Tacfarinas Flashcards
What did he do
War broke out in the province of Africa under a Numidian leader named Tacfarinas.
his first followers
His first followers were vagabonds and marauders who came for loot. Organised them into the Musulamian people. Brought in the Mauretanians under Mazippa. Mazippa burnt, killed and intimi-dated.
Challenger to Tacfarinas
- The governor of Africa, Marcus Furius Camillus, challenged Tacfarinas though he had a much smaller army.
- ## The Numidians were routed
Camillus
Voted an honorary triumph, and “lived so unassumingly that he survived it”
he resumes hostilities
- Tacfarinas resumed hostilities (destroying villages, looting extensively)
Tacfarinas attacks a fort
- Encircled a Roman fort near the river Pagyda
the commander of the fort
- Decrius, commander of the fort, considered the siege a disgrace, ordered his men to fight in the open. The battalion succumbed to the first attack Decrius hurled himself into the rain of missiles so they didn’t retreat, kept fighting till he fell, his men abandoned him.
Cammillus’ successor (governor of Africa)
Lucius Apronius, successor of Camillus considered it a Roman disgrace. Adopted an ancient procedure, had the battalion draw lots every tenth man flogged to death.
Tacfarinas then attacks the fort of Mala
- ## Tacfarinas attacks with the same force, but due to Apronius’ effective and severe methods (the flogging to death) only 500 hundred soldiers routed Tacfarinas’ forces
The hero of the Mala battle
in the following battle a private soldier won the honour of saving a citizens life. Apronius awarded him the honorary chain and spear, Tiberius added the Citizen’s Oak-wreath, pretended to deplore Aproninus for not giving it.
What did Tacfarinas then do after failing at Mala
- Numidians demoralized and impatient of siege warfare, Tacfarinas conducted a guerrilla campaign.
When Tacfarinas turned aside to the coast, and immobilised by all the plunder kept close to stationary base.
End of Tacfarinas (but not his last)
Aproninus’ son won a victory and drove the numidians into the desert
Tacfarinas’ third re-emergence
Tiberius wrote to the senate that Tacfarinas had again broken the peace in Africa.
What did Tiberius ask the senate
Asked them to chose a governor who was an experienced commander.
Argument over new governor of Africa
what side argument appears here
Sextus Pompeius described Manius Aemilius Lepidus as a lazy degenerate who ought to be excluded from the ballot of both Africa and Asia. The senate objected as he had an irreproachable illustrious name (he was appointed to Asia)
- With regard to Africa was decided to let the emperor choose.
- The wife debate occurs now
Tiberius’ response to being asked to choose the next governor
The senate heard a letter from Tiberius blaming them for referring all their difficulties to him. He nominated two for the governship of Africa. Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (who excused himself) and Blaesus was beyond competition being Sejanus’ uncle.
His very final demand
Tacfarinas raised reinforcements and sent representatives demanding land for himself and his army, or endless war.
Tiberius’ reaction to Tacfarinas’ final demand
No slur ever provoked the emperor more, even Spartacus had not been allowed conditions for his surrender.
Tiberius’ order in reply to Tacfarinas’ final demand
the governor Quintus Junius Blaesus was entrusted with the matter. pardon was promised for the rebels but not for the leader who had to be captured.
The final war with Tacfarinas
Tacfarinas split into three and began raiding. Blaesus imitated, blocking a route, protecting a set of communities. Blaesus in the centre, planted forts and defences he cramped and harassed the enemy.
Wherever they moved there were Romans in all directions, many rebels were killed and taken prisoner
Blaesus split up his three formations into smaller bodies, rather than withdrawing the troops at the end of summer as was customary he established a chain of forts, the usual procedure at the beginning not the end of a campaigning season. With mobile columns he kept Tafarinas in a continual state of movement and captured T’s brother. Withdrew although there were enough enemies to revive hostilities.
End of the war
Tiberius rested the war as ended, allowed him to be hailed victor by his army and a honorary triumph (Tiberius said it was a compliment to his nephew Sejanus)
