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.
captives. Success in some measure attended the attempt to restrict the
war to the two chief opponents, the Marcomani and the Jazyges from of
old allied with them. Against these two peoples it was carried on in
the following years with severe conflicts and not without defeat. We
know only isolated details, which do not admit of being brought into
set connection. Marcus Claudius Fronto, to whom had been entrusted the
commands of upper Moesia and Dacia united as an extraordinary measure,
fell about the year 171 in conflict against Germans and Jazyges. The
commandant of the guard, Marcus Macrinius Vindex, likewise fell before
the enemy. They and other officers of high rank obtained in these years
honorary monuments in Rome at the column of Trajan, because they had
met death in defence of their fatherland. The barbaric tribes, who had
declared for Rome, again partially fell away--such as the Cotini and
above all the Quadi, who granted an asylum to the fugitive Marcomani
and drove out their vassal-king Furtius, whereupon the emperor Marcus
set a price of 1000 gold pieces on the head of his successor Ariogaesus.
[Sidenote: Its issue; and second war.]
Not till the sixth year of the war (172) does the complete conquest
of the Marcomani seem to have been achieved, and Marcus to have
thereupon assumed the well-deserved title of victory, Germanicus.
Then followed the overthrow of the Quadi; lastly in 175 that of the
Jazyges, in consequence of which the emperor received the further
surname of Conqueror of the Sarmatae. The terms which were laid down
for the conquered tribes show that Marcus designed not to punish but to
subdue. The Marcomani and the Jazyges, probably also the Quadi, were
required to evacuate a border-strip along the river to the breadth of
ten, subsequently modified to five, miles. In the strongholds on the
right bank of the Danube were placed Roman garrisons, which, among the
Marcomani and Quadi alone, amounted together to not less than 20,000
men. All the subdued had to furnish contingents to the Roman army; the
Jazyges, for example, 8000 horsemen. Had the emperor not been recalled
by the insurrection of Syria, he would have driven the latter entirely
from their country, as Trajan drove the Dacians. That Marcus intended
to treat the revolted Transdanubians after this model, was confirmed
by the further course of events. Hardly was that hindrance removed,
when the emperor went back to the Danube and began, just like Trajan,
in 178 the second definitive war. The ground put forward for thus
declaring war is not known; the aim is doubtless correctly specified
to the effect that he purposed to erect two new provinces, Marcomania
and Sarmatia. To the Jazyges, who must have shown themselves submissive
to the designs of the emperor, their burdensome imposts were for the
most part remitted, and, in fact, for intercourse with their kinsmen
dwelling to the east of Dacia the Roxolani, right of passage through
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