Gnaeus Mallius Maximus

Gnaeus Mallius Maximus was a Roman politician and general.

He was a novus homo when he was elected to the consulship of the Roman Republic in 105 BC. He was sent the province of Transalpine Gaul the deal with the migration of the Cimbri and the Teutons. However, when he arrived with his army, the proconsul, Quintus Servilius Caepio, refused to cooperate with Mallius because of his novus homo status. The armies of Servilius and Mallius remained disunited, until the Cimbri and Teutons attacked and destroyed them both separately, at the Battle of Arausio. He lost his sons in the battle and he was impeached for the loss of his army upon his return to Rome. Although it is unclear whether he was convicted at trial and subsequently went into exile, he was placed under an aquae et ignis interdictio by a rogatio of Saturninus; that is, like Cicero later, he was "denied water and fire", a formulaic expression of banishment (see Law of majestas).^[1]Quintus Servilius Caepio was also exiled for the defeat, and for stealing The Gold of Tolosa. The defeat at Arausio prompted Gaius Marius to reform the Roman army.

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