combatants who brought the total loss closer to 112,000. Other estimates are much smaller, but by any account a large Roman army was routed.

Rome was in panic, and the ''terror cimbricus'' became proverbial. Everyone expected to soon see the ''new Gauls'' outside of the gates of Rome. Desperate measures were taken: contrary to the Roman constitution, [[Gaius Marius]], who had defeated [[Jugurtha]], was elected consul and supreme commander for five years in a row (104–100 BC).