Aelius Gallus

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Gaius Aelius Gallus was the 2nd praefect of Roman Egypt (Aegyptus) in the reign of Augustus, and some time after Cornelius Gallus—with whom he has often been confounded—had been invested with the same office. He is also known to be an intimate friend of the geographer Strabo and has been identified with the Aelius Gallus frequently quoted by Galen, whose remedies are stated to have been used with success in an Arabian expedition.[1]

[edit] Life

His praefecture of Egypt belongs to the years 25–24 BC, and these years have become remarkable in history through a bold expedition into Arabia Felix, in which, however, Aelius Gallus completely failed. Gallus undertook the expedition from Egypt by the command of Augustus, partly with a view to explore the country and its inhabitants, and partly to conclude treaties of friendship with the people, or to subdue them if they should oppose the Romans, for it was believed at the time that Arabia was full of all kinds of treasures. When Aelius Gallus set out with his army, he trusted to the guidance of a Roman called Syllaeus, who deceived and misled him. A long account of this interesting expedition through the desert is given by Strabo—who gives an account of the expedition[2][3] and derived most of his information about Arabia from his friend Aelius Gallus.[4][5][6][7] The burning heat of the sun, the bad water, and the want of every thing necessary to support life, produced a disease among the soldiers which was altogether unknown to the Romans, and destroyed the greater part of the army; so that the Arabs were not only not subdued, but succeeded in driving the Romans even from those parts of the country which they had possessed before. Aelius Gallus spent six months on his march into the country, on account of his treacherous guide, while he effected his retreat in sixty days, obliged to return to Alexandria, having lost the greater part of his force.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Galen, vol. ii, p. 455, ed. Basil.
  2. ^ Strabo, xvi. p. 780–782; xvii. pp. 806, 816, 819.
  3. ^ Dio Cassius, liii. 29.
  4. ^ Strabo, ii. p. 118.
  5. ^ Pliny, Natural History, vi. 32; vii. 28.
  6. ^ Charles Merivale, History of the Romans under the Empire, ch. 34, 1864.
  7. ^ Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, xv. 9. §3.

[edit] References

This entry incorporates public domain text originally from:

  • William Smith (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, 1870.
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