How a runaway horse saved Pompey the Great from total defeat at the Sucro
In 75 BC, the Roman rebel Quintus Sertorius nearly ended the career of the future titan Pompey. During a brutal clash on the banks of the river Sucro, Sertorius shattered Pompey's right flank, leaving the general vulnerable. Only a distracted enemy and a timely retreat prevented a total disaster.
The Battle of Sucro emerged from the chaos of Rome's civil wars. Quintus Sertorius, a former commander under Gaius Marius, had established a power base in Hispania after being expelled by Sulla's forces in 81 BC. By 75 BC, the Roman Senate had dispatched both the proconsul Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius and the rising star Pompey to crush the rebellion. Sertorius, a master of guerrilla tactics, sought to eliminate Pompey before Metellus could arrive to reinforce him.
On the day of the battle, both generals commanded their own right flanks. Sertorius faced Pompey's second-in-command, Lucius Afranius, while Pompey engaged a subordinate of Sertorius. The fighting was intense across the line. When Pompey's wing began to overwhelm the rebel left, Sertorius personally intervened, rallying his men and launching a counter-attack that shattered the Pompeian right. Pompey was nearly captured, but his horse—adorned in prized gear—distracted the pursuing soldiers, who stopped to seize the animal rather than the general.
While Sertorius was routing Pompey, Afranius had successfully breached the rebel camp and begun looting. Sertorius returned to find his camp compromised, turning his fury on the pillaging soldiers and inflicting heavy losses. Despite this tactical success, the arrival of Metellus, who was only a day's march away, forced Sertorius to retreat. He famously lamented that had the 'old woman' Metellus not appeared, he would have 'trashed the boy' Pompey and sent him packing to Rome.
Sertorius withdrew to the highlands of Celtiberia, reverting to the guerrilla warfare that had defined his campaign. The conflict persisted for another three years, ending only when Sertorius was assassinated by his own men. The battle remains a testament to the tactical brilliance of Sertorius, who nearly altered the course of Roman history by neutralizing Pompey before his ascent to supreme power.
Source: Battle of Sucro
