-117 AD- Trajan's dead, so there was much anxiety about who would be his heir.
-While Trajan's wife, Pompeia Plotina, had supported a dude named Publius Aelius Hadrianus (Trajan's only living male relative), but Trajan had always been uncertain as to if this was a good choice.
-The rumor is that when Trajan died, Plotina somehow manipulated the situation so that Hadrian was named heir.
-Why would Plotina do this?
-First, by having Hadrian be named emperor, Plotina would be able to retain her power.
-Also provided a seamless tradition of power and hopefully would prevent a civil war.
-Hadrian was also a good choice. He wasn't too old or too young (he was 41 at this time), had lots of military and administrative experience (as governor of Pannonia Inferior). Additionally, he was a legitimate relative of Trajan!
-Hadrian was born in 76 AD possibly in either Italica, Hispania Baetica (outside of modern-day Seville, Andalusia) or Rome; the exact details of his birth and lineage are unclear.
-Family were elite Romans who had lived in Italica for a long time; father was a senator (and later praetor) but he died when Hadrian was 10.
-Thus, Hadrian came under the care of Trajan, his relative and a rising star in Roman politics at this time.
-Also came under the care of another dude, Publius Acilius Attianus, another powerful Roman aristocrat and official from Hispania.
-Growing up, Hadrian was well-educated, taking an especially strong interest in everything Greek. In fact, he liked Greek shit so much that he acquired the nickname "Graeculus" ("the Greekling"). This would also have a huge influence on his reign as emperor, too.
-Moved to Rome with Trajan when he was 14. At this time, Trajan was serving as consul under Domitian.
-Thanks to Trajan, Hadrian eventually landed three successive military tribuneships, beginning in Moesia, then Pannonia, and finally Germania Superior.
-He was a very charismatic officer and competent leader.
-Although he is now seen as a pacifist emperor, he actually loved the military and military culture, and because of this the military loved him.
-Was serving as tribune in Germania Superior when Trajan was enthroned as emperor.
-While Hadrian was possibly an obvious choice for heir, Trajan was skeptical of his worthiness.
-It's also possible that Hadrian had benefited from Trajan's power only because Pompeia liked him, and not Trajan himself.
-Hadrian was also mocked by senators in Rome due to his foreign accent and "barbarian" manners and shit.
-Hadrian eventually married Trajan's niece's daughter, Vibia Sabina, in 100 AD.
-While this was a solid political marriage, it was most certainly not a romantic one. Hadrian and Sabina didn't get along at all, and it also didn't help that Hadrian was gay.
-Anyway, Hadrian continued to serve under Trajan, accompanying him on both Dacian Wars, but it's unclear as to what exactly Hadrian was doing there.
-Was given a praetorship in 106 AD and command over a legion in Germania.
-Was given a praetorship in 107 AD and command over a legion in Pannonia.
-Made suffect consul in 108 AD, but this was considered to be kind of rude (and further evidence that Trajan didn't really like Hadrian).
-Hadrian's generally upward movement in society was good for him, but it was just kind of weird because Trajan was ambiguous about what the point of all of it was. It's also unclear as to what Hadrian made of it, too.
-After finishing his consulship, Hadrian disappeared off the historical record for a few years before popping up again with his arrival in Athens in 112 AD.
-Hadrian got so immersed in Athenian life and culture during this time that he eventually was given Athenian citizenship! He even went on to serve as eponymous archon (chief magistrate) of the city!
-Left Athens in 114 AD to join Trajan and serve in his entourage during Trajan's Parthian campaign.
-117 AD- Hadrian was appointed governor of Syria.
-This was actually a legitimately powerful position, and demonstrated that Trajan was finally starting to take Hadrian seriously.
-When Hadrian found out that Trajan had (allegedly) named him as heir, he announced the news to his legions and there was much rejoicing.
-Thus, the Senate acquiesced and confirmed Hadrian as the new emperor.
-Anyway, now that Hadrian was emperor, he knew that he couldn't yet rest on his laurels (so to speak), as he knew that there were powerful political enemies who would test the limits of his power, so he had to act fast!
Friday, January 19, 2018
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Optimus Trajan
-When Trajan returned from Dacia, he built a bunch of new stuff including triumphs, a forum, baths, and a new harbor built in 113 AD.
-Also built a new highway from Beneventum (modern-day Benevento, Campania) to Brundisium (modern-day Brindisi, Apulia) because the Appian Way (which led from Rome to Brundisium through Beneventum) was such a clusterfuck.
-Other roads were built upon, improved, and expanded as well, including bridges designed by the genius Apollodorus.
-Unfortunately in later centuries these roads and bridges would allow for the barbarian hordes to travel throughout the empire with startling speed...
-A lot of what we know about Trajan comes from his colleague, the historian Pliny the Younger.
-Born in 61 AD to an Equestrian family. Father died when he was young.
-Educated by Lucius Verginius Rufus (remember him? He was the governor of Germania Superior during the end of Nero's reign and had stayed loyal to Nero and crushed Gaius Julius Vindex's rebellion in Gaul in 68 AD, and had also been so popular with his troops that they had been ready to straight-up declare him princeps! Of course, Verginius had refused to betray Nero).
-Pliny the Younger eventually moved to Rome and continued to be educated, but this time by his famous uncle, the naturalist (and writer, philosopher, former military commander, and personal friend of Vespasian) Pliny the Elder!
-Unfortunately, Pliny the Elder was killed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD (died in Stabiae (modern-day Castellammare di Stabia, Campania)).
-Left all of his property and wealth to Pliny the Younger, who was also to be posthumously adopted as his son.
-Thus, Pliny the Younger quickly moved up the cursus honorum, and eventually became a well-respected lawyer, senator, and administrator.
-During this time he also be came good friends with the historians Tacitus and Suetonius, as well as Trajan.
-He was so trusted by Trajan that in 110 AD, Trajan sent Pliny to go manage the province of Bithynia, which was falling apart due to shitty administration.
-It took Pliny two years to clean up the situation, but during this time Pliny and Trajan sent each other letters which we still have today and gives us valuable insight as to how the empire managed all of its provinces, as well as Trajan's philosophy of how shit should be run (based on common sense, tradition, and Trajan's own intuition/judgement).
-One interesting tidbit with these letters involved discussion of what to do about the mysterious new cult of Christianity, which was quickly spreading throughout the eastern half of the empire.
-Governors across the empire were confused about what to do with Christians. Christians refused to worship the Roman gods or accept the divinity of the Roman emperors, and many governors feared that the cult would foment eventually foment civil unrest wherever it had a significant presence.
-There was a greater fear that the cult would eventually encourage rebellion. Obviously, it was illegal in the empire to form independent political parties or movements.
-However, Trajan encouraged caution about persecuting alleged Christians, especially because using paid informants or rumors would just make the governors more tyrannical and create more political unrest, so he made sure to stress that alleged Christians should be given a fair trial, but always be given the chance to renounce their faith. However, if they refuse to renounce Christianity, they must be punished!
-The problem of what to do with Christians would be a pain in the ass for administrators for the next 200 years (until Constantine converts!)
-Anyway, Trajan was thus far proving to be a badass ruler, and was given the honorific title "Optimus" ("the Best").
-110 AD- Meanwhile, more drama was going down in Armenia.
-As we may remember, Rome and Parthia shared hegemony over the kingdom. The Parthians got to choose the Armenian king, but Rome had veto power.
-Anyway, when King Sanatruk (AKA Sanatruces) of Armenia died in 110 AD, Parthia chose a dude named Axidares (AKA Ashkadar/Exedares/Exedates), the son of Pacorus II (a former Parthian king) and nephew of Osroes I (the Parthian king at this time), to replace him. However, Parthia had not consulted Rome about this and just had Axidares enthroned without Rome's consent.
-While Rome actually had no problem with Axidares, they were pissed off that Parthia hadn't consulted them about this, considering them to be a sign of grave disrespect (and, by extension, a possible invitation to war). So, hoping to avoid war with Rome, Osroes I had Axidares deposed and replaced by Axidares' brother, Parthamasiris (AKA Partamasia / Parthomasiris).
-It probably also didn't hurt that Osroes I had considered Axidares to be a shitty ruler, anyway.
-Anyway, because the Romans were pissed about this whole situation, Trajan declared war on Parthia!
-Of course, it's also possible that Trajan just wanted an excuse to pick a fight with Parthia :)
-113 AD- Trajan invaded Armenia, and by the following year the Romans had crushed the Armenian defenses and had Parthamasiris dethroned (and possibly executed).
-Armenia was then officially annexed as a Roman province.
-Of course, Trajan didn't just stop here, and continued to wage war against the Parthians.
-115 AD- Trajan invades Mesopotamia (Parthian territory).
-This was also a great time for Rome to invade, as Parthia was kind of fucked up during this part of its history due to political infighting and just not having their shit together.
-116 AD- Mesopotamia was officially annexed as a new Roman province.
-One of the most important cities conquered by Rome during this time was the ancient city of Babylon (modern-day Hillah, Iraq).
-The Romans then sailed along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, eventually caputring the Parthian capital Ctesiphon (outside of modern-day Baghdad, Iraq).
-The Romans eventually made it so far downriver that they soon arrived at the Persian Gulf, where Trajan famously stated that he was saddened because he wouldn't be able to see the Romans march into India (like Alexander the Great) because he was too old that point.
-All of this was annexed into the Roman Empire.
-Osroes I was then dethroned and replaced by his son, Parthamaspates, as a puppet king.
-It seems likely that Trajan's ultimate goal was to just straight-up conquer the entire Parthian Empire and annex it into the Roman Empire!
-Of course, the Parthian Empire was pretty big, so even though the Romans had taken over Ctesiphon the Parthians still hadn't given up!
-An army was raised by Mithridates IV (brother of Osroes I) and his son Sanatruces II, and they began launching attacks against the Romans, although they were ultimately defeated.
-Also, a serious revolt in Judea was also getting worse, so Trajan decided to retreat and consolidate his forces.
-Unfortunately for Trajan, he was getting old and it was hot as fuck in Mesopotamia, so he suffered from heat stroke. Realizing that he would probably die if he continued to personally wage war in Mesopotamia, he decided to have the legions stay and try and pacify Mesopotamia while he himself returned to Rome to recover.
-However, the long trek had take a serious toll on Trajan's health, not to mention the stress of running the empire and the seemingly endless military campaigns, and so he died in the city of Selinus, Cilicia (modern-day Gazipaşa, Antalya in south-central Turkey) :(
-Also built a new highway from Beneventum (modern-day Benevento, Campania) to Brundisium (modern-day Brindisi, Apulia) because the Appian Way (which led from Rome to Brundisium through Beneventum) was such a clusterfuck.
-Other roads were built upon, improved, and expanded as well, including bridges designed by the genius Apollodorus.
-Unfortunately in later centuries these roads and bridges would allow for the barbarian hordes to travel throughout the empire with startling speed...
-A lot of what we know about Trajan comes from his colleague, the historian Pliny the Younger.
-Born in 61 AD to an Equestrian family. Father died when he was young.
-Educated by Lucius Verginius Rufus (remember him? He was the governor of Germania Superior during the end of Nero's reign and had stayed loyal to Nero and crushed Gaius Julius Vindex's rebellion in Gaul in 68 AD, and had also been so popular with his troops that they had been ready to straight-up declare him princeps! Of course, Verginius had refused to betray Nero).
-Pliny the Younger eventually moved to Rome and continued to be educated, but this time by his famous uncle, the naturalist (and writer, philosopher, former military commander, and personal friend of Vespasian) Pliny the Elder!
-Unfortunately, Pliny the Elder was killed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD (died in Stabiae (modern-day Castellammare di Stabia, Campania)).
-Left all of his property and wealth to Pliny the Younger, who was also to be posthumously adopted as his son.
-Thus, Pliny the Younger quickly moved up the cursus honorum, and eventually became a well-respected lawyer, senator, and administrator.
-During this time he also be came good friends with the historians Tacitus and Suetonius, as well as Trajan.
-He was so trusted by Trajan that in 110 AD, Trajan sent Pliny to go manage the province of Bithynia, which was falling apart due to shitty administration.
-It took Pliny two years to clean up the situation, but during this time Pliny and Trajan sent each other letters which we still have today and gives us valuable insight as to how the empire managed all of its provinces, as well as Trajan's philosophy of how shit should be run (based on common sense, tradition, and Trajan's own intuition/judgement).
-One interesting tidbit with these letters involved discussion of what to do about the mysterious new cult of Christianity, which was quickly spreading throughout the eastern half of the empire.
-Governors across the empire were confused about what to do with Christians. Christians refused to worship the Roman gods or accept the divinity of the Roman emperors, and many governors feared that the cult would foment eventually foment civil unrest wherever it had a significant presence.
-There was a greater fear that the cult would eventually encourage rebellion. Obviously, it was illegal in the empire to form independent political parties or movements.
-However, Trajan encouraged caution about persecuting alleged Christians, especially because using paid informants or rumors would just make the governors more tyrannical and create more political unrest, so he made sure to stress that alleged Christians should be given a fair trial, but always be given the chance to renounce their faith. However, if they refuse to renounce Christianity, they must be punished!
-The problem of what to do with Christians would be a pain in the ass for administrators for the next 200 years (until Constantine converts!)
-Anyway, Trajan was thus far proving to be a badass ruler, and was given the honorific title "Optimus" ("the Best").
-110 AD- Meanwhile, more drama was going down in Armenia.
-As we may remember, Rome and Parthia shared hegemony over the kingdom. The Parthians got to choose the Armenian king, but Rome had veto power.
-Anyway, when King Sanatruk (AKA Sanatruces) of Armenia died in 110 AD, Parthia chose a dude named Axidares (AKA Ashkadar/Exedares/Exedates), the son of Pacorus II (a former Parthian king) and nephew of Osroes I (the Parthian king at this time), to replace him. However, Parthia had not consulted Rome about this and just had Axidares enthroned without Rome's consent.
-While Rome actually had no problem with Axidares, they were pissed off that Parthia hadn't consulted them about this, considering them to be a sign of grave disrespect (and, by extension, a possible invitation to war). So, hoping to avoid war with Rome, Osroes I had Axidares deposed and replaced by Axidares' brother, Parthamasiris (AKA Partamasia / Parthomasiris).
-It probably also didn't hurt that Osroes I had considered Axidares to be a shitty ruler, anyway.
-Anyway, because the Romans were pissed about this whole situation, Trajan declared war on Parthia!
-Of course, it's also possible that Trajan just wanted an excuse to pick a fight with Parthia :)
-113 AD- Trajan invaded Armenia, and by the following year the Romans had crushed the Armenian defenses and had Parthamasiris dethroned (and possibly executed).
-Armenia was then officially annexed as a Roman province.
-Of course, Trajan didn't just stop here, and continued to wage war against the Parthians.
-115 AD- Trajan invades Mesopotamia (Parthian territory).
-This was also a great time for Rome to invade, as Parthia was kind of fucked up during this part of its history due to political infighting and just not having their shit together.
-116 AD- Mesopotamia was officially annexed as a new Roman province.
-One of the most important cities conquered by Rome during this time was the ancient city of Babylon (modern-day Hillah, Iraq).
-The Romans then sailed along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, eventually caputring the Parthian capital Ctesiphon (outside of modern-day Baghdad, Iraq).
-The Romans eventually made it so far downriver that they soon arrived at the Persian Gulf, where Trajan famously stated that he was saddened because he wouldn't be able to see the Romans march into India (like Alexander the Great) because he was too old that point.
-All of this was annexed into the Roman Empire.
-Osroes I was then dethroned and replaced by his son, Parthamaspates, as a puppet king.
-It seems likely that Trajan's ultimate goal was to just straight-up conquer the entire Parthian Empire and annex it into the Roman Empire!
-Of course, the Parthian Empire was pretty big, so even though the Romans had taken over Ctesiphon the Parthians still hadn't given up!
-An army was raised by Mithridates IV (brother of Osroes I) and his son Sanatruces II, and they began launching attacks against the Romans, although they were ultimately defeated.
-Also, a serious revolt in Judea was also getting worse, so Trajan decided to retreat and consolidate his forces.
-Unfortunately for Trajan, he was getting old and it was hot as fuck in Mesopotamia, so he suffered from heat stroke. Realizing that he would probably die if he continued to personally wage war in Mesopotamia, he decided to have the legions stay and try and pacify Mesopotamia while he himself returned to Rome to recover.
-However, the long trek had take a serious toll on Trajan's health, not to mention the stress of running the empire and the seemingly endless military campaigns, and so he died in the city of Selinus, Cilicia (modern-day Gazipaşa, Antalya in south-central Turkey) :(
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
The Dacian Wars
-98 AD- Trajan was now princeps!
-One of the greatest Roman emperors of all time!
-Spent his first year in office travelling around the Roman frontiers of the Rhine and Danube rivers.
-Eventually arrived in the province of Moesia (next to the kingdom of Dacia) and concluded that the Dacians were obviously preparing for war with Rome.
-Domitian had sent a bunch of money to Decebalus (king of Dacia) in exchange for Dacia to become a client kingdom of Rome, but Domitian had expected Decebalus to use this money to build up their fortifications and protect themselves neighboring barbarian hordes. However, it was clear that the Dacians were instead using these funds to build up their fortifications to protect themselves from Rome instead!
-99 AD- Trajan finally arrived in Rome and held a triumph to celebrate his enthronement.
-Surprisingly entered the city on foot (as opposed to a horse or chariot) and greeted the common folk personally on his way into the city.
-Promised the Senate that he would continue Nerva's policy of "no treason trials".
-Interestingly enough, the Senate actually hated Trajan initially because he was a provincial from Hispania (in addition to being someone who had replaced Nerva without their own say in the matter), but after meeting him they immediately grew to like him.
-Trajan soon announced that he was going back to the old Augustine model of referring to himself as "princeps" ("first", i.e. "first among equals"), which I guess emperors in the past hadn't been doing.
-Trajan also freed many of the remaining aristocratic political personas who had been held prisoner by Domitian, and returned lots of their confiscated property.
-Also, Trajan was kind of a libertarian- he had no interest in running an autocratic state, and envisioned all of the provinces governing themselves autonomously, with the emperor or Senate only issuing orders when it was absolutely necessary.
-He also didn't have time to micromanage the provinces anyway, as he was busy preparing for the war with Dacia!
-Dismantled Domitian's central executive branch that managed the empire.
-Trajan then raised two legions and reorganized where the troops were stationed.
-Also improved the road networks of Moesia in order to minimized fuck-ups involving supply routes.
-Regarding the Dacian Wars, Trajan became legendary not because of his battle plans (which were fine), but because of his logistical planning (which was genius).
-One of the key Roman engineers during this time was a genius dude named Apollodorus of Damascus, one of the greatest engineers/architects in all of history!
-Apollodorus was Trajan's chief architect for everything.
-One Trajan felt that he had prepared enough, he received the Senate's blessing (a formality) and decided to move forward with the war with Dacia.
-101 AD- in March, Trajan personally led the legions into Dacia.
-Once again, a battle was fought near Tapae, and the Dacians actually put up a really good fight, with the Romans experiencing a surprisingly high number of casualties.
-Technically the Romans won because the Dacians fled after a storm came, but this was definitely a Pyrrhic victory for Trajan.
-Winter was also on the way, so Trajan quickly made the decision to retreat back into Moesia to regroup and make additional plans.
-However, when winter came, the Danube River froze and Decebalus decided to launch an offensive on Moesia!
-Unfortunately for him, the Danube River hadn't quite frozen as much as he'd thought, and he lost a bunch of troops due to thin ice and shit.
-Demoralied, they launched a shitty attack on Moesia and were easily repelled by the Roman defenses.
-102 AD- Trajan decided to invade Dacia again in the spring, but this time Decebalus decided to surrender and sue for peace.
-It was obvious to Trajan that the problem wasn't Dacia's independence, but rather it was Decebalus' belligerence and an apparent lack of honor. So, he accepted Decebalus' surrender, but imposed far harsher penalties on Dacia.
-Dacia had to give part of its territory to Rome and also had to tear down their fortifications and shit that had been set up to defend against Rome.
-So, Trajan was satisfied and returned to Rome, where he held a triumph.
-Decebalus, of course, had other plans. He saw no reason to actually submit to Rome, so he didn't take this surrender seriously and just used the money Trajan sent to do the same old shit as before.
-Trajan acknowledged that it was possible, of course, for the Romans to have to invade Dacia again, so he had Apollodorus build what would come to be known as "Trajan's Bridge", a big-ass stone bridge across the Danube River which at that point was the first bridge to be built across that particular river, but it was also to be the longest bridge ever built for the next 1000 years! It was 1,100 meters long, 15 meters wide, and 19 meters tall.
-106 AD- Trajan ends up invading Dacia once again in the spring, leading the troops personally just like before.
-Decebalus had been trying to agitate neighboring barbarian tribes to attack the Romans, so Trajan had finally decided that enough was enough.
-This time, Trajan decided that Decebalus was to be killed and the entire kingdom of Dacia be brought under Roman rule as an annexed territory of Rome.
-The legion marched straight for the capital, Sarmizegetusa Regia, and when they arrived there the besieged the city.
-However, once again the Dacians proved to be surprisingly tenacious in their defense, so Trajan finally resorted to destroying the city's aqueducts so that they were cut off from their water supply.
-Of course, this caused the city to surrender.
-Decebalus was on the run after this, but he eventually committed suicide before he could be caught. His decapitated head was sent to Trajan.
-Trajan then ordered that Sarmizegetusa Regia be razed, and he had a new provincial capital be built roughly 40 km away (its official name was "Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa").
-Dacia was to be hte last major province added to the empire. It would remain in the empire until the 270s AD.
-Dacia proved to be a great addition to the empire because it had vast amounts of resources such as iron and shit.
-When Trajan returned back to Rome, he brought with him all of Decebalus' treasures, a scene not witnessed since the days of Pompey returning after his conquests in the East.
-Rome was now extremely rich and not hurting for money at all.
-Trajan and Apollodorus began planning for a bunch of new projects, and the future looked very bright indeed!
-One of these projects was the huge "Trajan's Forum", another was "Trajan's Column".
-Trajan's Column was 100 feet high, and covered by 600 feet of sculptures telling the story of Trajan's victories; it actually is still standing today!
-Much of the info we get about the Dacian Wars is from Trajan's Column, so of course a lot of the info is propaganda and shit and should be taken with a grain of salt (like all historical sources!).
-One of the greatest Roman emperors of all time!
-Spent his first year in office travelling around the Roman frontiers of the Rhine and Danube rivers.
-Eventually arrived in the province of Moesia (next to the kingdom of Dacia) and concluded that the Dacians were obviously preparing for war with Rome.
-Domitian had sent a bunch of money to Decebalus (king of Dacia) in exchange for Dacia to become a client kingdom of Rome, but Domitian had expected Decebalus to use this money to build up their fortifications and protect themselves neighboring barbarian hordes. However, it was clear that the Dacians were instead using these funds to build up their fortifications to protect themselves from Rome instead!
-99 AD- Trajan finally arrived in Rome and held a triumph to celebrate his enthronement.
-Surprisingly entered the city on foot (as opposed to a horse or chariot) and greeted the common folk personally on his way into the city.
-Promised the Senate that he would continue Nerva's policy of "no treason trials".
-Interestingly enough, the Senate actually hated Trajan initially because he was a provincial from Hispania (in addition to being someone who had replaced Nerva without their own say in the matter), but after meeting him they immediately grew to like him.
-Trajan soon announced that he was going back to the old Augustine model of referring to himself as "princeps" ("first", i.e. "first among equals"), which I guess emperors in the past hadn't been doing.
-Trajan also freed many of the remaining aristocratic political personas who had been held prisoner by Domitian, and returned lots of their confiscated property.
-Also, Trajan was kind of a libertarian- he had no interest in running an autocratic state, and envisioned all of the provinces governing themselves autonomously, with the emperor or Senate only issuing orders when it was absolutely necessary.
-He also didn't have time to micromanage the provinces anyway, as he was busy preparing for the war with Dacia!
-Dismantled Domitian's central executive branch that managed the empire.
-Trajan then raised two legions and reorganized where the troops were stationed.
-Also improved the road networks of Moesia in order to minimized fuck-ups involving supply routes.
-Regarding the Dacian Wars, Trajan became legendary not because of his battle plans (which were fine), but because of his logistical planning (which was genius).
-One of the key Roman engineers during this time was a genius dude named Apollodorus of Damascus, one of the greatest engineers/architects in all of history!
-Apollodorus was Trajan's chief architect for everything.
-One Trajan felt that he had prepared enough, he received the Senate's blessing (a formality) and decided to move forward with the war with Dacia.
-101 AD- in March, Trajan personally led the legions into Dacia.
-Once again, a battle was fought near Tapae, and the Dacians actually put up a really good fight, with the Romans experiencing a surprisingly high number of casualties.
-Technically the Romans won because the Dacians fled after a storm came, but this was definitely a Pyrrhic victory for Trajan.
-Winter was also on the way, so Trajan quickly made the decision to retreat back into Moesia to regroup and make additional plans.
-However, when winter came, the Danube River froze and Decebalus decided to launch an offensive on Moesia!
-Unfortunately for him, the Danube River hadn't quite frozen as much as he'd thought, and he lost a bunch of troops due to thin ice and shit.
-Demoralied, they launched a shitty attack on Moesia and were easily repelled by the Roman defenses.
-102 AD- Trajan decided to invade Dacia again in the spring, but this time Decebalus decided to surrender and sue for peace.
-It was obvious to Trajan that the problem wasn't Dacia's independence, but rather it was Decebalus' belligerence and an apparent lack of honor. So, he accepted Decebalus' surrender, but imposed far harsher penalties on Dacia.
-Dacia had to give part of its territory to Rome and also had to tear down their fortifications and shit that had been set up to defend against Rome.
-So, Trajan was satisfied and returned to Rome, where he held a triumph.
-Decebalus, of course, had other plans. He saw no reason to actually submit to Rome, so he didn't take this surrender seriously and just used the money Trajan sent to do the same old shit as before.
-Trajan acknowledged that it was possible, of course, for the Romans to have to invade Dacia again, so he had Apollodorus build what would come to be known as "Trajan's Bridge", a big-ass stone bridge across the Danube River which at that point was the first bridge to be built across that particular river, but it was also to be the longest bridge ever built for the next 1000 years! It was 1,100 meters long, 15 meters wide, and 19 meters tall.
-106 AD- Trajan ends up invading Dacia once again in the spring, leading the troops personally just like before.
-Decebalus had been trying to agitate neighboring barbarian tribes to attack the Romans, so Trajan had finally decided that enough was enough.
-This time, Trajan decided that Decebalus was to be killed and the entire kingdom of Dacia be brought under Roman rule as an annexed territory of Rome.
-The legion marched straight for the capital, Sarmizegetusa Regia, and when they arrived there the besieged the city.
-However, once again the Dacians proved to be surprisingly tenacious in their defense, so Trajan finally resorted to destroying the city's aqueducts so that they were cut off from their water supply.
-Of course, this caused the city to surrender.
-Decebalus was on the run after this, but he eventually committed suicide before he could be caught. His decapitated head was sent to Trajan.
-Trajan then ordered that Sarmizegetusa Regia be razed, and he had a new provincial capital be built roughly 40 km away (its official name was "Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa").
-Dacia was to be hte last major province added to the empire. It would remain in the empire until the 270s AD.
-Dacia proved to be a great addition to the empire because it had vast amounts of resources such as iron and shit.
-When Trajan returned back to Rome, he brought with him all of Decebalus' treasures, a scene not witnessed since the days of Pompey returning after his conquests in the East.
-Rome was now extremely rich and not hurting for money at all.
-Trajan and Apollodorus began planning for a bunch of new projects, and the future looked very bright indeed!
-One of these projects was the huge "Trajan's Forum", another was "Trajan's Column".
-Trajan's Column was 100 feet high, and covered by 600 feet of sculptures telling the story of Trajan's victories; it actually is still standing today!
-Much of the info we get about the Dacian Wars is from Trajan's Column, so of course a lot of the info is propaganda and shit and should be taken with a grain of salt (like all historical sources!).
Monday, January 15, 2018
Imperial Stop Gap
-So Domitian was dead, and Nerva was now princeps of Rome.
-Nerva had been an adviser to Domitian and the other Flavian emperors (and even as far back as Nero!), so he was a safe pick to be princeps by the Senate because he was old, had no sons, had stayed in the background during his career, and had no military experience.
-He was also seen as a stop gap so that a proper emperor could be chosen to replace him once he croaked, since Domitian had been assassinated and no proper heir had been prepared. So, essentially Nerva was basically a session emperor.
-For the first time since Augustus, the Senate felt like it had power again.
-Nerva immediately declared an end to "treason trials" and an end to the executions of senators. Also, political prisoners were freed, confiscated property was returned, and many who were exiled were recalled.
-However, although the Senate was happy, the Praetorian Guard and the provincial legions felt like they had been left out in the cold, especially since they had loved Domitian and couldn't believe that Nerva had pardoned his assassins. In response, Nerva tried to give everyone a bonus in pay or something, but this didn't help to improve their opinion of him as little more than a puppet of the corrupt Senate.
-Nerva probably meant well with his economic policies (lower taxes, expanded social welfare programs, among a bunch of other stuff).
-To support his various schemes, Nerva began issuing loans to those who wished to buy up property in Italy (with 5% interest) as the imperial treasury was running low.
-However, the scheme just wasn't working quickly or efficiently enough, so Nerva set up a commission to figure out how to cut spending by getting rid of some of the fat.
-The commission was actually a success and did manage to come up with some good ideas.
-For example, Domitian had held so many game days an festival celebrations and shit to make everyone happy, but Domitian had been able to do this because taxes were so high. When Nerva lowered the taxes, the games and festivals were way too expensive. Therefore, the commission recommended that Nerva trim down the public celebrations to only the necessary religious holidays, which Nerva did. The commission also recommended melting down all of his Domitian's gold statues and treasure and shit, which there were a bunch of. They also held a public auction for all of his treasure, which he had hoarded the entire time he was in power.
-Unfortunately, because Nerva had made it clear that there would be no political purges to keep the Senate in line, it quickly devolved into political gridlock and corruption.
-Nerva allowed this because the Senate were his only allies in terms of power.
-Tyranny had been exchanged for anarchy!
-Soon, because of the chaos everyone began to view Nerva as weak and inefficient as a leader. It was obvious that he wasn't suited for the job.
-A conspiracy to overthrow Nerva (led by a senator named Calpurnius Crassus) was uncovered, and even then Nerva refused to have the conspirators executed!
-97 AD- the Praetorians were realizing tat the situation was unraveling rapidly, so they began to plan a coup, seeing him as a spineless puppet of the Senate.
-Led by the new prefect Casperius Aelianus led by the Praetorians in revolt against Nerva, besieged the imperial palace, and took Nerva hostage.
-Fearing for his life, Nerva agreed to bring Domitian's killers to justice (in which he was successful), and was then forced to publicly thank the Praetorians for "reminding him to do his duty" (whoa!).
-Nerva knew he was in bad shape and that if he didn't name an heir and were to die soon or lose power, then the empire would fall into chaos again. So, he decided to choose an heir that was popular with the legions (in an attempt to get them on his side)- Marcus Ulpius Traianus (AKA Trajan), a legionary commander.
-This really helped alleviate the tension that had been mounting (except of course with the Senate, who liked that Nerva had no control over them).
-Trajan was born in the town of Italica in the province of Hispania Baettica (outside of modern-day Santiponce, Seville, Spain).
-His place of birth is important because Trajan would be Rome's first princeps that wasn't born in Italia. However, it's unclear as to if Trajan's family were Romans (as in, from the city of Roman), native Iberians, or a mix. However, it's obvious that they weren't a traditional patrician family (at least, not until Trajan's father became a senator under Vespasian and/or Titus before going on to become the governor of Syria in 76 AD).
-Family rose to prominence under the Flavian dynasty.
-Because of the family (or at least Trajan with his father) relocating to Syria, Trajan eventually went on to serve as military tribune of the legions stationed in Syria, and soon began to quickly ascend the cursus honorum.
-Became praetor in 85 AD and was appointed as commander of the legions in Hispania Tarraconensis. As commander, Trajan was a natural leader and brilliant tactician, and was very inspiring but also could be laid-back, strict but fair, etc. (i.e. quite versatile depending on the situation). In this way he was very similar to Julius Caesar. He was a great administrator, too.
-Favored by Domitian due to to his (Trajan's) support during Saturninus' rebellion.
-At some point in the 90s AD Trajan married a noblewoman named Pompeia Plotina.
-91 AD- Trajan was appointed consul and soon after served as governor in Moesia and Germania Superior.
-98 AD- Trajan was named consul again, and Nerva died soon after (after having been in office for only 16 months).
-Because he was so popular and the obvious next logical choice for princeps, Trajan became the next emperor of the Roman Empire!
-Nerva had been an adviser to Domitian and the other Flavian emperors (and even as far back as Nero!), so he was a safe pick to be princeps by the Senate because he was old, had no sons, had stayed in the background during his career, and had no military experience.
-He was also seen as a stop gap so that a proper emperor could be chosen to replace him once he croaked, since Domitian had been assassinated and no proper heir had been prepared. So, essentially Nerva was basically a session emperor.
-For the first time since Augustus, the Senate felt like it had power again.
-Nerva immediately declared an end to "treason trials" and an end to the executions of senators. Also, political prisoners were freed, confiscated property was returned, and many who were exiled were recalled.
-However, although the Senate was happy, the Praetorian Guard and the provincial legions felt like they had been left out in the cold, especially since they had loved Domitian and couldn't believe that Nerva had pardoned his assassins. In response, Nerva tried to give everyone a bonus in pay or something, but this didn't help to improve their opinion of him as little more than a puppet of the corrupt Senate.
-Nerva probably meant well with his economic policies (lower taxes, expanded social welfare programs, among a bunch of other stuff).
-To support his various schemes, Nerva began issuing loans to those who wished to buy up property in Italy (with 5% interest) as the imperial treasury was running low.
-However, the scheme just wasn't working quickly or efficiently enough, so Nerva set up a commission to figure out how to cut spending by getting rid of some of the fat.
-The commission was actually a success and did manage to come up with some good ideas.
-For example, Domitian had held so many game days an festival celebrations and shit to make everyone happy, but Domitian had been able to do this because taxes were so high. When Nerva lowered the taxes, the games and festivals were way too expensive. Therefore, the commission recommended that Nerva trim down the public celebrations to only the necessary religious holidays, which Nerva did. The commission also recommended melting down all of his Domitian's gold statues and treasure and shit, which there were a bunch of. They also held a public auction for all of his treasure, which he had hoarded the entire time he was in power.
-Unfortunately, because Nerva had made it clear that there would be no political purges to keep the Senate in line, it quickly devolved into political gridlock and corruption.
-Nerva allowed this because the Senate were his only allies in terms of power.
-Tyranny had been exchanged for anarchy!
-Soon, because of the chaos everyone began to view Nerva as weak and inefficient as a leader. It was obvious that he wasn't suited for the job.
-A conspiracy to overthrow Nerva (led by a senator named Calpurnius Crassus) was uncovered, and even then Nerva refused to have the conspirators executed!
-97 AD- the Praetorians were realizing tat the situation was unraveling rapidly, so they began to plan a coup, seeing him as a spineless puppet of the Senate.
-Led by the new prefect Casperius Aelianus led by the Praetorians in revolt against Nerva, besieged the imperial palace, and took Nerva hostage.
-Fearing for his life, Nerva agreed to bring Domitian's killers to justice (in which he was successful), and was then forced to publicly thank the Praetorians for "reminding him to do his duty" (whoa!).
-Nerva knew he was in bad shape and that if he didn't name an heir and were to die soon or lose power, then the empire would fall into chaos again. So, he decided to choose an heir that was popular with the legions (in an attempt to get them on his side)- Marcus Ulpius Traianus (AKA Trajan), a legionary commander.
-This really helped alleviate the tension that had been mounting (except of course with the Senate, who liked that Nerva had no control over them).
-Trajan was born in the town of Italica in the province of Hispania Baettica (outside of modern-day Santiponce, Seville, Spain).
-His place of birth is important because Trajan would be Rome's first princeps that wasn't born in Italia. However, it's unclear as to if Trajan's family were Romans (as in, from the city of Roman), native Iberians, or a mix. However, it's obvious that they weren't a traditional patrician family (at least, not until Trajan's father became a senator under Vespasian and/or Titus before going on to become the governor of Syria in 76 AD).
-Family rose to prominence under the Flavian dynasty.
-Because of the family (or at least Trajan with his father) relocating to Syria, Trajan eventually went on to serve as military tribune of the legions stationed in Syria, and soon began to quickly ascend the cursus honorum.
-Became praetor in 85 AD and was appointed as commander of the legions in Hispania Tarraconensis. As commander, Trajan was a natural leader and brilliant tactician, and was very inspiring but also could be laid-back, strict but fair, etc. (i.e. quite versatile depending on the situation). In this way he was very similar to Julius Caesar. He was a great administrator, too.
-Favored by Domitian due to to his (Trajan's) support during Saturninus' rebellion.
-At some point in the 90s AD Trajan married a noblewoman named Pompeia Plotina.
-91 AD- Trajan was appointed consul and soon after served as governor in Moesia and Germania Superior.
-98 AD- Trajan was named consul again, and Nerva died soon after (after having been in office for only 16 months).
-Because he was so popular and the obvious next logical choice for princeps, Trajan became the next emperor of the Roman Empire!
Sunday, January 14, 2018
What Time is It?
-January 1, 89 AD- two legions in Germania Superior, led by the provincial governor Lucius Antonius Saturninus, refused to renew their paths to Domitian, so the stability of the empire was once again in jeopardy. It's also possible that there was a wider conspiracy as well with other senators.
-This rebellion echoed Vitellius' revolt 20 years earlier.
-However, unlike Galba, the legions loved Domitian.
-Because of this, the uprising was easily quelled by Labius Maximus, governor of Germania Inferior. However, all of Saturninus' records were burned, so any possible evidence of a wider conspiracy was lost.
-All we do know is that Saturninus had allegedly struck a deal with the Chatti tribe to conbine forces and take on Domitian. The Chatti were to cross where the Rhine was frozen; however, there was an early thaw, so during this time the Chatti were stuck on the German side of the river.
-In response to the rebellion, Domitian had not only ordered Maximus to attack Saturninus, but had also moved north himself with his own Praetorian army.
-He also ordered a legion from Hispania Terraconense to march towards Germania Superior.
-This legion was led by Marcus Ulpius Traianus (AKA future princeps Trajan!).
-Anyway, because the Chatti had been unable to cross the Rhine, Saturninus' plans were fucked. Thus, he ended up surrendering to Maximus.
-Saturninus and his officers were executed, and Saturninus' legions were relocated to the province of Pannonia.
-Maximus was then given the governorship of Syria, while Trajan was given the consulship in 91 AD (he would also go on to be a governor of either Pannonia or Germania Superior, it's unclear which one).
-90 AD- Domitian appointed himself consul and appointed as his co-consul a dude named Marcus Cocceius Nerva (future princeps Nerva).
-Kind of a mystery as to why Nerva was chosen, as he was a bit of a dark horse candidate.
-He had played a major role in exposing the Pisonian conspiracy during Nero's reign, so maybe that had something to do with it?
-Nerva bio:
-Born in 30 AD to a prominent family of the Italian peninsula (not nobility, however).
-Grandfather had connections with Tiberius and had spent time in Capri ;)
-Father had served as consul under Caligula.
-Nerva himself never seemed to actively pursue power, instead preferring to work behind the scenes as a loyal adviser. He was also loved by Nero.
-Friends with Vespasian.
-Sister was married to Otho's brother, but surprisingly Nerva stayed loyal to Vespasian, not Otho.
-Named consul in 71 AD, which was usually reserved for a member of the imperial family, so this was a big deal.
-Nerva was a powerful member of the political scene during the Flavian dynasty, even if it was not officially documented in the chronicles at the time.
-Doesn't officially pop up until 90 AD (when he is appointed as Domitian's co-consul).
-Anyway, Saturninus' rebellion seemed to be the last straw for Domitian, finally pushing him into full paranoia mode, which only grew worse over time.
-It was this period in which Domitian's bad reputation really stems from.
-However, Domitian had every right to be paranoid, and even he knew that he was spinning out of control. Unfortunately, he felt that he had no choice to be ruthless, so it was around this time that he brought back the "treason trials" (i.e. purges) that had previously been outlawed by Titus.
-Eventually began to confiscate the property of the executed and exiled, which wasn't a good look.
-96 AD- the beginning of Domitian's downfall.
-Court officials began conspiring against him, believing that if they didn't do something ASAP then they were doomed.
-This conspiracy was allegedly formed after Domitian executed an ex-slave of Nero's who had helped Nero escape the palace and commit suicide, claiming that this slave hadn't been "loyal enough" even though he had served the princeps for years.
-The conspirators included Parthenius (Domitian's chamberlain), Maximus (Parthenius' ex-slave), and Stephanus (a steward of Flavia Domitilla, Domitian's niece), and maybe some others, but it's unclear.
-The legend is that Domitian was told by a seer that he would die around lunchtime, so he always got antsy arouind that time and would always ask what time it was until the hour passed.
-However, on the day of his assassination, one of his servants lied to Domitian and said it was later than it actually was, so Domitian relaxed and was in his room. Stephanus then came in and attacked him with a knife he had sneaked in his bandaged arm and sling (he had been pretending to be injured). Domitian did end up putting up a good fight, but eventually others came in and helped stab him to death. Domitian was 45 years old, and had ruled the empire for 15 years.
-His body was then smuggled out of the palace and cremated.
-Speculation abounds as to who exactly was involved in the conspiracy, and it was definitely shady that Nerva, who was named princeps after Domitian's death, didn't really seem to work that hard to get to the bottom of who was really behind Domitian's assassination. Additionally, those who WERE caught weren't actually punished harshly at all!
-The Senate then passed a bunch of laws and decrees that tried to erase Domitian's memory completely- statues and art of Domitian was changed to look like Nerva, Domitian's name was removed from public works, etc.
-The masses (including the legions (but not including the officers)), however, were pissed! They had really loved Domitian!
-This rebellion echoed Vitellius' revolt 20 years earlier.
-However, unlike Galba, the legions loved Domitian.
-Because of this, the uprising was easily quelled by Labius Maximus, governor of Germania Inferior. However, all of Saturninus' records were burned, so any possible evidence of a wider conspiracy was lost.
-All we do know is that Saturninus had allegedly struck a deal with the Chatti tribe to conbine forces and take on Domitian. The Chatti were to cross where the Rhine was frozen; however, there was an early thaw, so during this time the Chatti were stuck on the German side of the river.
-In response to the rebellion, Domitian had not only ordered Maximus to attack Saturninus, but had also moved north himself with his own Praetorian army.
-He also ordered a legion from Hispania Terraconense to march towards Germania Superior.
-This legion was led by Marcus Ulpius Traianus (AKA future princeps Trajan!).
-Anyway, because the Chatti had been unable to cross the Rhine, Saturninus' plans were fucked. Thus, he ended up surrendering to Maximus.
-Saturninus and his officers were executed, and Saturninus' legions were relocated to the province of Pannonia.
-Maximus was then given the governorship of Syria, while Trajan was given the consulship in 91 AD (he would also go on to be a governor of either Pannonia or Germania Superior, it's unclear which one).
-90 AD- Domitian appointed himself consul and appointed as his co-consul a dude named Marcus Cocceius Nerva (future princeps Nerva).
-Kind of a mystery as to why Nerva was chosen, as he was a bit of a dark horse candidate.
-He had played a major role in exposing the Pisonian conspiracy during Nero's reign, so maybe that had something to do with it?
-Nerva bio:
-Born in 30 AD to a prominent family of the Italian peninsula (not nobility, however).
-Grandfather had connections with Tiberius and had spent time in Capri ;)
-Father had served as consul under Caligula.
-Nerva himself never seemed to actively pursue power, instead preferring to work behind the scenes as a loyal adviser. He was also loved by Nero.
-Friends with Vespasian.
-Sister was married to Otho's brother, but surprisingly Nerva stayed loyal to Vespasian, not Otho.
-Named consul in 71 AD, which was usually reserved for a member of the imperial family, so this was a big deal.
-Nerva was a powerful member of the political scene during the Flavian dynasty, even if it was not officially documented in the chronicles at the time.
-Doesn't officially pop up until 90 AD (when he is appointed as Domitian's co-consul).
-Anyway, Saturninus' rebellion seemed to be the last straw for Domitian, finally pushing him into full paranoia mode, which only grew worse over time.
-It was this period in which Domitian's bad reputation really stems from.
-However, Domitian had every right to be paranoid, and even he knew that he was spinning out of control. Unfortunately, he felt that he had no choice to be ruthless, so it was around this time that he brought back the "treason trials" (i.e. purges) that had previously been outlawed by Titus.
-Eventually began to confiscate the property of the executed and exiled, which wasn't a good look.
-96 AD- the beginning of Domitian's downfall.
-Court officials began conspiring against him, believing that if they didn't do something ASAP then they were doomed.
-This conspiracy was allegedly formed after Domitian executed an ex-slave of Nero's who had helped Nero escape the palace and commit suicide, claiming that this slave hadn't been "loyal enough" even though he had served the princeps for years.
-The conspirators included Parthenius (Domitian's chamberlain), Maximus (Parthenius' ex-slave), and Stephanus (a steward of Flavia Domitilla, Domitian's niece), and maybe some others, but it's unclear.
-The legend is that Domitian was told by a seer that he would die around lunchtime, so he always got antsy arouind that time and would always ask what time it was until the hour passed.
-However, on the day of his assassination, one of his servants lied to Domitian and said it was later than it actually was, so Domitian relaxed and was in his room. Stephanus then came in and attacked him with a knife he had sneaked in his bandaged arm and sling (he had been pretending to be injured). Domitian did end up putting up a good fight, but eventually others came in and helped stab him to death. Domitian was 45 years old, and had ruled the empire for 15 years.
-His body was then smuggled out of the palace and cremated.
-Speculation abounds as to who exactly was involved in the conspiracy, and it was definitely shady that Nerva, who was named princeps after Domitian's death, didn't really seem to work that hard to get to the bottom of who was really behind Domitian's assassination. Additionally, those who WERE caught weren't actually punished harshly at all!
-The Senate then passed a bunch of laws and decrees that tried to erase Domitian's memory completely- statues and art of Domitian was changed to look like Nerva, Domitian's name was removed from public works, etc.
-The masses (including the legions (but not including the officers)), however, were pissed! They had really loved Domitian!
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Mock Triumphs
-How did Domitian pay for all of his construction projects and shit?
-By using his efficient bureaucracy to tax the fuck out of the rich!
-He had undercut the elite politically, and was now doing so economically.
-Eventually, he would just start to straight-up jack elites' property by confiscating it in the name of the government.
-In the past, emperors usually just borrowed money without ever worrying about how to pay it back.
-Domitian also tried to bring back moral legislation (the "Lex Julias") as an attempt to emulate Augustus.
-Of course, the Lex Julia was very unpopular with just about everyone.
-85 AD- Domitian appointed himself censor in order to officially legislate public morality.
-For example, adultery was now highly illegal, and banging the Vestal Virgins was now a capital offense.
-Specific examples: an Equestrian was banned from the Senate for acting on stage (which Domitian considered to be worse than prostitution (haha)!
-While the Lex Julia stuff concerning sex was dumb (which everyone knew), the anti-corruption stuff was clearly much needed.
-As a final "fuck you" to the elites, he even limited the amount of land that they could use for vineyards!
-As for the common folk, opinions were mixed about Domitian- he was simultaneously loved, hated, respected, and feared, depending on who you asked.
-Most of the regular soldiers in the legions loved him too, but the officers did not.
-Regular soldiers loved him because he gave them a big pay raise, and therefore Domitian almost never had to worry about a revolt.
-The pay raise was the result of the legions' victory against the Chatti, a warlike Germanic tribe. It's unclear as to why exactly Domitian ordered a war with the Chatti, but many sources suggest that Domitian was looking for a reason to fight so he could glorify himself with a military victory and triumph (which included games and parties and shit).
-Because of this victory, Domitian gave himself the additional name "Germanicus".
-Tacitus (among others) famously called this celebration a "mock triumph".
-Because of the "mock triumph" (or maybe just because it was time), Agricola was recalled from Britannia in 85 AD.
-Around this time many of the legions in Britannia were transferred to Germania to fight against Dacia (the Dacians were closely related to Thracians), a powerful Carpathian kingdom which was growing to be a really serious threat.
-This was Domitian's first real test as princeps.
-Domitian was not interested in expanding the empire's borders, believing that the legions should be used primarily for the empire's defense; wars of expansion were just a monumental waste of time and resources.
-Therefore, Domitian's greatest achievement in terms of the military was his establishment of the "Limes Germanicus", a line of frontier fortifications built along the Rhine and Danube rivers (eventually stretching to a total of 350 miles (560 km)!).
-Included approximately 60 forts and 900 watchtowers.
-However, it should be noted that Domitian neither started nor complete this project, but he was a key figure in getting most of it done (before it was finally completed by Hadrian).
-Of course, the military elites felt that Domitian was just being a pussy and that the legions should be used primarily for offense, NOT defense!
-Anyway, because of all of the chaos of 69 AD and the years surrounding it, the Germanic hordes had become more bold in their raids on Roman lands.
-Shit finally reached a head when the Dacians invaded the Roman province of Moesia (basically modern-day Serbia and Kosovo).
-Domitian personally led a force to Moesia (along with some Praetorians and Cornelius Fuscus, a Praetorian prefect.
-Domitian quickly drove off the Dacian army and then returned to Rome to celebrate his second triumph. However, this triumph was premature, as when Fuscus was securing Moesia with four of the leftover legions, he stupidly led them into Dacia, thinking that the the territory was populated by a loose collection of tribes.
-However, Dacia was in fact a legitimate kingdom and had been united under a powerful king named Decebalus by the Romans (which literally meant "He With the Strength of 10 Men"). Fuscus marched his legions right into a trap near Tapae (a fort located in modern-day Transylvania, Romania). There, Fuscus and his army were completely slaughtered by the Dacians. The Praetorian standard was also captured!
-Because of this epic blunder, Domitian marched three of the legions back to Moesia to secure it and to make sure that the Dacians wouldn't attempt a counterattack.
-87 and 88 AD- Domitian sent Roman legions into Dacia to crush Decebalus.
-A second battle was actually fought again at Tapae, but this time the Romans achieved victory.
-January 1, 89 AD- Lucius Antonius Saturninus, a Roman senator and governor of Germania Superior, decided to lead a revolt against Domitian with his two legions.
-Panicked, Domitian surprisingly signed a treaty with Decebalus which made Dacia a client kingdom of Rome (and also paid the kingdom a bunch of money to not invade Moesia), and in return Dacia would provide additional troops to help Domitian take on Saturninus.
-Of course, once word got out about what went down it ended up being a huge political scandal for Domitian.
-By using his efficient bureaucracy to tax the fuck out of the rich!
-He had undercut the elite politically, and was now doing so economically.
-Eventually, he would just start to straight-up jack elites' property by confiscating it in the name of the government.
-In the past, emperors usually just borrowed money without ever worrying about how to pay it back.
-Domitian also tried to bring back moral legislation (the "Lex Julias") as an attempt to emulate Augustus.
-Of course, the Lex Julia was very unpopular with just about everyone.
-85 AD- Domitian appointed himself censor in order to officially legislate public morality.
-For example, adultery was now highly illegal, and banging the Vestal Virgins was now a capital offense.
-Specific examples: an Equestrian was banned from the Senate for acting on stage (which Domitian considered to be worse than prostitution (haha)!
-While the Lex Julia stuff concerning sex was dumb (which everyone knew), the anti-corruption stuff was clearly much needed.
-As a final "fuck you" to the elites, he even limited the amount of land that they could use for vineyards!
-As for the common folk, opinions were mixed about Domitian- he was simultaneously loved, hated, respected, and feared, depending on who you asked.
-Most of the regular soldiers in the legions loved him too, but the officers did not.
-Regular soldiers loved him because he gave them a big pay raise, and therefore Domitian almost never had to worry about a revolt.
-The pay raise was the result of the legions' victory against the Chatti, a warlike Germanic tribe. It's unclear as to why exactly Domitian ordered a war with the Chatti, but many sources suggest that Domitian was looking for a reason to fight so he could glorify himself with a military victory and triumph (which included games and parties and shit).
-Because of this victory, Domitian gave himself the additional name "Germanicus".
-Tacitus (among others) famously called this celebration a "mock triumph".
-Because of the "mock triumph" (or maybe just because it was time), Agricola was recalled from Britannia in 85 AD.
-Around this time many of the legions in Britannia were transferred to Germania to fight against Dacia (the Dacians were closely related to Thracians), a powerful Carpathian kingdom which was growing to be a really serious threat.
-This was Domitian's first real test as princeps.
-Domitian was not interested in expanding the empire's borders, believing that the legions should be used primarily for the empire's defense; wars of expansion were just a monumental waste of time and resources.
-Therefore, Domitian's greatest achievement in terms of the military was his establishment of the "Limes Germanicus", a line of frontier fortifications built along the Rhine and Danube rivers (eventually stretching to a total of 350 miles (560 km)!).
-Included approximately 60 forts and 900 watchtowers.
-However, it should be noted that Domitian neither started nor complete this project, but he was a key figure in getting most of it done (before it was finally completed by Hadrian).
-Of course, the military elites felt that Domitian was just being a pussy and that the legions should be used primarily for offense, NOT defense!
-Anyway, because of all of the chaos of 69 AD and the years surrounding it, the Germanic hordes had become more bold in their raids on Roman lands.
-Shit finally reached a head when the Dacians invaded the Roman province of Moesia (basically modern-day Serbia and Kosovo).
-Domitian personally led a force to Moesia (along with some Praetorians and Cornelius Fuscus, a Praetorian prefect.
-Domitian quickly drove off the Dacian army and then returned to Rome to celebrate his second triumph. However, this triumph was premature, as when Fuscus was securing Moesia with four of the leftover legions, he stupidly led them into Dacia, thinking that the the territory was populated by a loose collection of tribes.
-However, Dacia was in fact a legitimate kingdom and had been united under a powerful king named Decebalus by the Romans (which literally meant "He With the Strength of 10 Men"). Fuscus marched his legions right into a trap near Tapae (a fort located in modern-day Transylvania, Romania). There, Fuscus and his army were completely slaughtered by the Dacians. The Praetorian standard was also captured!
-Because of this epic blunder, Domitian marched three of the legions back to Moesia to secure it and to make sure that the Dacians wouldn't attempt a counterattack.
-87 and 88 AD- Domitian sent Roman legions into Dacia to crush Decebalus.
-A second battle was actually fought again at Tapae, but this time the Romans achieved victory.
-January 1, 89 AD- Lucius Antonius Saturninus, a Roman senator and governor of Germania Superior, decided to lead a revolt against Domitian with his two legions.
-Panicked, Domitian surprisingly signed a treaty with Decebalus which made Dacia a client kingdom of Rome (and also paid the kingdom a bunch of money to not invade Moesia), and in return Dacia would provide additional troops to help Domitian take on Saturninus.
-Of course, once word got out about what went down it ended up being a huge political scandal for Domitian.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
The Forgotten Son
-81 AD- Titus had died, so his younger brother, Domitian, was now princeps.
-It's highly possible that historical sources are heavily biased against Domitian, especially by later historians due to his aggressive persecution of Christians.
-However, 20th century historians have been less harsh, pointing out that while he was certainly an autocrat, he seems to have been more efficient and rational than some of the previous emperors.
-Domitian was born in 51 AD, a son of Vespasian and younger brother of Titus.
-Because Titus was older, Vespasian naturally began to prep his as his heir to the throne.
-He grew up with his mom and sister (Domitilla the Younger) in Rome and was kind of a loner.
-Allegedly liked to spend time stabbing flies with pens (haha).
-He was also in Rome during all the chaos leading up to Nero's suicide and the turmoil of 69 AD.
-It was probably obvious to Domitian that loyalty didn't mean shit and power could shift at the drop of a hat.
-During the chaos he was placed under house arrest by Vitellius during Vespasian's rebellion.
-During the siege of Rome, soon after his uncle (Vespasian's brother) Sabinus was killed Domitian was snuck out of the palace dressed as an Isis cult member.
-Before his dad arrived in Rome, Domitian was technically supposed to rule in Vespasian's place until his father could take over, as Titus was also with Vespasian during this time. However, Domitian was overshadowed by Mucianus, and it was here that Domitian probably grew to hate the Senate and bureaucrats, recognizing that they were usually just blowhards with no real power.
-When his father officially became princeps, Domitian craved respect and wanted to join the legions, and actually ended up convincing his dad to let him do so! However, although he was sent to command troops to crush the Batavian revolt, it ended before he got there! He then tried to join the legions in Germania, but was ignored.
-Domitian was stuck. He was shut out of political and military power, and Vespasian seemed to not give a shit, only focusing on Titus.
-Thus, Domitian just spent most of his time in the palace reading and writing.
-However, it does appear that Titus tried to make an effort to include Domitian in stuff like political offices and stuff.
-70 AD- married Domitia Longina, youngest daughter of Corbulo. This was a great match betcause Domitia's family hated Nero and this solidified the Flavians as a truly anti-Nero dynasty.
-Surprisingly, they actually were in love and seemed like a happy couple!
-When Titus became princeps, though, Domitian continued to be snubbed in terms of moving up in political power.
-It's here that historians begin to claim that Domitian began to grow actively spiteful of his brother and started plotting against his life.
-Of course, when Titus died, there were conspiracy theories that Domitian was somehow involved, especially since he didn't seem too shaken up by his brother's death.
-Domitian had a totally different approach to ruling as princeps than any previous emperors before him.
-All the previous emperors at least tried (or pretended to try) to have a balance of power or acknowledge the legitimacy of political entities like the Senate or the consuls.
-However, Domitian saw these institutions as inefficient at best, and dangerous at worst.
-The Republic had been dead for a century, so why pretend any other way? In his mind, what Rome truly needed was simply a powerful, enlightened dictator, and anything else was a waste of time.
-His model? Augustus. However, Domitian failed to realize that Augustus may have had all the power, but always worked hard to give the illusion that he shared his power with others, and then would privately reward those who supported him.
-Case in point- Augustus was revered as a god! Domitian, unfortunately, was not.
-Domitian's first task was to reinforce the belief that the imperial dynasties were divinely ordained, and the previous emperors were gods/demigods, including his older brother and father (which also implied that he was of divine lineage also, of course).
-He also finished construction on the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, as well as the Arch of Titus.
-He then stripped the Senate of all of its authority and input on imperial decision-making.
-Of course, this caused the elites to completely despise of him, but, of course, Domitian DGAF.
-The common people loved him for this, especially since he seemed to really want to cut out all the excess fat and corruption of the government.
-Instead of taking on senators as members of his administration, he instead took on equestrians, who otherwise would have been blocked from these posts.
-He also refused to appoint family members just because they were family, instead choosing those whom he deemed best for the job.
-Based on these changes, Domitian was actually shaping up to be a pretty good emperor!
-It's highly possible that historical sources are heavily biased against Domitian, especially by later historians due to his aggressive persecution of Christians.
-However, 20th century historians have been less harsh, pointing out that while he was certainly an autocrat, he seems to have been more efficient and rational than some of the previous emperors.
-Domitian was born in 51 AD, a son of Vespasian and younger brother of Titus.
-Because Titus was older, Vespasian naturally began to prep his as his heir to the throne.
-He grew up with his mom and sister (Domitilla the Younger) in Rome and was kind of a loner.
-Allegedly liked to spend time stabbing flies with pens (haha).
-He was also in Rome during all the chaos leading up to Nero's suicide and the turmoil of 69 AD.
-It was probably obvious to Domitian that loyalty didn't mean shit and power could shift at the drop of a hat.
-During the chaos he was placed under house arrest by Vitellius during Vespasian's rebellion.
-During the siege of Rome, soon after his uncle (Vespasian's brother) Sabinus was killed Domitian was snuck out of the palace dressed as an Isis cult member.
-Before his dad arrived in Rome, Domitian was technically supposed to rule in Vespasian's place until his father could take over, as Titus was also with Vespasian during this time. However, Domitian was overshadowed by Mucianus, and it was here that Domitian probably grew to hate the Senate and bureaucrats, recognizing that they were usually just blowhards with no real power.
-When his father officially became princeps, Domitian craved respect and wanted to join the legions, and actually ended up convincing his dad to let him do so! However, although he was sent to command troops to crush the Batavian revolt, it ended before he got there! He then tried to join the legions in Germania, but was ignored.
-Domitian was stuck. He was shut out of political and military power, and Vespasian seemed to not give a shit, only focusing on Titus.
-Thus, Domitian just spent most of his time in the palace reading and writing.
-However, it does appear that Titus tried to make an effort to include Domitian in stuff like political offices and stuff.
-70 AD- married Domitia Longina, youngest daughter of Corbulo. This was a great match betcause Domitia's family hated Nero and this solidified the Flavians as a truly anti-Nero dynasty.
-Surprisingly, they actually were in love and seemed like a happy couple!
-When Titus became princeps, though, Domitian continued to be snubbed in terms of moving up in political power.
-It's here that historians begin to claim that Domitian began to grow actively spiteful of his brother and started plotting against his life.
-Of course, when Titus died, there were conspiracy theories that Domitian was somehow involved, especially since he didn't seem too shaken up by his brother's death.
-Domitian had a totally different approach to ruling as princeps than any previous emperors before him.
-All the previous emperors at least tried (or pretended to try) to have a balance of power or acknowledge the legitimacy of political entities like the Senate or the consuls.
-However, Domitian saw these institutions as inefficient at best, and dangerous at worst.
-The Republic had been dead for a century, so why pretend any other way? In his mind, what Rome truly needed was simply a powerful, enlightened dictator, and anything else was a waste of time.
-His model? Augustus. However, Domitian failed to realize that Augustus may have had all the power, but always worked hard to give the illusion that he shared his power with others, and then would privately reward those who supported him.
-Case in point- Augustus was revered as a god! Domitian, unfortunately, was not.
-Domitian's first task was to reinforce the belief that the imperial dynasties were divinely ordained, and the previous emperors were gods/demigods, including his older brother and father (which also implied that he was of divine lineage also, of course).
-He also finished construction on the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, as well as the Arch of Titus.
-He then stripped the Senate of all of its authority and input on imperial decision-making.
-Of course, this caused the elites to completely despise of him, but, of course, Domitian DGAF.
-The common people loved him for this, especially since he seemed to really want to cut out all the excess fat and corruption of the government.
-Instead of taking on senators as members of his administration, he instead took on equestrians, who otherwise would have been blocked from these posts.
-He also refused to appoint family members just because they were family, instead choosing those whom he deemed best for the job.
-Based on these changes, Domitian was actually shaping up to be a pretty good emperor!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)