Arduba (Ancient Greek: Αρδουβαν, Latin: Arduba) was a settlement of the Illyrian tribe of the Daesitiates in Illyria . Following the Roman invasion, the settlement was included in the Roman province of Dalmatia . Arduba was located somewhere near the modern city of Zenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina . Most probably the royal city of Vranduk existed in the time of the Illyrians, under the name Arduba.
135-662: The Bellum Batonianum (Latin: War of the Batos) was a military conflict fought in the Roman province of Illyricum in the 1st century AD, in which an alliance of native peoples of the two regions of Illyricum, Dalmatia and Pannonia , revolted against the Romans . The last major location of the conflict between the Illyrian and the Romans was Arduba. In the summer of the 9th year AC there
270-542: A Latin version of Aratus 's Phainomena , which survives, wherein he rewrites the contents of the original. For example, he replaces the opening hymn to Zeus with a passage in honor of the Roman emperor. He avoided writing in the poetic style of Cicero , who had translated his own version of the Phainomena , and he wrote in a new style to meet the expectations of a Roman audience whose tastes were shaped by "modern" authors like Ovid and Virgil . For his work, Germanicus
405-475: A bad winter probably also played a part. The Pannonians laid down their arms at the River Bathinus . Bato was captured and Pinnes surrendered. In AD 9, the war was restricted to Dalmatia. Velleius Paterculus wrote that Augustus gave the chief command of all Roman forces to Marcus Aemilius Lepidus . In the summer, Lepidus made his way to Tiberius through areas which had not been affected by the war, and
540-511: A campaign against the tribes, conquered the Breuci, and won over the others without a battle. Bato the Daesitiate subsequently withdrew from Pannonia, occupied the passes leading to Dalmatia, and ravaged the lands beyond. In Pannonia there was some brigandage. Velleius Paterculus wrote that the harsh winter brought rewards because in the following summer all of Pannonia sought peace. Therefore,
675-633: A child of unknown name (normally referred to as Ignotus ); Gaius the Elder; Gaius the Younger (the future emperor "Caligula"); Agrippina the Younger (the future empress); Julia Drusilla ; and Julia Livilla . Only six of his children came of age; Tiberius and the Ignotus died as infants, and Gaius the Elder in his early childhood. Germanicus became a quaestor in AD 7, four years before the legal age of 25. He
810-530: A contributory factor. According to Dio, Bato the Breucian overthrew Pinnes , the king of the Breuci. He became suspicious of his subject tribes and demanded hostages from the Pannonian garrisons. Bato the Daesitiate defeated him in battle and pinned him in a stronghold. He was handed over to Bato the Daesitiate and was executed. After this many Pannonians broke with the rebels. Marcus Plautius Silvanus conducted
945-471: A corresponding force of auxiliaries, amid great difficulties of every kind and the utmost scarcity of supplies." Suetonius' claim about fifteen legions is known to be incorrect. At one point there were ten legions assembled in Illyricum, but five of them were sent back because this would have created an oversized army. On three occasions the three legions from the Roman province of Moesia were involved in
1080-542: A defensive position in the natural fortifications. In Velleius Paterculus’ version, the second rebel force confronted the legions which Caecina Severus and Marcus Plautius Silvanus were bringing to Illyricum (from Moesia and the Roman province of Asia , three and two legions respectively). They surrounded the five legions, their auxiliary troops, and the Thracian cavalry and almost inflicted a fatal defeat. The Thracian cavalry
1215-575: A few references by other authors, though there is no information about the causes. The Roman sources had little interest in events in Illyria from the campaigns of Augustus in 35–33 BC to 16 BC. Cassius Dio wrote that in that year the governor of Illyria for 17–16 BC, Publius Silius Nerva , went to fight in the Italian Alps because there were no troops there. Some Pannonians and Noricans entered Istria and pillaged it. Silius Nerva quickly brought
1350-695: A land and riverine offensive, with troops marching eastward across the Rhine, and sailing from the North Sea up the Ems River in order to attack the Bructeri and Cherusci. Germanicus' forces went through Bructeri territory, where a general, Lucius Stertinius, recovered the lost eagle of the XIX Legion from among the equipment of the Bructeri after routing them in battle. Germanicus's legions met up to
1485-517: A last stand. The Dalmatians marched on Salona (in Dalmatia, on the Adriatic coast) but there Bato was defeated and wounded. He sent other men forward who ravaged the coast down to Apollonia . They were defeated in one battle, but won another. Tiberius came from Germania, fearing an invasion of Italy, and sent Valerius Messallinus ahead. Even though Bato was not well, he engaged Tiberius. Tiberius
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#17327728216011620-449: A letter formally renouncing their friendship ( amicitia ). Germanicus died soon after on 10 October of that year. His death aroused much speculation, with several sources blaming Piso, acting under orders from Emperor Tiberius. This was never proven, and Piso killed himself while facing trial. Tacitus says Tiberius was involved in a conspiracy against Germanicus, and Tiberius's jealousy and fear of his nephew's popularity and increasing power
1755-579: A major designation for the Great Illyrian Rebellion, but also a symbol of the tragic history that its people have been experiencing from generation to generation for over two millennia. Two centuries later, the historic role of Arduba was immortalised by the Roman historian and official Cassius Dio with his description of the battle of Arduba. To date, with the exception of the writings of Cassius Dio , no other original testimony (either literary, epigraphic or archaeological) exists about
1890-465: A meeting was held to meet their demands. Germanicus negotiated a settlement: To satisfy the requisition promised to the legions, Germanicus paid them out of his own pocket. All eight legions were given money, even if they did not demand it. Both the armies of the Lower and Upper Rhine had returned to order. It seemed prudent to satisfy the armies, but Germanicus took it a step further. In a bid to secure
2025-717: A particular eulogy was given by Tiberius himself in the Senate. The historians Tacitus and Suetonius record the funeral and posthumous honors of Germanicus. His name was placed into the Carmen Saliare , and onto the curule seats that were placed with oaken garlands over them as honorary seats for the Augustan priesthood. His ivory statue was at the head of the procession during the Circus Games; his posts as priest of Augustus and Augur were to be filled by members of
2160-527: A quaestor accused of murder in AD 10 in which the prosecutor, fearing the jurors would find in favor of the defense out of deference for Germanicus, demanded a trial before Augustus. In AD 9, three Roman legions commanded by Varus were destroyed by a coalition of German tribes led by Arminius in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest . As proconsul , Germanicus was dispatched with Tiberius to defend
2295-401: A replacement for Vonones , whom Augustus had deposed and placed under house arrest at the request of the king of Parthia , Artabanus . The king of Cappadocia died too, whereupon Germanicus sent Quintus Veranius to organize Cappadocia as a province – a profitable endeavor as Tiberius was able to reduce the sales tax down to .5% from 1%. The revenue from the new province was enough to make up
2430-415: A river around its base. Within the town there was tension between rebel deserters who wanted to carry on the fight and the inhabitants who wanted peace. The tension eventually developed into violence. The women reportedly helped the deserters because, contrary to their men, they did not want to suffer servitude. The deserters were defeated and surrendered. The women took their children and threw themselves into
2565-469: A sister, Livilla , and a brother, Claudius. His paternal grandmother was Livia , who had divorced his grandfather Tiberius Claudius Nero around 24 years before Germanicus' birth. Livia's second marriage was to the Roman emperor Augustus. His maternal grandparents were the triumvir Mark Antony and Augustus' sister Octavia Minor . Germanicus was a key figure in the Julio-Claudian dynasty of
2700-450: A sizable veteran contingent who were helpless in this remote area. They seized and pillaged Macedonia, creating general panic in Rome. Augustus , also alarmed, ordered a general levy, and recalled veterans. Rich families were ordered to supply freedmen in proportion to their income, which had not been done since the aftermath of the Battle of Cannae two centuries earlier. Augustus warned that
2835-419: A triumph and reassigned to a different command. The effort it would have taken to conquer Germania Magna was deemed too great when compared with the low potential for profit from acquiring the new territory. Rome regarded Germany as a wild territory of forests and swamps, with little wealth compared to territories Rome already had. However, the campaign significantly healed the Roman psychological trauma from
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#17327728216012970-504: A triumphal chariot, with the reverse reading "Standards Recovered. Germans Defeated." His triumph included a long procession of captives including the wife of Arminius, Thusnelda, and her three-year-old son, among others of the defeated German tribes. The procession displayed replicas of mountains, rivers, and battles; and the war was considered closed. Tiberius gave money out to the people of Rome in Germanicus' name, and Germanicus
3105-547: A triumphator, Germanicus played a distinguished part in the celebration and was given the opportunity to display his consular insignia and triumphal ornaments. In AD 13, Augustus appointed him commander of the forces in the Rhine , which totaled eight legions and was about one-third of Rome's total military force. The next year in August, Augustus died and on 17 September the Senate met to confirm Tiberius as princeps . That day
3240-609: A tumultuous reception in January AD 19. He had gone there to relieve a famine in the country vital to Rome's food supply. The move upset Tiberius, because it had violated an order by Augustus that no senator shall enter the province without consulting the emperor and the Senate (Egypt was an imperial province , and belonged to the emperor). Germanicus entered the province in his capacity as proconsul without first seeking permission to do so. He returned to Syria by summer, where he found that Piso had either ignored or revoked his orders to
3375-503: A year. Also, not waiting to take up his consulship in Rome, he left after his triumph but before the end of AD 17. He sailed down the Illyrian coast of the Adriatic Sea to Greece . He arrived at Nicopolis near the site of the Battle of Actium , where he took up his second consulship on 18 January AD 18. He visited the sites associated with his adoptive grandfather Augustus and his natural grandfather Mark Antony , before crossing
3510-634: Is how we assume that the Royal city of Vranduk probably existed in the time of the Illyrians, under the name Arduba. The philologist Erich Koestermann [ de ] locates Arduba east of the river Neretva , beyond the eastern limit on ethnic Dalmatia. John Wilkes appears to associate Arduba fall with military operations of Germanicus and Gaius Vibius Postumus against the Desidiates and Perustae . The primary sources of information about
3645-569: Is sometimes described as having been fought by the Daesitiatae and the Breuci only, Cassius Dio identified the forces led by Bato the Daesitiate as Dalmatian, indicating a broader composition. According to Velleius Paterculus, the population of the tribes which rebelled was more than 800,000, and they fielded 200,000 infantry and 9,000 cavalry. Modern scholars cannot be certain of how trustworthy this information is, as ancient historians tended to exaggerate figures. Velleius Paterculus also wrote that
3780-458: Is unclear how the war in Illyricum caused famine in Italy. Augustus sent Tiberius back to Dalmatia. Tiberius split the army into three divisions to avoid a mutiny. He put Marcus Plautius Silvanus and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus in charge of two of them and led the third against Bato, taking Germanicus with him. The other two divisions easily defeated their enemies. Tiberius chased the fugitive Bato around
3915-468: The Sodales Augustales , a priesthood of the cult of Augustus, of which Germanicus became a member. When news arrived of his raid, Tiberius commemorated his services in the Senate. The Senate, in absence of Germanicus, voted that he should be given a triumph. Ovid 's Fasti dates the Senate vote of Germanicus' triumph to 1 January AD 15. For the next two years, he led his legions across
4050-521: The Circus Maximus . On 23 October AD 12, Tiberius held a triumph for his victory over the Pannonians and Dalmatians, which he had postponed on account of the defeat of Varus at Teutoburg Forest. He was accompanied, among his other generals, by Germanicus, for whom he had obtained the triumphal regalia. Unlike his adoptive brother Drusus , who received no recognition beyond being the son of
4185-684: The Elbe , and they launched an attack on the Roman positions at the Angrivarian Wall , thus beginning a second battle . The Romans had anticipated the attack and again routed the Germans. Germanicus stated that he did not want any prisoners, as the extermination of the Germanic tribes was the only conclusion he saw for the war. The victorious Romans then raised a mound with the inscription: "The army of Tiberius Caesar, after thoroughly conquering
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4320-531: The Great Illyrian Revolt , Pannonian–Dalmatian uprising , and Bato uprising . The four-year war lasted from AD 6 to AD 9 and witnessed a large deployment of Roman forces in the province, with whole armies operating across the western Balkans and fighting on more than one front. In AD 8, the Breuci of the Sava valley surrendered, but it took a winter blockade and another season of fighting before
4455-490: The Legion X Fretensis . Evidently here Piso attended Germanicus, and quarreled because he failed to send troops to Armenia when ordered. Artabanus sent an envoy to Germanicus requesting that Vonones be moved further from Armenia as to not incite trouble there. Germanicus complied, moving Vonones to Cilicia , both to please Artabanus and to insult Piso, with whom Vonones was friendly. He then made his way to Egypt , arriving to
4590-743: The Odrysian Kingdom in Thrace , an ally of the Romans) which had been sent ahead against them by Caecina Severus, the governor of Moesia. They then fought hard against Severus, who later went back to Moesia because the Dacians and Sarmatians had crossed the Danube and were ravaging it. Tiberius and Valerius Messallinus lingered in Siscia ( Sisak , in present-day central Croatia , the headquarters of
4725-471: The Roman Empire 's defeat in the Teutoburg Forest and retrieved two of the three legionary eagles that had been lost during the battle. In AD 17, he returned to Rome, where he received a triumph before leaving to reorganize the provinces of Asia Minor , whereby he incorporated the provinces of Cappadocia and Commagene in AD 18. While in the eastern provinces, Germanicus came into conflict with
4860-695: The central part of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina , and were later joined by the Breuci , a tribe in Pannonia led by Bato the Breucian . Many other tribes in Illyria also joined the revolt. The Romans referred to the conflict as Bellum Batonianum ("Batonian War") after these two leaders with the same name; Velleius Paterculus called it the Pannonian and Dalmatian War because it involved both regions of Illyricum, and in English it has also been called
4995-663: The Alps against the Rhaeti and Vindelici . In 13 BC, Augustus gave Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa , his most important ally, the supreme command in Illyricum. Agrippa found a negotiated solution; however, he died suddenly and the treaty was ignored. Command was then given to Tiberius , who finally defeated the Illyrians. Roman military operations in Illyricum might have started by the time of Marcus Vinicius ' governorship in 14–13 BC. The Pannonian War led to Illyricum being redesignated an imperial province. The Great Illyrian Revolt of AD 6–9
5130-527: The Batos ) was a military conflict fought in the Roman province of Illyricum in the 1st century CE, in which an alliance of native peoples of the two regions of Illyricum, Dalmatia and Pannonia , revolted against the Romans. The rebellion began among native peoples who had been recruited as auxiliary troops for the Roman army . They were led by Bato the Daesitiate , a chieftain of the Daesitiatae in
5265-400: The Breucian , their army commander, and Pinnes , their king. The primary sources of this information are Cassius Dio and Velleius Paterculus . The latter participated in the war but supplied limited information. Suetonius also gave a description of the war: "the most serious of all foreign wars since those with Carthage, which [Tiberius] carried on for three years with fifteen legions and
5400-524: The Chatti with a mixed force of 3,000 cavalry and 33,000 infantry and lay waste to their territory, while he himself, with a larger army, invaded the Marsi for the third time and devastated their land. He forced Mallovendus , the defeated leader of the Marsi, to reveal the location of another of the three legion's eagles lost in AD 9. Immediately Germanicus despatched troops to recover it. The Romans advanced into
5535-507: The Daesitiate went east to the other Bato and made an alliance with him. This contrasts with the picture given by Velleius Paterculus, in which the rebellion seemed to have a plan and the Dalmatians and the Breuci seemed to have acted in concert from the beginning. In Dio's account the two Batos occupied Mount Alma (Mount Fruška Gora , Serbia, just north of Sirmium); here they were defeated by the Thracian cavalry of Rhoemetalces (the king of
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5670-686: The Dalmatian cities of Sunodium and Setovia . He then moved upon the Derbani, who sued for peace. He also destroyed the settlements on the islands of Melite ( Mljet ) and Melaina Corcyra ( Korčula ), and deprived the Liburnians of their ships, because all were involved in piracy. Octavian's lieutenants conducted various other operations in the region. Octavian temporarily restored Roman authority in Dalmatia and pushed into southern Pannonia, which had never before been reached by Roman armies. In 27 BC,
5805-447: The Dalmatians lined up outside the wall at the top of the slope and hurled stones at them, separating the Romans further. Tiberius prevented his men from retreating by continuously sending reinforcements. He sent a detachment to a point where the place could be ascended via a long route. Once it had been taken, the enemy could not enter the fortress and fled. They were later found hiding in the forest and were killed. Tiberius then negotiated
5940-613: The Lower Rhine was stationed in summer quarters on the border of the Ubii . They had not been paid the bonuses promised them by Augustus and, when it became clear a response from Tiberius was not forthcoming, they revolted. Germanicus dealt with the troops in Germania, and Tiberius' son Drusus dealt with Illyricum. The army of the Lower Rhine sought an increase in pay, the reduction of their service to 16 years (down from 20) to mitigate
6075-581: The Perustae and Daesitiate in their mountain strongholds. Roman forces captured many cities, and those commanded by Germanicus took Raetinum, near Seretium (although it was destroyed in a fire set by the rebels during the siege), Splonum (in modern-day northern Montenegro ) and Seretium itself (in modern-day western Bosnia). The Roman forces under Tiberius and Germanicus pursued Bato to the fortress of Andretium near Salona , to which they laid siege. When it became clear Bato would not surrender, Tiberius assaulted
6210-545: The Rhine against the Germans, where they would confront the forces of Arminius and his allies. Tacitus says the purpose of those campaigns was to avenge the defeat of Varus at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, and not to expand Roman territory. In early spring AD 15, Germanicus crossed the Rhine and struck the Chatti . He sacked their capital Mattium (modern Maden near Gudensberg ), pillaged their countryside, then returned to
6345-628: The Rhine and in Asia where he had governed in life. The arch of the Rhine was placed alongside that of his father, where the soldiers had built a funerary monument honoring him. Portraits of him and his natural father were placed in the Temple of Apollo on the Palatine in Rome. Several cities in Asia Minor were named Germanicopolis in honor of the general (among them Gangra and Germanicia ). On
6480-520: The Rhine, up the Ems and Weser rivers as part of his last major campaign against Arminius in AD 16. His forces met those of Arminius on the plains of Idistaviso , by the Weser River near modern Rinteln , in an engagement called the Battle of the Weser River . Tacitus says that the battle was a Roman victory: the enemy were slaughtered from the fifth hour of daylight to nightfall, and for ten miles
6615-501: The Rhine. Sometime this year, he received word from Segestes , who was held prisoner by Arminius's forces and needed help. Germanicus's troops rescued Segestes and took his pregnant daughter, Arminius's wife Thusnelda , into captivity. Again he marched back victorious and at the direction of Tiberius, accepted the title of Imperator . Arminius called his tribe, the Cherusci , and the surrounding tribes to arms. Germanicus coordinated
6750-424: The Roman army). The Dalmatians overran the territory of the Roman allies and drew many more tribes into the revolt. Tiberius marched on them, but they avoided pitched battles and kept moving around, causing great devastation. In the winter the rebels invaded Macedonia again. Cassius Dio wrote that they did so again even though he had not mentioned a previous invasion of Macedonia. Modern scholars know about this through
6885-638: The Roman force sent against him, more rebels joined him. Then the Breuci, the largest tribe in southern Pannonia, led by a commander also named Bato , marched on Sirmium . Aulus Caecina Severus , the governor of the neighbouring province of Moesia (in modern Serbia, south of the River Sava and west of the River Danube ) quickly advanced against them and defeated them near the River Dravus ( Drava ), but suffered many casualties. Hoping to renew
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#17327728216017020-413: The Romans and laid down his arms in return for amnesty. This was nullified when Bato the Breucian was defeated in battle and subsequently executed by his former ally Bato the Daesitiate , but this left the Pannonians divided against each other, and the Romans were able to subdue the Breuci without battle. The pacification of the Breuci, with their large population and resources, was a significant victory for
7155-795: The Romans judged military worthiness), Tiberius' counter-insurgency campaign and its accompanying scorched earth strategy turned out to be effective. After the aforementioned battle, Aulus Caecina Severus and Marcus Plautius Silvanus joined Tiberius and a huge army was assembled. Velleius Paterculus reported that they brought five legions (three from Moesia and two from the province of Asia, respectively). Tiberius had five legions (three in Pannonia and two in Dalmatia). The legions were not at full strength as Velleius Paterculus mentioned that there were seventy cohorts (ten legions at full complement would have had 100 cohorts ). There were fourteen troops of cavalry, as well as 10,000 reservists, many volunteers, and
7290-544: The Romans, given that they had previously served in Roman-trained auxiliary military units. However, they did not have a regular army and relied largely upon guerrilla tactics, avoiding pitched battles. There were only three major battles in the area of Sirmium ( Sremska Mitrovica , in modern Serbia ), in nearby northern Moesia, and a number of minor battles in Dalmatia. Much of the Roman war effort instead involved counter-insurgency operations. In AD 6, Tiberius
7425-420: The Romans, who would be reinforced by eight cohorts of Breuci auxiliaries towards the end of the war. Bato the Daesitiate withdrew from Pannonia to Dalmatia, where he occupied the mountains of Bosnia and began conducting counter-attacks, most likely against the indigenous people who sided with the Romans. Later in the year, Tiberius left Lepidus in command of Siscia and Silvanus at Sirmium. Roman forces took
7560-436: The Senate also dispatched a delegation to Germanicus' camp to send its condolences for the death of his grandfather and to grant him proconsular imperium . The delegation would not arrive until October. In Germany and Illyricum, the legions were in mutiny. In Germany, the legions in mutiny were those of the Lower Rhine under Aulus Caecina (the V Alaudae , XXI Rapax , I Germanica , and XX Valeria Victrix ). The army of
7695-440: The Thracian cavalry. There had not been such a large army gathered in a single location since the time of the Roman civil wars. Tiberius decided to escort the newly arrived armies back because the army was too large to be manageable. He then returned to Siscia at the beginning of a very hard winter. In AD 8, the Dalmatians and the Pannonians, ravaged by famine and disease, wanted to sue for peace but were prevented from doing so by
7830-636: The Varus disaster, and greatly recovered Roman prestige. In addition to the recovery of two of the three lost eagles, Germanicus had fought Arminius, the leader who destroyed the three Roman legions in AD 9. In leading his troops across the Rhine without recourse to Tiberius, he contradicted the advice of Augustus to keep that river as the boundary of the empire, and opened himself to potential doubts from Tiberius about his motives in taking such independent action. This error in political judgment gave Tiberius reason to controversially recall his nephew. Tacitus attributed
7965-448: The achievements of Alexander had he become emperor. In book eight of his Natural History , Pliny connects Germanicus, Augustus, and Alexander as fellow equestrians: when Alexander's horse Bucephalus died he named a city, Bucephalia , in his honor. Less monumental, Augustus' horse received a funeral mound, which Germanicus wrote a poem about. Piso was rumored to have been responsible for Germanicus' death. As accusations accumulated, it
8100-434: The attackers dispersed on sight of Roman reinforcements. The Germans destroyed the nearby mound and altar dedicated to his father Drusus, but he had them both restored and celebrated funerary games with his legions in honor of his father. New barriers and earthworks were put in place, securing the area between Fort Aliso and the Rhine. Germanicus commanded eight legions with Gallic and Germanic auxiliary units overland across
8235-458: The burial of bones so that they could continue their war against the Germans. He made his way into the heartland of the Cherusci. At a location Tacitus calls the pontes longi ("long causeways"), in boggy lowlands somewhere near the Ems, Arminius's troops attacked the Romans. Arminius initially caught Germanicus's cavalry in a trap, inflicting minor casualties, but the Roman infantry reinforced
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#17327728216018370-430: The citadel, most of them dying in the trap. The people in the citadel had to escape to subterranean chambers in the night. Germanicus then seized Seretium and then the other places fell easily. However, other Dalmatians revolted. Cassius Dio also wrote that there was famine in Italy largely due to the war. However, most of the grain was imported from Egypt , the province of Africa , Sicily , and Sardinia . Therefore, it
8505-524: The cities and legions. Germanicus in turn ordered Piso's recall to Rome, although this action was probably beyond his authority. In the midst of this feud, Germanicus became ill and despite the fact Piso had removed himself to the port of Seleucia , he was convinced that Piso was somehow poisoning him. Tacitus reports that there were signs of black magic in Piso's house with hidden body-parts and Germanicus's name inscribed on lead tablets. Germanicus sent Piso
8640-477: The city Arduba are the writings of Cassius Dio and Velleius Paterculus . Arduba must have been a major insurgent stronghold and settlement in the area, as refugees from other parts of the region and strongholds merged with it. Although he had a much larger army than the people who defended Arduba, Germanicus faced strong defence fortifications in front of the settlement, which made it not easy to simply invade Arduba. In addition to being heavily fortified, Arduba
8775-550: The coastal towns supported Caesar, while the native peoples largely supported Pompey. Quintus Cornificius, a Caesarian, repulsed Quintus Octavius, a Pompeian. The Dalmatians routed Aulus Gabinius , a Caesarian who had been ordered by Caesar to join Cornificius in Illyricum. The Dalmatians later asked Caesar for a pardon. Caesar demanded a tribute and hostages as compensation, which was standard practice, and sent Publius Vatinius with three legions to enforce this. After Caesar
8910-445: The country as possible at once. In Dio's opinion, at this time they did not accomplish anything worthy of note, except for Germanicus defeating the Mazaei, a Dalmatian tribe. In an earlier passage he noted that in this year the country was ravaged and that the rebels did not defend it. They withdrew to mountain fortresses from which they launched raids whenever they could. Therefore, even though there were no spectacular battles (by which
9045-434: The country, and finally besieged him at Adetrium, near Salona. This was on a rock and was surrounded by steep ravines. Tiberius held on until Bato was forced to seek terms. However, Bato could not persuade his comrades to accept a truce. Tiberius advanced against the fortress, keeping part of his force in reserve and sending the rest forward in a square formation. The rugged terrain stretched the advancing troops. On seeing this,
9180-433: The country, defeating any foe they encountered. Germanicus's successes in Germany had made him popular with the soldiers. He had dealt a significant blow to Rome's enemies, quelled an uprising of troops, and returned lost standards to Rome. His actions had increased his fame, and he had become very popular with the Roman people. Tiberius took notice, and had Germanicus recalled to Rome and informed him that he would be given
9315-408: The day of Germanicus' death his sister Livilla gave birth to twins by Drusus. The oldest was named Germanicus and died young. In 37, Germanicus' only remaining son, Caligula, became emperor and renamed September Germanicus in honor of his father. Many Romans, in the account of Tacitus, considered Germanicus to be their equivalent to Alexander the Great, and believed that he would have easily surpassed
9450-411: The death of Germanicus, the Lex Valeria Aurelia . Although Tacitus stressed the honors paid to him, the funeral and processions were carefully modeled after those of Gaius and Lucius , Agrippa's sons. This served to emphasize the continuation of the domus Augusta across the transition from Augustus to Tiberius. Commemorative arches were built in his honor and not just in Rome, but at the frontier on
9585-413: The difference lost from lowering the sales tax. The kingdom of Commagene was split on whether or not to remain free or to become a province with both sides sending deputations, so Germanicus sent Quintus Servaeus to organize the province. Having settled these matters he traveled to Cyrrhus , a city in Syria between Antioch and the Euphrates , where he spent the rest of AD 18 in the winter quarters of
9720-442: The early Roman Empire. Tiberius, Germanicus' uncle, became the second Roman emperor and would be succeeded by Germanicus' son Gaius . Germanicus was also the brother of the fourth emperor, Claudius, and the grandfather of the fifth emperor, Nero . When Augustus' chosen successor, Gaius Caesar , died in AD 4, he briefly considered Germanicus as his heir. His wife Livia persuaded him to choose his stepson Tiberius instead. As part of
9855-484: The emperor Augustus) undertook military campaigns in the region. He defeated the Iapydes and then pushed into southern Pannonia, where he seized the city of Segesta (which later, as a Roman town, was called Siscia ). He then turned on the Dalmatians and captured Promona (to the northeast of modern Drniš , Croatia ) on the coast, the main city of the Liburnians, which had been seized by the Dalmatians. After that he took
9990-733: The empire against the Germans in AD 11. The two generals crossed the Rhine , made various excursions into enemy territory and, in the beginning of autumn, recrossed the river. The campaigns of Tiberius and Germanicus in Germania in the years AD 11–12, combined with an alliance with the Marcomannic federation of Marbod , prevented the German coalition from crossing the Rhine and invading Gaul and Italy. In winter, Germanicus returned to Rome, where he was, after five mandates as quaestor and despite never having been aedile or praetor, appointed consul for
10125-461: The events can be found in: Germanicus Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC – 10 October AD 19) was an ancient Roman general and politician most famously known for his campaigns against Arminius in Germania . The son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia the Younger , Germanicus was born into an influential branch of the patrician gens Claudia . The agnomen Germanicus
10260-416: The fighting and on one occasion two legions from the Roman province of Asia were also involved. Through most of the war it was the five legions stationed in Illyricum (three in Pannonia and two in Dalmatia) which were engaged in this war, which covered a very large area. In addition, there were irregular emergency units levied in Italy. The rebels had an efficient military organisation which paralleled that of
10395-537: The first settlement between Octavian and the Roman Senate formalised Octavian's absolute rule, bestowing the title of Augustus on him and making him the first Roman emperor . It also made arrangements about the provinces of the empire. Most provinces remained senatorial provinces, whose governors were chosen by the Senate from among the senators, while the frontier provinces became imperial provinces, whose governors were appointed by Augustus. The province of Illyricum
10530-557: The flames or the river below. Cassius Dio did not specify what caused the fire. The nearby towns surrendered voluntarily. Germanicus rejoined Tiberius, and sent Gaius Vibius Postumus to subdue the other districts. Bato promised to surrender if he and his followers would be pardoned. Tiberius agreed and then asked him why his people had rebelled. According to Cassius Dio, he replied: "You Romans are to blame for this; for you send as guardians of your flocks, not dogs or shepherds, but wolves." The Romans, aside from committing atrocities during
10665-544: The flames or the river. Cassius Dio did not specify what caused the fire. The nearby towns surrendered voluntarily. Germanicus re-joined Tiberius , and sent Gaius Vibius Postumus to subdue the other districts. Bato promised to surrender if he and his followers would be pardoned. Tiberius agreed and then asked him why his people had rebelled. According to Cassius Dio , he replied: " You Romans are to blame for this; for you send as guardians of your flocks, not dogs or shepherds, but wolves. " In some ways Arduba then became
10800-469: The fortress and captured him. While Tiberius negotiated the terms of surrender, Germanicus was sent on a punitive expedition across the surrounding territory, during which he forced the surrender of the fortified town of Arduba and surrounding towns. He then sent a deputy to subdue the remaining districts and returned to Tiberius. After a distinguished start to his military career, Germanicus returned to Rome in late AD 9 to personally announce his victory. He
10935-514: The governor of Syria , Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso . During their feud, Germanicus became ill in Antioch and died on 10 October AD 19. His death has been attributed to poison by ancient sources, but that was never proven. As a famous general, he was widely popular and regarded as the ideal Roman long after his death. To the Roman people, Germanicus was the Roman equivalent of Alexander the Great due to
11070-439: The ground was littered with corpses and weapons. Arminius and his uncle Inguiomer were both wounded in the battle but evaded capture. The Roman soldiers involved on the battlefield honored Tiberius as Imperator , and raised a pile of arms as a trophy with the names of the defeated tribes inscribed beneath them. The sight of the Roman trophy constructed on the battlefield enraged the Germans who were preparing to retreat beyond
11205-590: The hardship of their military tasks, and vengeance against the centurions for their cruelty. After Germanicus arrived, the soldiers listed their complaints to him and attempted to proclaim him emperor. His open and affable manners made him popular with the soldiers, but he remained loyal to the emperor. When news of the mutiny reached the army of the Upper Rhine under Gaius Silius (the Legions II Augusta , XIII Gemina , XVI Gallica , and XIV Gemina )
11340-471: The heroism is reported by a historian of the opposing forces. The city’s men surrendered, but the women refused. An internal conflict erupted fostered by women who did not want to fall in captivity by the Romans. Carrying their children in their arms, they threw themselves into fire or jumped in the river to drown. Germanicus turned his attention to the last holdouts in Arduba, which was a fortified town with
11475-510: The historian Richard Alston says Tiberius had little reason to undermine his heir. Germanicus had a busy year in 17. He restored a temple of Spes , and allegedly won a chariot race in the name of Tiberius at the Olympic Games that year. However, Eusebius, our main reference for this, does not name Germanicus, and Tacitus makes no reference to this occasion either, which would have required Germanicus to make two trips to Greece within
11610-473: The imperial family; knights of Rome gave his name to a block of seats at a theatre in Rome, and rode behind his effigy on 15 July AD 20. After consulting with his family, Tiberius made his wishes known whereupon the Senate collected the honors into a commemorative decree, the Senatus Consultum de memoria honoranda Germanini Caesaris , and ordered the consuls of AD 20 to issue a public law honoring
11745-464: The initiative in AD 9, and pushed into Dalmatia. Tiberius divided his forces into three divisions: one under Silvanus, which advanced south-east from Sirmium; another commanded by Lepidus, which advanced north-west along the Una Valley from Siscia toward Burnum ; and the third led by Tiberius and Germanicus in the Dalmatian hinterland. The divisions under Lepidus and Silvanus practically exterminated
11880-399: The legal age in AD 7. He held that office until AD 11, and was elected consul for the first time in AD 12. The year after, he was made proconsul of Germania Inferior , Germania Superior , and all of Gaul . From there he commanded eight legions , about one-third of the entire Roman army at the time, which he led against the Germanic tribes in his campaigns from AD 14 to 16. He avenged
12015-493: The loyalty of his troops, he led them on a raid against the Marsi , a Germanic people on the upper Ruhr river. Germanicus massacred the villages of the Marsi he encountered and pillaged the surrounding territory. On the way back to their winter quarters at Castra Vetera , they pushed successfully through the opposing tribes ( Bructeri , Tubantes , and Usipetes ) between the Marsi and the Rhine. Back at Rome, Tiberius instituted
12150-451: The name "Julius Caesar" while retaining his agnomen , becoming Germanicus Julius Caesar. Upon Germanicus' adoption into the Julii , his brother Claudius became the sole legal representative of his father, inheriting the agnomen "Germanicus" as the new head of the family. Germanicus was born in Rome on 24 May 15 BC to Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia Minor and had two younger siblings:
12285-587: The nature of his death at a young age, his virtuous character, his dashing physique, and his military renown. Germanicus's praenomen (personal name) at birth is unknown, but he was probably named Nero Claudius Drusus after his father (conventionally called "Drusus"), or possibly Tiberius Claudius Nero after his paternal uncle . Some historians such as Iosif Constantin Drăgan believe he may have been named Decimus Claudius Nero or Decimus Claudius Drusus at his Dies lustricus , since his father's praenomen at birth
12420-467: The north, and ravaged the countryside between the Ems and the Lippe , and penetrated to the Teutoburg Forest, a mountain forest in western Germany situated between these two rivers. There, Germanicus and some of his men visited the site of the disastrous Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, and began burying the remains of the Roman soldiers that had been left in the open. After half a day of the work, he called off
12555-431: The people began observing a iustitium before the Senate had officially declared it. Tacitus says this shows the true grief that the people of Rome felt, and this also shows that by this time the people already knew the proper way to commemorate dead princes without an edict from a magistrate. At his funeral, there were no procession statues of Germanicus. There were abundant eulogies and reminders of his fine character and
12690-430: The rebels could reach Rome in ten days if drastic action was not taken. He assigned command of the war to Tiberius. The Roman army was organized into several divisions to evade the united forces of the rebels. Outposts were placed to prevent them from breaking through to Rome, as well as to disrupt their supply lines. In Cassius Dio's version, at first, Bato the Daesitiate had very few followers. However, once he defeated
12825-404: The rebels knew Roman military tactics and spoke Latin. The rebels divided their forces into three parts. One was to invade Italy, which was not far from Nauportus (a Roman fort in present-day Slovenia ); one had already entered the Roman province of Macedonia (present-day Greece ); and the third fought in their home territories. They executed their plan swiftly, massacring Roman civilians and
12960-471: The rebels out of the countryside, offering amnesty to those tribes that would lay down their arms, and implemented a scorched earth policy in an effort to starve the enemy out. During this period, Germanicus' detachments were in action against the Mazaei , whom he defeated. The rebel position in Pannonia collapsed in AD 8 when one of their commanders, Bato the Breucian , surrendered their leader Pinnes to
13095-435: The rebels, who had no hope of being spared by the Romans and so continued to resist. Tiberius had pursued a policy of scorched earth to starve the Pannonians. Cassius Dio also noted that there were grain shortages in Rome the previous year and that later in this year the famine abated. It is not known how widespread this famine was and whether it touched other Mediterranean areas, including Dalmatia and Pannonia, and thus had been
13230-441: The recall to Tiberius' jealousy of the glory Germanicus had acquired, and, with some bitterness, claims that Germanicus could have completed the conquest of Germania had he been given full operational independence. At the beginning of AD 17, Germanicus returned to the capital and on 26 May he celebrated a triumph. He had captured a few important prisoners, but Arminius was still at large. And yet, Strabo, who may have been in Rome at
13365-513: The rout and checked them. The fighting lasted for two days, with neither side achieving a decisive victory. Germanicus's forces withdrew and returned to the Rhine. In preparations for his next campaign, Germanicus sent Publius Vitellius and Gaius Antius to collect taxes in Gaul, and instructed Silius, Anteius, and Caecina to build a fleet. A fort on the Lippe called Castra Aliso was besieged, but
13500-519: The sea to Lesbos and then to Asia Minor. There he visited the site of Troy and the oracle of Apollo Claros near Colophon . Piso left at the same time as Germanicus, but traveled directly to Athens and then to Rhodes where he and Germanicus met for the first time. From there Piso left for Syria where he immediately began replacing the officers with men loyal to himself in a bid to win the loyalty of his soldiers. Next Germanicus traveled through Syria to Armenia where he installed king Artaxias as
13635-616: The situation under control. At the same time there was a small rebellion in Dalmatia. The Dentheletae , together with the Scordisci , who lived in present-day Serbia at the confluence of the Rivers Savus (Sava), Dravus ( Drava ), and Danube , attacked the Roman province of Macedonia . A civil war broke out in Thrace . In 15 BC the Romans conquered the Scordisci and annexed Noricum and conducted other operations in other parts of
13770-435: The struggle soon because many Romans had fallen, the Breuci called on their allies to join them. Cassius Dio did not specify whether Severus broke a siege of the city or prevented the enemy from reaching it. The Drava was to the northwest of Sirmium and the Romans from Moesia must have come from the east or the south. Thus, if Caecina Severus did break a siege of Sirmium, he would have pursued the retreating Breuci until they made
13905-466: The succession arrangements, Augustus adopted Tiberius on 26 June AD 4, but first required him to adopt Germanicus, thus placing him next in the line of succession after Tiberius. Germanicus married Augustus' granddaughter, Agrippina the Elder , probably the next year, to further strengthen his ties to the imperial family. The couple had nine children: Nero Julius Caesar ; Drusus Caesar ; Tiberius Julius Caesar (not to be confused with emperor Tiberius);
14040-720: The surrender in Dalmatia in AD 9. The Roman historian Suetonius described the uprising as the most difficult conflict faced by Rome since the Punic Wars two centuries earlier. Bato the Breucian betrayed Pinnes which later became the Ruler of the Breucians by the Romans. Illyricum had seen some fighting during the Great Roman Civil War between Julius Caesar and the forces of the Senate led by Pompey several decades earlier. The Romans who lived in some of
14175-535: The terms of capitulation. Germanicus turned his attention to the last holdouts in Arduba, a strongly fortified town with a river around its base. Within the town, there was tension between rebel deserters who wanted to carry on the fight and the inhabitants who wanted peace, which eventually developed into violence. The women reportedly helped the deserters because, contrary to their men, they did not want to suffer servitude. The deserters were defeated and surrendered. The women took their children and threw themselves into
14310-451: The time Germanicus had arrived in Pannonia, the rebels had resorted to raiding from the mountain fortresses to which they had withdrawn. Because the Roman legions were not so effective at countering this tactic, Tiberius deployed his auxiliary forces and divided his army into small detachments, allowing them to cover more ground and conduct a war of attrition against the rebels in their strong defensive positions. The Romans also began to drive
14445-485: The time, in mentioning the name of Thusnelda , the captured pregnant wife of Arminius, draws attention to the fact that her husband, the victor at Teutoburg Forest, had not been captured and the war itself had not been won. [1] Nonetheless, this did not take away from the spectacle of his triumph: a near contemporary calendar marks 26 May as the day in "which Germanicus Caesar was borne into the city in triumph", while coins issued under his son Gaius (Caligula) depicted him on
14580-564: The town called Arduba. Wilhelm Tomaschek (1880) located Arduba in Vranduk near Zenica. But archaeological excavations (1968) provided neither prehistoric nor ancient findings to confirm this. The urban part of today's Zenica already formed in the Stone Age Neolithic , and especially later in the time of the Illyrians. Today, toponyms of their gradinas (fortified towns) are evidence for this: Gradišće, Gračanica, Gradac. This
14715-576: The tribes between the Rhine and the Elbe, has dedicated this monument to Mars , Jupiter , and Augustus ." Germanicus sent some troops back to the Rhine, with some of them taking the land route, but most of them took the fast route and traveled by boat. They went down the Ems toward the North Sea, but as they reached the sea, a storm struck, sinking many of the boats and killing many men and horses. Then Germanicus ordered Gaius Silius to march against
14850-542: The war, split Illyrian tribes into different groups from the ones they had previously composed. The administrative civitates of the Osseriates , Colapiani , and Varciani were probably created from the Breuci . Other members of tribes were probably sold as slaves or deported to different locations, such as the Azali . Detailed and critical commentaries of the sources is given in: Useful historical narratives of
14985-540: The writing of Velleius Paterculus (as noted above). They were defeated by Rhoemetalces and his brother Rhascyporis. Dio did not mention any action by the Romans there. Therefore, it is unknown how the Roman governor of this province dealt with the situation; it is also unknown how the previous invasion was dealt with. It might have involved raids, rather than an occupation. Cassius Dio wrote that in AD 7, Augustus sent Tiberius' nephew Germanicus to Illyricum because Tiberius’ lack of activity made him suspicious that Tiberius
15120-488: The year AD 12. He shared the consulship with Gaius Fonteius Capito . He continued to advocate for defendants in court during his consulship, a popular move reminiscent of his previous work defending the accused in front of Augustus. He also courted popularity by ministering the Ludi Martiales (games of Mars), as mentioned by Pliny the Elder in his Historia Naturalis , in which he released two hundred lions in
15255-429: Was " Decimus ". He took the agnomen (nickname) "Germanicus", awarded posthumously to his father in honor of his victories in Germania , at which point he nominally became head of the family in 9 BC. By AD 4 his uncle Tiberius adopted Germanicus as his son and heir. As a result, Germanicus was adopted out of the gens Claudia and into that of the gens Julia . In accordance with Roman naming conventions , he adopted
15390-543: Was a shortage of grain. Velleius Paterculus wrote that the rebel forces in Pannonia who faced Tiberius were not happy with the size of their forces. They were worn down and brought to the verge of famine (presumably due to ravaging), could not withstand his offensives, and avoided pitched battles. They went to the Claudian Mountains (a mountain range in Pannonia, in Varaždin County in northern Croatia) and took
15525-496: Was about to launch the second campaign against the Marcomanni in Germania . Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus , the governor of Illyricum, had planned to join him with most of his army, and ordered the local tribes to provide auxiliary contingents. However, when these troops gathered, they rebelled under the leadership of a Daesitiate tribal chieftain named Bato and defeated a Roman force sent against them. Although this war
15660-437: Was added to his full name in 9 BC when it was posthumously awarded to his father in honor of his victories in Germania. In AD 4 he was adopted by his paternal uncle Tiberius , himself the stepson and heir of Germanicus' great-uncle Augustus ; ten years later, Tiberius succeeded Augustus as Roman emperor . As a result of his adoption, Germanicus became an official member of the gens Julia , another prominent family, to which he
15795-522: Was assassinated in 44 BC, the Dalmatians ignored these demands and routed five of Vatinius' cohorts . With the disruptions caused by further Roman civil wars in the years following, Dalmatian piracy in the Adriatic Sea became a problem again. In 35 BC, the Iapydes , the northernmost tribe of Dalmatia, carried out raids into northeastern Italy. They attacked Aquileia , and plundered Tergestus ( Trieste ). From 35 to 33 BC Octavian (who would soon become
15930-497: Was attacked by fresh local forces. Lepidus defeated them, ravaged the fields, and burnt houses, later reaching Tiberius. This campaign ended the war. Two Dalmatian tribes, the Pirustae and Daesitiatae, who had been almost unconquerable because of their mountain strongholds, the narrow passes in which they lived, and their fighting spirit, were almost exterminated. Cassius Dio, instead, wrote that Tiberius returned to Rome. Germanicus
16065-433: Was constituted out of both Dalmatia and the newly conquered southern Pannonia, and, despite being a frontier province, was designated as a senatorial province. From 14 BC to 10 BC there were a series of rebellions in southern Pannonia and northern Dalmatia which Roman writers referred to as Bellum Pannonicum (the "Pannonian War"). What little is known about these events comes chiefly from brief accounts by Cassius Dio and
16200-454: Was deemed necessary to settle matters. Germanicus was given imperium maius (extraordinary command) over the other governors and commanders of the area he was to operate; however, Tiberius had replaced the governor of Syria with Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso , who was meant to be his helper ( adiutor ), but turned out to be hostile. According to Tacitus, this was an attempt to separate Germanicus from his familiar troops and weaken his influence, but
16335-420: Was erased from the base of one statue in particular as part of his damnatio memoriae . Yet, in a show of clemency not unlike that of the emperor, the Senate had Piso's property returned and divided equally between his two sons, on condition that his daughter Calpurnia be given 1,000,000 sesterces as dowry and a further 4,000,000 as personal property. His wife Plancina was absolved. In AD 4, Germanicus wrote
16470-533: Was given more time to plead than the prosecutors, but it made no difference: before the trial was over Piso died; ostensibly by suicide, but Tacitus supposes Tiberius may have had him murdered before he could implicate the emperor in Germanicus' death. The accusations brought against Piso are numerous, including: He was found guilty and punished posthumously for treason . The Senate had his property proscribed, forbade mourning on his account, removed images of his likeness, such as statues and portraits, and his name
16605-515: Was honored with a triumphal insignia (without an actual triumph) and the rank (not the actual title) of praetor . He was also given permission to be a candidate for consul before the regular time and the right to speak first in the Senate after the consuls. According to Cassius Dio, Germanicus was a popular quaestor because he acted as an advocate as much in capital jurisdiction cases before Augustus as he did before lesser judges in standard quaestiones (trials). He successfully defended, for example,
16740-483: Was intentionally delaying the war so as to remain under arms as long as possible. Augustus seems to have been displeased with what he must have considered a passive strategy. However, Tiberius was very active and was conducting a war of attrition and counter-insurgency operations. This strategy later proved to be the right one. Germanicus was given a force of freemen and freedmen. Some of the latter were requisitioned from their masters, who were compensated. In Rome there
16875-441: Was located near a fast-flowing river. This clearly indicates that Arduba must have been located somewhere in the mountainous area of a larger river, meaning its upper or middle stream. The exploration of Arduba’s location should take into account the following points which can be inferred from data from the relevant Cassius Dio text and its interpretation: Bellum Batonianum The Bellum Batonianum ( Latin for War of
17010-663: Was not long before the well known accuser, Lucius Fulcinius Trio , brought charges against him. The Pisones were longtime supporters of the Claudians, and had allied themselves with Octavian early on. The continued support of the Pisones and his own friendship with Piso made Tiberius hesitant to hear the case himself. After briefly hearing both sides, Tiberius referred the case to the Senate, making no effort to hide his deep anger toward Piso. Tiberius made allowances for Piso to summon witnesses of all social orders, including slaves, and he
17145-495: Was related on his mother's side. His connection to the Julii Caesares was further consolidated through a marriage between him and Agrippina the Elder , a granddaughter of Augustus. He was also the father of Caligula , the maternal grandfather of Nero , and the older brother of Claudius . During the reign of Augustus, Germanicus enjoyed an accelerated political career, entering the office of quaestor five years before
17280-503: Was routed and the allied cavalry fled. The legions suffered casualties, but they then rallied and won the day. Cassius Dio's version does not mention Plautius Silvanus; instead, the two Batos went to wait for the arrival of Caecina Severus. They attacked him unexpectedly when he was encamped near the Volcaean marshes, but Severus repulsed the attack. Following this battle the Roman army was divided into detachments to overrun as many parts of
17415-407: Was scheduled to hold the consulship next year with the emperor. As a result, in AD 18, Germanicus was granted the eastern part of the empire, just as Agrippa and Tiberius had received before, when they were successors to the emperor. Following his triumph, Germanicus was sent to Asia to reorganize the provinces and kingdoms there, which were in such disarray that the attention of a domus Augusta
17550-544: Was sent to Illyricum the same year to help Tiberius suppress a rebellion by the Pannonians and Dalmatians . He brought with him an army of levied citizens and former slaves to reinforce Tiberius at Siscia , his base of operations in Illyricum. Towards the end of the year, additional reinforcements arrived; three legions from Moesia commanded by Aulus Caecina Severus , and two legions with Thracian cavalry and auxiliary troops from Anatolia commanded by Silvanus . By
17685-466: Was stronger in open battle, but he was defeated in an ambush. Velleius Paterculus wrote that Messallinus was surrounded by 20,000 men and had only one legion at only half its normal strength (roughly 2,500 men), yet he routed the enemy and was awarded a triumphal decoration (ornamenta triumphalia) and a place in the procession during Tiberius’ Pannonian triumph. Presumably Valerius Messallinus was then sent to defend Salona. According to Cassius Dio, Bato
17820-421: Was the numerous and powerful army of the Roman empire , led by the general Germanicus , standing in front of this city. One of the reasons the encounter was remembered lies in the description of the heroism of Arduban women, as reported by Dio. Allegedly, they refused to surrender and preferred death over captivity. While there are similar stories throughout ancient history, this is one of the few instances where
17955-408: Was the only occasion on which the different peoples in the province of Illyricum united against the Romans. The main tribes which contributed to the alliance were the Daesitiatae , Breuci , Dalmatae , Andizetes , Pannonians , Pirustae , Liburnians , and Iapydes (the latter two fighting under an unknown leader). The Dalmatians were led by Bato the Daesitiate , while the Breuci were led by Bato
18090-485: Was the true motive. The death of Germanicus in dubious circumstances greatly affected Tiberius's popularity in Rome, leading to the creation of a climate of fear in Rome itself. Also suspected of connivance in his death was Tiberius's chief advisor, Sejanus , who would, in the 20s, create an atmosphere of fear in Roman noble and administrative circles by the use of treason trials and the role of delatores , or informers. When Rome had received word of Germanicus' death,
18225-407: Was unable to take the well-fortified Splonum by storm. However, when a parapet of the wall fell, the inhabitants panicked, abandoning that part of the wall and fleeing to the citadel, where they eventually surrendered. At Raetinum the inhabitants set a slow-burning fire. When the Romans entered the town they did not notice it and then found themselves surrounded by the flames and pelted from the wall of
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