721 AUC
Domestic: Cicero dies at the age of 74. Caesar commissions the Bibliotheca Magna Roma (the Great Library of Rome) based on the Great Library at Alexandria and puts Marcus Terrentius Varro, famous Roman writer and scholar, in charge of obtaining and organizing the most famous of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian texts. Caesar also commissions a new aqueduct for Rome, the Aqua Caesaria, to run from the east of the city past the Palatine Hill and to the south end of Capitoline Hill to furnish households and the new future Colosseum with water. Early in the year, Caesar introduces the II lex Julia Municipalis, an amendment to the bill he got passed in 708 which clearly defines the organization of all Roman cities and new colonies along the same standards. Caesar completes his overhaul, reorganization, and training of his veteran legions in April, and designates his former Legio X Equestris as his formal body guard. He renames the legion Legio X and makes it the head of the Praetorian Guard, the group of seven legions that has served as the Emperors’ bodyguard throughout imperial history. Legio X will go on to be the most famous and prestigious of the Legions, and traditionally is commanded by the first born (and generally heir) of each Emperor. The Caesarian Reforms of the army continue, with the permanent establishment of eighty offensive legions of 5,000 men plus 3000 auxiliary each (easily attained because of the lenient criteria necessary to join the army under Caesar’s reforms). His reforms also establish an additional thirty defensive or domestic legions of equal strength to the offensive ones which are stationed at various places along Rome’s extensive border. Caesar leaves for Syria in July with 25 legions, landing at Sidon in August, where he begins to assemble his army for the coming invasion of Parthia. Agrippa and Pollio also leave with Caesar to Syria, bringing with them a combined strength of 25 legions. Caesar, Pollio, and Agrippa immediately begin recruiting and training an additional ten legions for the coming war with Parthia. Marc Antony builds Castrum Hypanium Antonium, a major command center for the frontier legions manning the border defenses between the two Hypanis Rivers. Antony’s army begins construction on the Murus Carpathia, a large defensive wall approximately fifty miles long with fortified embattlements (and housing for soldiers) every five miles. Lepidus becomes the first Praetor of the province of Gallaecia in northwestern Hispania. Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Vitruvius) begins work on the building of the Colosseum. Octavian reassumes the role of Imperator Interrex upon Caesar’s departure from Rome. The draining of the Pomptine Marshes begins with a large number of fatalities due to malaria.
Military: Lepidus finishes his campaign in western and northwestern Spain after defeating the Cantabri chieftain Amatus of Juuobrigu at the Battle of Burum (R). Antony campaigns against Asander of the Bosporan Kingdom by invading Taurica by the end of the year and besieging Chersonesos in November.
Literature, Art, and Science: Horace writes Epodes. Bibaculus finishes his statue of Romulus and Remus on the dome of the Curius Senatus.
Foreign: Phraates IV reaches the River Indus, annexing all of Gedrosia and Arachosia by July after besieging Patala (along the River Indus) and successfully defeating the Indian warlord Upatadpses. King Parnavaz II of Caucasian Iberia dies and is succeeded by Mirian II.
