The Provinces of the Roman Empire, from Caesar to Diocletian. v. 1Mommsen, Theodor
History
The Provinces of the Roman Empire, from Caesar to Diocletian. v. 1
Mommsen, Theodor
Roman provinces -- Administration; Rome -- History -- Empire, 30 B.C.-476 A.D.
As little is the
previous close association of troops levied from the same canton met
with subsequently; on the contrary, the men serve, without distinction
as to their descent, in the most various divisions; this was probably
a lesson which the Roman military administration gathered from this
war. It was another change, probably suggested by this war, that while
hitherto the majority of the auxiliaries employed in Germany were
taken from the Germanic and neighbouring cantons, thenceforth the
Germanic auxiliary troops found preponderantly employment outside of
their native country, just like the Dalmatian and Pannonian troops in
consequence of the war with Bato. Vespasian was a soldier of sagacity
and experience; it is probably in good part a merit of his if we meet
with no later example of revolt of the _auxilia_ against their legions.
[Sidenote: Later attitude of the Roman Germans on the lower Rhine.]
That the insurrection, which we have just narrated, of the Germans on
the left of the Rhine--although it, in consequence of the accidental
completeness of the accounts preserved respecting it, alone gives us a
clear insight into the political and military relations on the lower
Rhine and in Gaul generally, and therefore deserved to be narrated in
more detail--was yet called forth more by outward and accidental causes
than by the inner necessity of things, is proved by the apparently
complete quiet which now ensued there, and by the--so far as we can
see--uninterrupted _status quo_ in this very region. The Roman Germans
were merged in the empire no less completely than the Roman Gauls; of
attempts at insurrection on the part of the former there is no further
mention. At the close of the third century, the Franks invading Gaul
by way of the lower Rhine included in their seizure the Batavian
territory; yet the Batavians maintained themselves in their old though
diminished settlements, as did likewise the Frisians, even during the
confusions of the great migration of peoples, and, so far as we know,
preserved allegiance even to the decaying empire.
[Sidenote: The free Germans on the lower Rhine.]
When we turn from the Romanised to the free Germans to the east of the
Rhine, we find offensive action on their part not less brought to an
end with their participation in that Batavian insurrection, than the
attempts of the Romans to bring about an alteration of the frontier on
a grand scale in those regions came to a close with the expeditions of
Germanicus.
[Sidenote: Bructeri.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account