Battle of Fano

Battle of Fano
Part of the Roman-Alamanni conflict Part of the Roman-Germanic wars
Date January 271 (0271-01) Location on the Metaurus River near Fano, Italy Result Roman victory
Belligerents
Alamanni	Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Aurelian
Strength
21,000	19,000
Casualties and losses
3,000	900

The Battle of Fano - also known as the Battle of Fanum Fortunae - was fought in January 271 between the Roman Empire and the Alamanni. The Romans were led by Emperor Aurelian, and they were victorious.

Aurelian had been defeated by the Alamanni at the Battle of Placentia in January 271, but he had rallied his men, and started pursuing the Alamanni, who were quickly moving towards a defenceless Rome. Finally, the Roman Army caught and forced a fight with the Alamanni on the Metaurus River, just inland of Fano. The crucial moment of the battle was when the Alamanni got pinned against the river, so that, when the Germanic line was forced to give way, many Alamanni fell in the river and drowned.

Bibliography

• Watson, Alaric (1999). Aurelian and the Third Century. Routledge. p. 50. ISBN 0-415-07248-4.