The greatest emperor of the Roman Empire once killed 150,000 people in battle with two tribes on Dutch soil.
The Guardian reported yesterday that archaeologists from the University of Vrije in Amsterdam found evidence that Roman Emperor Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) set foot in the Netherlands and slaughtered two sets lost to the Germans in combat, killing 150,000.
“This is the first time that the presence of Caesar and his army in the Netherlands has been clearly demonstrated,” said Nico Roymans, archaeologist at the University of Vrije.
According to the researchers, the two tribes Tencteri and Usipetes originate from the region east of the Rhine and sought asylum from Caesar. But the Roman emperor refused and ordered 8 cavalry corps to destroy them. The battle took place in 55 BC.
More than 100 skeletons, 20 swords and helmets have been discovered in Kessel, in the south of the province of Brabant, in the Netherlands, over the past three decades. Through isotopic dating of carbon as well as historical and geochemical analysis, researchers say the excavation dates back to the first century and where it was found is the battlefield the two tribes are slaughtering.
Caesar mentioned the battle in Bello Gallico’s Commentarii about the war with Gallia, but the exact location remains a mystery. According to Caesar’s account, he wiped out the tribe and killed 400,000 people. However, archaeologists have identified the actual number of deaths between 150,000 and 200,000 people.
