Great Illyrian Revolt

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The Great Illyrian Revolt (or Pannonian Revolt^[1]) was a major conflict^[2] between an alliance of Illyrian tribes and Roman forces that lasted for four years beginning in 6 CE and ending in 9 CE. Tacitus mentions it in his annals with great detail^[3] and notes on the inadequacies^[4] of the Roman army at the time. The Roman armies had been decimated due to a series of civil wars.^[5]

In 6 AD, several regiments of Daesitiates, a warlike Illyrian tribe led by Bato I, were gathered in one place to prepare to join Augustus's stepson and senior military commander Tiberius in a war against the Germans. Instead, the Daesitiates mutinied and defeated a Roman force sent against them. The Daesitiates were soon joined by the Breuci^[6] led by Bato II, another Illyrian tribe that supplied several auxiliary regiments. They gave battle to a second Roman force from Moesia led by Caecina Severus (the governor of Moesia). Despite their defeat, they inflicted heavy casualties at the Battle of Sirmium. The rebels were now joined by a large number of other Illyrian tribes. At risk was the strategic province of Illyricum, recently expanded to include the territory of the Pannonii, an Illyrian tribe based on the west bank of the Danube who were subjugated by Rome in 12-9 BC. Illyricum was on Italy's eastern flank, exposing the Roman heartland to the fear of a rebel invasion.

Augustus ordered Tiberius to break off operations in Germany and move his main army to Illyricum. Tiberius sent Valerius Messallinus (the governor of Dalmatia and Pannonia) ahead with troops. When it became clear that even Tiberius's forces were insufficient, Augustus was obliged to raise a second task force under Tiberius's nephew Germanicus. He resorted to the compulsory purchase and emancipation of thousands of slaves in order to amass enough troops. This happened for the first time since the aftermath of the Battle of Cannae two centuries earlier. The Romans had now deployed no less than 15 legions and an equivalent number of auxilia (i.e. 150 regiments, including 50 recruited from Roman citizens both free-born and freed slaves). In addition, they were assisted by a large number of Thracian troops deployed by their King Rhoemetalces, a Roman amicus (ally) a grand total of 200,000 men.^[7]

They faced further reverses on the battlefield and a bitter guerrilla war in the Bosnian^[8] mountains specifically Alma near Sirmium. It took them three years of hard fighting to quell the revolt, which was described by the Roman historian Suetonius as the most difficult conflict faced by Rome since the Punic Wars two centuries earlier. Tiberius finally quelled the revolt in 9 AD. This was just in time: that same year Arminius destroyed Varus's three legions in Germany. The Roman high command did not doubt that Arminius would have formed a grand alliance with the Illyrians.^[9]

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Tacitus - The Annals

[edit] See also

• Illyrian Warfare