Gods and Empires

[galileo-034]

Roman landing at Rutupiae

Chapter V
​

When Caius Caesar was murdered, the army looked for a suitable candidate to the Purple that they would be able to manipulate.
Claudius the stutterer seemed the perfect choice.
Nonetheless, they made the same mistake that Caius Caesar: they saw only the faults, not the abilities.
The new Princeps showed quickly to be a skilled statesman.
But to strenghten its position, he had to demonstrate its military abilities: a conquest was necessary.
The occasion came quickly from Britannia.

A century before, this almost mythic island had repulsed the divine Iulius, the first Caesar. Even his successor Augustus Caesar had also tried to launch a conquest, three times.
Although they had failed to conquer the island, the Romans had at this moment established some client kingdoms with whom they traded some of the mineral wealths of the island, essential for the Empire.
But, in this second half of eighth century, the tribe of the Catuvellauni had begun to expand its rule over southeastern Britannia.
One of their victim was the kingdom of the Atrebates of which the king Verica, a client of Roma, took refuge in the Empire.
It was a perfect pretext to launch an invasion.

I will describe this conquest in three parts, corresponding to the rule of three of the five first governors of Britannia: Aulus Plautius, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus.

Aulus Plautius, former consul and governor of Pannonia, was appointed by the Princeps to lead the invasion.
In 796, four legions were gathered near the mouth of the Rhenus and prepared to cross the sea.
I must relate here an anecdote which, althought negligible in itself, is essential to understand why the landing in Cantium was so easy. Little before the crossing, the legionnaries, superstitious, fearing the unknown, refused to go on board. So, the Emperor sent his freedman Narcissus who managed to convince the soldiers: if him, he said, was able to cross the sea, why not legionaries?
The sea was then crossed.
But, at the same time, the Catuvellauni, believing that the mutiny had caused the cancel of the invasion had abandonned their defensive positions on the coasts. The roman legions thus landed near the modern Rutupiae, overwhelming the few present briton soldiers.
The Catuvellauni gathered together and created a new defensive position at a river crossing near Durobrivis.The battle lasted two long days, but the Romans finally routed their ennemies.
The Catuvellauni were again defeated while attempting to prevent the crossing by the Romans of the flumen Tamesa. General Plautius then marched on the Catuvellauni's capital, Camulodunum, taking easily the town.
During the four following years, the new and first governor of Britannia launched his legions to expand the roman territory as far as the flumen Trisantona in north, the territory of the Durotriges and the borders of Cambria in the west.
In 800, he was recalled to Roma where he received an ovatio for his conquests.

Titus Flavius Vespasianus was appointed to replace him as governor of Britannia.
The man who had commanded one of the legions involved in the initial invasion began his rule by quickly submitting the Dumnonii.
After having repulsed a few raids in the North, he concentrated his efforts on Cambria. In a first time, he made some expeditions into the territory of the Deceangli in northern Cambia but quickly, his attention was attracted more to south.
Indeed, after his defeat against the Romans in the first times of the conquest, a Catuvellauni chief called Caractacus had fled in southern Cambria where the local tribe, the Silures, had made him their leader. He then launched raids in roman territory. When the Romans began to counterattack, he used guerrilla tactics to against them. But Governor Vespasianus, despite everything, managed to drive these Britons north into the country of the Ordovices where, in 803, he forced them into an open battle and defeated them.
Until his return to Roma in 811 and if we neglect the expedition of 808 to supress the rebellion of Venutius in the land of the Brigantes, he was essentially occupied to submit and pacify Cambria.
Upon his return, he was also granted an ovatio.

The third and last part of the conquest of the island occured under the governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus.
This man, who distinguished himself in an expedition in the Atlas montes, was appointed in 818 by Drusus Caesar to succeed Publius Petronius Turpilianus, and soon initiated the conquest of the lowlands of Caledonia. This campaign, started by attacks on the Selgovae and the Votadini, lasted three years.
Although delayed during two years because of an uprising in Cambria, the campaign in the caledonian highlands was begun.
Even disadvantaged by the ground, the Romans advanced and in spring 824, the Caledonii were routed at the battle of Mons Graupius. Their leader, Uepogenus, being among the deads of the day, any organized resistance ceased. But an other year was necessary to submit all the Highlands, and two more to pacify.

Quote from Book 2
De Britannia by Quintus Verelco Maior

*****
​

Nota Bene
​

About the dates:
796 AUC = 43 AD
800 AUC = 47 AD
803 AUC = 50 AD
808 AUC = 55 AD
811 AUC = 58 AD
818 AUC = 65 AD
824 AUC = 71 AD

I've used some latin terms:
> Flumen Trisantona = Trent river
> Durobrivis = Rochester
> Rutupiae = Richboroug, Kent
> Cantium = Kent
> Cambria = Wales
> Caledonia = Scotland

The only ATL character of this chapter is Uepogenus, the only suitable caledonian name I've found for an ATL counterpart of Calgacus.

ITTL, Vespasianus isn't wounded and assumes the succession of Plautius. His rule is less brutal and more conciliatory than the one of Ostorius Scapula.
So, you will see in a future update why there isn't Boudica's uprising ITTL.

 

[galileo-034]

Map about the conquest of Britannia
Based upon De Britannia by Quintus Verelco Maior​

 

[Cuāuhtemōc]

That was a good update.

 

[stevep]

galileo-034

Sorry, missed you're previous post. Looking interesting and the lack of Christianity will have huge effects. Not clear what the early changes in the imperial family will mean and whether there will be a period of disorder in the OTL year of the 4 emperors.

The earlier conquest of Dacia, especially if it includes the lands that OTL Hadrian allowed to fall back into barbarian lands would give it a much stronger border and quite possible mean an advance to the Carpathians. In which case Bohemia is probably a lot more vulnerable to Roman conquest.

Presuming there will still be a Jewish rebellion but again that could be butterflied.

Without Christianity there is likely to be more stability and probably less tension with possible immigrants such as the Goths, as there won't be a bitter religious division. Also without a church leaching off lands, wealth and population as it gains power there should be more resources available to defend/rebuild the empire, even if under 'barbarian' successor states.

Looking forward to reading more and just wishing I could remember more of the actual history of the time.

Steve

 

[galileo-034]

For the year of the 4 emperors, wait. The next update will be about a roman-parthian war, and the one after will be my ATL version of this year, or more exactly these years (4 emperors in the first year, a civil war after).

Although without the religious tensions caused by Christianism, the Empire would be more stable, this will not prevent that crises like the one of the third century become more frequents.
And with the migrations from of Huns, Turks, Magyars & Co. , the empire will face a serious problem.

I agree that with the ITTL Dacia (as you described it), the border would be stronger, as a buffer zone between the Goths and the empire.
In Britannia, the total conquest of Caledonia permits to maintain less troops to defend the island. I imagine, auxiliaries excepted, one legion in Cambria and the other in Caledonia to keep an eye on these rebellious regions.
The defenses would be so mainly reliant on the fleet against the Germans and maybe against the hibernians.

I thought to put the caledonian legion in the ATL Edinburgh (I've not decided yet if the town will be founded under or after Nero: Colonia Claudia Votadinorum or Colonia Flavia Votadinorum ?), but I hesitate between Deva, Viroconium and Isca Silurum for the cambrian legion.
I thought also to create a client kingdom in eastern Hibernia like in the OTL project of Agricola.
Your opinions?

 

[stevep]

galileo-034

I agree there will still be crisis and bad ones. So much power in a single man's hands when things are good and so many problems when things are bad. From the 4th century it will be better without Christianity to cause such divisions, although another sect could fill the gap.

Not sure if Caledonia would be conquered that simply as it's bloody rugged terrain up there and one legion would be spread pretty thin. You could easily see a Boudica type rebellion and serious problems in the north.

With a stronger presence this early in Britain and the need to patrol the seas against both Irish and Germanic raids as well as possibly Briton unrest you could see modifications to the northern fleet for more open waters possibly.

Don't know enough about Ireland at this point but bound to be at least some influence. Could actually cause problems in the longer run as such a state might unite Ireland and be something more of a problem to the Britannic provinces. Although getting a more stable and settled Ireland might also make a later conquest possible depending on how things develop.

Was there a major clash with the Pathians at this period? Whether or not it's likely to be a significant factor.

Steve

For the year of the 4 emperors, wait. The next update will be about a roman-parthian war, and the one after will be my ATL version of this year, or more exactly these years (4 emperors in the first year, a civil war after).

Although without the religious tensions caused by Christianism, the Empire would be more stable, this will not prevent that crises like the one of the third century become more frequents.
And with the migrations from of Huns, Turks, Magyars & Co. , the empire will face a serious problem.

I agree that with the ITTL Dacia (as you described it), the border would be stronger, as a buffer zone between the Goths and the empire.
In Britannia, the total conquest of Caledonia permits to maintain less troops to defend the island. I imagine, auxiliaries excepted, one legion in Cambria and the other in Caledonia to keep an eye on these rebellious regions.
The defenses would be so mainly reliant on the fleet against the Germans and maybe against the hibernians.

I thought to put the caledonian legion in the ATL Edinburgh (I've not decided yet if the town will be founded under or after Nero: Colonia Claudia Votadinorum or Colonia Flavia Votadinorum ?), but I hesitate between Deva, Viroconium and Isca Silurum for the cambrian legion.
I thought also to create a client kingdom in eastern Hibernia like in the OTL project of Agricola.
Your opinions?

 

[galileo-034]

Not sure if Caledonia would be conquered that simply as it's bloody rugged terrain up there and one legion would be spread pretty thin. You could easily see a Boudica type rebellion and serious problems in the north.

A Boudicca type rebellion will depend of the governor.
The southern Britannia is more safe because of the actions undertook by the predecessor of Paulinus (I will develop this in a future update). What's more, the successor of Paulinus will also use a conciliatory approach, will try to coax the elites. There will be maybe a guerilla during twenty or thirty years.
For Caledonia, I think more to the exemple of the cantabrian wars. I can keep two legions instead of one in Caledonia and two other legions in Cambria, then wait a few tens of years before begin to reduce the effectives.

With a stronger presence this early in Britain and the need to patrol the seas against both Irish and Germanic raids as well as possibly Briton unrest you could see modifications to the northern fleet for more open waters possibly.

Don't know enough about Ireland at this point but bound to be at least some influence. Could actually cause problems in the longer run as such a state might unite Ireland and be something more of a problem to the Britannic provinces. Although getting a more stable and settled Ireland might also make a later conquest possible depending on how things develop.

The germanic raids, if I'm not wrong, not begin before the third century.
The idea of establishing a client state in Hibernia is aimed to counter the hibernian raids.

Was there a major clash with the Pathians at this period? Whether or not it's likely to be a significant factor.

The roman-parthian war will occur, but I've not yet decided of its importance.

Presuming there will still be a Jewish rebellion but again that could be butterflied.

The jewish rebellion of this TL will be a consequence of the future civil war.

 

[galileo-034]

Nero Caesar during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius

Chapter VI

Nero Claudius Caesar wasn't a Caligula. He never named a horse as his consul.
The truth is a much more complicated.
We could see Nero Caesar under three angles: the ambition, the debauchery, the terror.

Firstly, the ambition.
For me, it's clear that from his birth to the Purple, Nero Claudius was victim of this ambition monster who was his mother.
Corruption, slander, murder; nothing was spared by this woman.
In his adolescence, he was married by her to the daughter of popular general who was just granted an ovatio for conquests in Britannia, just to secure her support among the army. He will never really love Flavia Domitilla Minor, so, it's not surprising that he neglected her throughout their wedding. He was just an instrument.
But, the mother seemed to have rubbed off on the son.
With the beginning of the principate of the son, things began to go bad for the mother.
Advised by Gaius Petronius Arbiter, Nero Caesar began little by little to conquer the power, and after one year of rule, he imposed one of his trusted men as co-prefect of the Praetorium to a woman who was accustomed to be since the principate of her husband, behind the throne, the real holder of power.
From plots to betrayals, this struggle ended with the execution of Agrippina three years later.
At this moment truly began the rule of Nero Caesar.

Secondly, the debauchery.
The love affair between the Princeps and Berenice is the most perfect example.
Berenice was a jewish princess, daughter of Herod Agrippa Ist of Iudaea.
Nero encountered her while he was accompanying Silanus Caesar in a tour in Oriens. Many chroniclers say that it was at this moment that he fell in love, although I think that this occured only when the princess went to Roma to felicitate the new Caesar, her father being too old to make the trip. But after two months, the dowager empress who understood what occured, managed to force this mistress to return in Iudaea.
Although separated, they continuated to keep up a correspondence, more and more passionate with the time.
After the fall of his mother, he recalled his loved princess in Roma.
The reception that he gave in 828 to celebrate her coming was one of the most sumptuous ever seen in the Eternal City.
Their affair lasted until late autumn 831, when Berenice died while she was giving birth to a boy. The misfortune of the emperor was doubled by the death of this son some months later.
He began soon after to suffer from depression. As Tiberius Caesar before him, he then took refuge in Capreae.

To end, the terror.
At Roma, the death of Petronius the previous year had left one of the co-prefect of the Praetorium, Gaius Ophonius Tigellinus, as the true holder of the power as he showed during the Othonian conspiracy.
This plot was the result of the unpopularity of the Princeps which had begun to grow during this affair with this oriental and foreign princess but which had reached its paroxysm with an cataclysmic event in summer 832: the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
The cities of Herculanum and Pompeii were destroyed.
What's more, the emperor is said to have sang the Sack of Illium, seeing the eruption since his palace of Capreae.
Less than one year later, a fire occured in Roma. Although that this one wasn't as important as the last, it had totally convinced the people that their emperor had been abandonned by the Gods.
Thus began the conspiracy. The goal was to kill Nero Caesar and to proclaim Lucius Salvius Otho Titianus, an illustrious senator and former consul, as Princeps.
But the plotters were betrayed. Men were tortured, names were given.
A great purge of the roman elites then took place.

So, here is the picture that history gives us of Nero Caesar.
But it's forget the rest of his achievements.
On the military plan, the conquest of the Agri Decumates that he had launched permitted to secure the northern borders. Too, the conquest of Dacia, although not ended at the end of his principate, brought great wealths to Roma under his successors.
This Caesar was also a skilled administrator.
Under his rule, the empire enjoyed an economic and cultural boom.
Who doesn't appreciate see the Ludi in the neronian amphitheater?

Quote from Letter 16
Letters of Gnaeus Ambrusius
​

*****
Nota Bene

About dates:
828 AUC = 75 AD
831 AUC = 78 AUC
832 AUC = 79 AUC
​

The OTL characters of this chapter are Berenice, Herod Agrippa Ist, Agrippina the Younger, Silanus, Tigellinus, Petronius, and Otho Titianus (elder brother of the OTL emperor Otho).

The dividing of the praetorian prefecture between two men was used IOTL by Nero after the death of Burrus to limit the power of the commandant of the Guard.
​

 

[galileo-034]

The next updates will be about the Year of the Four Emperors, then about the principate of the winner.
Thereafter, we will make a little trip in East and South Asia.

 

[galileo-034]

For my future asian updates, I'm making searches on the Kushans. How do you think that an empire (late IInd Century) stretching from the Euphrates to the mouth of the Ganges, Sogdiane included, could assimilate so many different peoples?

 

[stevep]

For my future asian updates, I'm making searches on the Kushans. How do you think that an empire (late IInd Century) stretching from the Euphrates to the mouth of the Ganges, Sogdiane included, could assimilate so many different peoples?

galileo-034

Do you mean the mouth of the Ganges or it's upper reaches. The former would mean including most of northern India as well as the traditional Persian heartland and Mesopotamia. Given the geographical distances and different environments involved I'm pretty certain no one has come near that. Or possibly you mean the Indus rather than the Ganges?

In terms of an empire of this size it's difficult for any lasting period simply because communications and transportation are so slow. However definitely possible with decent government and a good bureaucracy. Also decent level of respect for the cultures and religions of all the areas of the empire.

I don't know much about the Kushans and most of that's a fictional source but they do seem to have been pretty formidable and well disciplined. Weren't they originally from the central Asian steppes?

Steve

 

[galileo-034]

I said the Ganges, not the Indus.

Some precisions: the Kushans/Tocharians are originally the Yuezhi, originary from Kirghizistan, who conquered Bactria in second century BC.

The ATL building of the empire can be summarized in two parts:
the conquest of India between 70 and 100 AD, and the conquest of the parthian empire between 150 and 200 AD.
But this empire will be short-lived (as the mongol empire).
In India, excepted the annexion of the Satavahana empire, the kushan rule will consist essentially in client states in the Ganges Valley and in southern India.

From what I've read, they seem to be essentially boudhists.

 

[galileo-034]

Marcus Ulpius Traianus Maior put to death by the citizens of Antiochia

Chapter VII
​

While Roma lives under the terror of Tigellinus, the Princeps drowned one's sorrows in the orgies.
But the luxury of Capreae was his tomb. After less than two years, at the kalendae of august 835, Nero Caesar died.

When the new reached Roma, Tigellinus didn't survive a long time.
Lucius Murena, co-prefect of the Praetorium, managed to bribe the Guard in favour of the senator Aulus Vitellius, raised to the Purple by the Senate in absence of heirs of Nero, and quickly ordered the murder of his collegue.
Thus ended the Julio-Claudian dynasty and began the principate of Vitellius Caesar.

However, the things were far to go well for the new Imperator.
Indeed, while the new of the death of Nero Caesar spreaded across the Empire, two other contenders for the imperial Purple appeared.
The first was Titus Flavius Vespasianus.
This man was the brother-in-law of the former emperor and had won glory on the battlefields by assisting and succeding to his father who commanded the roman legions conquering the Agri Decumates. Thereafter, he had been chosen to replace the general Cornelius Fuscus after the defeat of Tapae at the begining of the conquest of Dacia.
When the news of the situation reached Dacia, he was proclaimed Imperator by his legions. Leaving the ongoing campaign, he went to Singidunum where he gathered his forces for a march on Roma.
He obtained the rallying of Moesia, Illyria and Pannonia.
The second contender was Marcus Ulpius Traianus Maior.
This senator had served under Corbulo during the war against the Parthians of Vologases and was become the legate of Syria in 831. He was proclaimed Imperator at first by the syrian legions but soon received the support of the asian provinces and of the prefect of Aegyptus.

The first act of this civil war was of course the invasion of Italia.
Although he learned the defection of the Rhenish legions and the provinces of Britannia and northern Gallia, Vitellius Caesar continued to march to meet Vespasianus.
So, the battle of Patavium occured.
Unfortunately for the Princeps, the danubian legions proved to be far more experienced than his own and he was defeated.
Two days after the battle, to spare to the empire a bloody civil war, Vitellius committed suicide.
But this was vain.

Immediatly after having made his entry in Roma and received his confirmation from the Senate, the new Vespasianus Caesar took the road of Thrace that Traianus threatened after the occupation of Byzantium.
The two armies met at Uscudama. The battle was fierce but at the nightfall, the victor was Vespasianus.
An other defeat at Perinthus and Traianus was pushed out of Thrace.
Thanks to his naval superiority, Vespasianus Caesar was able to easily cross the Hellespont then inflicting in spring 836 two other defeats at Cyzicus and Nicaea upon his ennemy.
Although he managed to conserve his forces relatively undamaged, Traianus didn't stop to lose ground.
So, while he left Byzantium to its fate and retreated towards Syria, he learnt the defection of Aegyptus.
A new confrontation between Vespasianus and Traianus occured at Issus in late summer.
The last defeat, the last battle.
The defeated man was killed shortly after while he attempted to flee to Mesopotamia.

The last act of the civil war occured in Italia.
In the begining, Vespasianus Caesar managed to rally Gallia and Britannia thanks to Publius Iulius Vindex, senator of a powerful noble Gallian familly and the governor of Britannia at this time.
Thus, he made him his co-emperor .
But while he had just defeated Traianus, he fell suddenly seriously ill, and although he recovered quickly, the rumor of his death spread, and Vindex, on learning it, proclaimed himself the only emperor, then marched on Roma to receive the confirmation of the Senate.
But at the same time, Vespasianus Caesar's brother was also proclaimed Imperator by his legions and left Dacia, marching through Pannonia, hoping to reach the Eternal City in first.
But he was intercepted at Bononia.
With three legions, Domitianus couldn't pit oneself against to the six legions of Vindex, so he decided to lure his ennemy into a trap. Without even a fight, he retreated towards Ariminium. Vindex was thus so certain of his victory that he continued the pursuit up to Ravenna, but there, the ground of the Po delta had cancelled his numerical advantage.
During two days, Domitianus repulsed all the assaults on his lines. As the navy had rallied him in the beginning, Domitianus was constantly supplied by sea, and had planned to use this advantage to starve the legions of Vindex whom he harassed the supply lines.
But at the third day of the battle, a ship arrived in Ravenna taught him the survival of his brother who was sailing with his legions towards Italia.
Quickly, he spread the new across ennemy lines.
Panicked, Vindex retreated to south, and fortunately for him, Domitianus didn't dare launch a pursuit against an adversary who, although weakened, was still numerically superior.
A month later, the so waited battle with Vespasianus Caesar occured at Capua.
Vindex was killed during the battle.
It was in november 836.

Titus Flavius Vespasianus was from this moment the sole master of Roma.

Quote from Letter 17
Letters of Gnaeus Ambrusius



*****
Nota Bene

About the dates:
831 AUC = 78 AD
835 AUC = 82 AD
836 AUC = 83 AD

The only OTL characters are Trajanus Major, father of the OTL emperor Trajan, and Vitellius.

ITTL, the Vespasianus mentionned is the ATL counterpart of Titus. Since the 'OTL Vespasian' hasn't assumed the emperorship, the name of Vespasian is used by his son ITTL.
Publius Julius Vindex is a fictional son of the OTL Gaius Julius Vindex.
Lucius Murena is a wink to a french historic comic.

Uscudama is the name of the OTL Adrianopolis before Hadrian.

 

[galileo-034]

Second battle of Tapae

Chapter VIII
​

Since the death of their king Burebista a century before, the Dacians weren't a threat to Roma.
But the political division that plagued their country didn't last.
While Nero Caesar acceded to the Purple, a military chieftain named Bicilis began to unite again Dacia.
This goal achieved, he was become able to threaten Roma.
In 831, Bicilis launched a few raids in roman territory, but it was nothing compared to what occured the following year.

A great dacian army attacked and ravaged Moesia, destroying a good part of the limes and killing the local governor.
Immediatly, the emperor soon ordered a full mobilization of the legions to retaliate, invade and conquer Dacia. This was one of the last great decisions that he took from his palace of Capreae, before cloistering oneself completely after the Othonian conspiracy.
The year after, an army under Cornelius Fuscus entered in Dacia, marching upon Bicilis' capital but was ambushed at Tapae.
The disaster was such that the comparison with the battle of the Teutoburg foret in Germania was made.
King Bicilis even took the nickname of Decebalus which means, I believe, 'the Brave' as some said.

The Princeps appointed quickly his brother-in-law, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, who had just shown his abilities in Germania, to replace Fuscus, died during the battle.
Consequently, all the year 834 was used to rebuild an army and preparate the invasion.
At the spring 835, more than 60.000 legionnaries, and 40.000 auxiliaries, were ready to march.
A second battle occured at Tapae, but to the contrary of the first, the victory was roman.
As soon, they continued their advance towards the dacian fortress, and capital, of Sarmizegetusa Regia, then besieged it. The town surrendered after two months of fierce resistance, but Decebalus managed to flee before its fall.
Then, he took refuge at his fortress of Apulon where he tried to rally what remained of his forces. Fortunately for him, the civil war erupted in the Roman empire.
Little time after the taking of Sarmizegetusa, Vespasianus left Dacia where he left his brother Titus Flavius Domitianus with three legions to hold the conquered ground.

In late october, the Dacians launched their counterattack and besieged their old capital where a legion had entrenched his men. Having little experience of the siege warfare, the attackers were unable to win.
What's more, shortly after the death of Vitellius Caesar and the victory of Uscudama, Vespasianus Caesar sent some reinforcements to his brother, permitting him to succesfully relieve the besieged legion.

Thereafter, Domitianus attempted to make peace with Decebalus, proposing him to become a client of Roma but failed as his adversary believed the Romans were too occupied by the ongoing civil war which ravaged Asia Minor.
Thus, the spring and summer of 836, the situation remained a stalemate, although the Dacians made an attempt to divert the Romans by raiding Moesia, only to be defeated near Nicopolis.
But fortune seemed to smile on Decebalus when, in early autumn, occured the usurpation of Vindex.
He profited of the depart of the Romans to retake Sarmizegetusa, without fights.

In the euphoria of victory, he even dared to launch a great raid in Pannonia. But it was his last fight, as his temerity costed him his life at the battle of Poetovio.
Indeed, after the quick defeat of Vindex, Vespasianus Caesar appointed his cousin Titus Flavius Sabinus at the command of eight legions to restore the roman presence in Dacia, a province of which he had made a trophy just before the civil war.
The death of King Decebalus ended all organized resistance.
So, by summer 838, a new and pacified province, which stretched up to the mouth of the flumen Tyras, was added to the Imperium.

Quote from Letter 30
Letters of Gnaeus Ambrusius



*****
Nota Bene

About dates:
831 AUC = 78 AD
834 AUC = 81 AD
835 AUC = 82 AD
836 AUC = 83 AD
838 AUC = 85 AD

The ATL characters are Bicilis Decebalus,and Domitianus (the ATL counterpart of the OTL Domitian).
Titus Flavius Sabinus is an OTL character.
The 'flumen Tyras' is the actual Dniestr river.

 

[galileo-034]

I just realized that there are some inconsistencies in the two last chapters with my plan.
So, I've modified them.

 

[galileo-034]

An idea for the name of a province corresponding roughly to a southern half of the today Moldavia (the region, not the country)?

 

[Cuāuhtemōc]

You could always have this province named after the local people who lived in the area? They were the Carpi, a tribe of the Dacian nation.

 

[galileo-034]

Triumph of Vespasianus Caesar

Chapter IX
​

After his victory over Vindex, Vespasianus Caesar began to prepare a war against the Parthians who had supported Traianus.
Leaving Roma to the hands of his brother, he made his way to Antiochia where he oversaw the preparatives.

In late spring 837, he began his campaign by invading Armenia.
Indeed, the official pretext of this war was the breaking of the Treaty of Rhandeia.
During the civil war, Tiridates died and Sanatruces succeeded him. Traianus, wanting to rally the Parthians had accepted to renounce to any claims upon Armenia. But Vespasianus Caesar didn't renounce.

Following the same road used previously by Corbulo, he took Artaxata.
At the same time, the parthian king Pacorus II, surprised while waiting an attack in Osroene, went to Tigranocerta.
The main actions of this winter consisted in parthian raids upon the roman supply lines that the Princeps had widely secured by building a serie of forts.
After two months, while the winter wasn't yet ended, Vespasianus again took the Parthians by surprise by marching upon Tigranocerta, without being discovered before reaching the second armenian capital.
But the surprise was compensated by the exhaustion.
The two armies, roughly equal, soon put themselves in order of battle.
After three hours of inconclusive but fierce fights, the situation turned suddenly in favour of the Romans when King Sanatruces was struck by an arrow and died. The Armenians who were fighting with him quickly began to flee the battlefield. To prevent a disaster, the Parthians had to retreat.
Tigranocerta became Roman.

Shortly after, while the spring was begining, Vespasianus Caesar invaded Osroene, quickly took Edessa an ordered that the city to be razed to ground in retaliation for its support to Traianus and the Parthians. Osroene was annexed, as Armenia.
Adiabene was also invaded, but quickly, the Romans withdrew, as Armenia was attacked by an albanian army.
So, during summer, Albania was invaded, its arsacid king was deposed, and the kingdom was annexed.
Iberia which had supported Traianus before was also annexed. This was the fate of all the client states of Oriens under roman control which had supported Traianus: Iudaea, Nabatene, Commagene, Sophene and Armenia Minor.

The Imperator profited then that the Parthians were building up a new army in Adiabene to invade Atropatene. This bold move encountered almost no resistance. The Romans went even so far as to sack Ecbatana before retreating in Armenia.
In spring 839 finally occured the invasion of Adiabene. Taking Nineve without great resistance, the Romans marched towards Gaugamela, a good omen as they thought.
Indeed, this was a great victory. The Parthians were routed, an almost destroyed.
Soon after, all northern Mesopotamia opened its gates to the victorious Romans.
All? No.
In fact, the city of Hatra, remained loyal to the Parthians, refused to surrender and was subsequently besieged.

The Princeps continued his way to south, and in early summer, he entered triumphally in Ctesiphon and Seleucia.
Thereafter, he made his way to the Sinus Persicus. Having received the submission of Characene, he marched upon Susa.
Vespasianus Caesar was about to become a new Alexander, but a dark cloud appeared.

In late summer, the conquered country rose up, under the leadership of Vologases II. This man was the son of King Vologases I before becoming king himself, to be afterwards overthrown by his uncle Pacorus. Refuged in the persian mountains, he had led a guerilla. Following the disaster of Gaugamela and the fall of Ctesiphon, he left his mountains and attacked the roman garrisons left to control the new conquests.
He quickly won a success by relieving the besieged town of Hatra, then convinced the other towns to rise up.

Trapped between Vologases in north and Pacorus in south, the Princeps had no other choices but to retreat.
Fortunately for him, Vologases hadn't been able to totally control northern Mesopotamia.
Indeed, in spite of having taken Adiabene and Mygdonia to the Romans, he was unable to conquer Osroene.
There, the country had been too weakened by the roman invasion of the previous year. The commander of the roman rearguard, Lucius Iulius Alexander, had so been able to nip the revolt in the bud before facing the army of Vologases at Singara.
The roman victory of this hot day of late august 839 gave to the Imperator a safe line of retreat along the Euphrates.

Thereafter, the discord came back within Parthian side.
King Pacorus, following the roman retreat, retook Ctesiphon. Then, he made to his nephew a proposal of truce and sharing of power in order to join their efforts and push out the invader, 'their so-called 'common ennemy'. But Vologases, seeing his uncle as an usurper, refused and marched upon the capital.
Although Ctesiphon and Seleucia were taken, he didn't manage to dislodge Pacorus from Babylon.

In north, these strifes permitted to the Romans to retake the initiative by invading Mygdonia. Nisibis was besieged during four months, and by mid-spring, Ninive was conquered again.
These victories were followed by brutal repressions and the towns were razed.
After the taking of Arbela in june, the Romans began in july a new siege of Hatra.

A new march upon Ctesiphon was begun shortly after, but at Sumere, the Romans encountered a strong parthian army. It was in fact Vologases II who had been victorious in his struggle with his uncle, struggle which had ended by the assassinate of the latter.
One full day of fights, attacks and counter-attacks.
At the nightfall, no side had won the victory.

Having to face up to a great jewish uprising, Vespasianus Caesar couldn't launch new offensives on Babylonia. So, he decided to consolidate his gains.
The means were thus concentrated in the siege of Hatra, even if during autumn and summer, the Princeps dispatched some legions to secure Atropatene.

In spring 841, the stalemate was finally broke by King Vologases who launched an offensive upon Osroene.
The king, having failed to directly relieve Hatra, hoped to force the Romans to evacuate Mesopotamia by threatening their link with Syria.
The Parthians penetrated up to Callinicum, in may, but retreated as soon as they learnt the fall of Hatra, fallen after ten months of siege.
This inconclusive battle prevented the Romans to reach their goal, and the Parthians of relieving Hatra as they had planned it.

The situation became a stalemate.

So, in june, Vologases opened peace negociations.
A peace treaty was signed in july at Tigranocerta: Parthia recognized the annexion by Roma of Osroene, Armenia, Hatra, Adiabene, Corduene and Atropatene, among others.

Vespasianus Caesar returned soon to Roma to celebrate his triumph.

Quote from Letter 18
Letters of Gnaeus Ambrusius




*****
Nota Bene

About the dates:
837 AUC = 84 AD
839 AUC = 86 AD
841 AUC = 88 AD

Pacorus II, Vologases II, and Sanatruces are OTL characters.
Lucius Iulius Vindex is a fictional, and ATL, son of the OTL Tiberius Julius Alexander.
Mygdonia is a region centered around Nisibis, between Adiabene and Osroene.

 

[galileo-034]

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World at the Treaty of Tigranocerta (841 AUC)
Based upon De geographia mundi of Gaius Alarchus​

 

[Cuāuhtemōc]

You have a skill with making maps! Nice post!