Battles & Campaigns · 46 BCE
Battle of Thapsus
Thapsus (Ras Dimass), near Bekalta, Monastir Governorate, Tunisia
What happened
Julius Caesar fought the Roman Republican forces of Metellus Scipio, allied with Cato the Younger and King Juba I of Numidia. At Thapsus, Caesar's archers and slingers attacked the elephants, which panicked and ran back into their own lines. Scipio's army broke, and Caesar won.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It destroyed the last large Republican army in Africa, strengthening Caesar's hold on Rome. It is generally regarded as the last large-scale use of war elephants in the West.
What came next
Scipio, Juba and Cato all died soon after the defeat. Caesar returned to Rome in July 46 BCE.
Timeline
- 6 April 46 BCECaesar wins at Thapsus.
- 25 July 46 BCECaesar returns to Rome.