Emona Inscription by an Officer of the Ala Britannica
Some time ago, I stressed what appeared to be a strange coincidence in the rival account of the Fall of Perennis. We know that Dio claims 1500 British spearmen went to Rome and demanded the Praetorian Prefect be handed over. But, when we go to the account preserved in Herodian, everything gets, well, strange... [1]
In this latter source, we have a grand conspiracy hatched between Perennis and his sons, who have been set up as commanders of the army in Illyricum (wherein was to found Castus' Liburnia). This seems to be related to the Augustan History's claim that victories won by other generals over the Sarmatians had been credited to Perennis's son. In the History, immediately after mention of the Sarmatian victories, we are told about the Britons and then the resulting fall of the Praetorian Prefect.
The problem with the deputation from Britain to Rome has always been our inability to explain why this large group of armed men were allowed to proceed unimpeded to the capital. Never mind the logistical nightmare implied by such a mission.
Roger Tomlin, who still prefers ARMENIOS for the fragmentary ARM[...]S of the Castus inscription, has shared with me his doubts regarding the Perennis story:
"Armenia is an awfully long way to send reinforcements from Britain, but it fits nicely with the drafting of its commander-in-chief Statius Priscus. Why shouldn't he choose some of his own men to go with him? Don't forget, 5,500 Sarmatians were sent almost as far in the reverse direction! I don't see anyone quibbling with THAT.
I find armatos difficult as a reference to the Praetorians. The delegation wasn't directed 'against' them, but against their Prefect (hostem publicum, perhaps). And I don't think the leader of the delegation would refer to his mission in such a way: he would be going 'to' Rome, or 'to' the Emperor, appealing unto Caesar. Not emphasising its hostile, negative aspect.
But then, I find the whole story difficult. Here are 1500 men, a tenth of the legionary establishment in Britain, walking half-way across Europe to complain of how their generals have been appointed. It is mutiny for one thing, and who chooses their leader? And will he be a senior equestrian himself? And how do you march 1500 men all that way without official warrant? Did they simply seize food and billets every time they stopped for the night?"
These points represent serious problems with Dio's narrative. Even if we allow for Commodus having set the whole thing up - say, by having the British soldiers come to Rome so that he could blame Perennis' fate on the British army, not on himself - it is hard to believe the Emperor could not have found a more convenient way to dispose of his prefect, had he desired to do so.
I do think we can figure this mess out. We know that, concurrently, there were problems in Britain and in Sarmatia. We know that there was a large contingent of Sarmatians in Britain. Thus we can allow for the soldiers who came to Rome being soldiers who actually came from Illyricum. These were confused with British troops, who numbered Sarmatians among them, and who were in a state of mutiny following the harsh command of Marcellus.
If soldiers came from Illyricum, fresh from the Sarmatian War there, we can only assume the one version of the story is correct in that they went to Rome to report the plotting of Perennis' son or sons against Commodus.
However, there is yet another complicating factor which may have contributed to soldiers from Illyricum becoming wrongly identified with British soldiers!
I would refer my readers to this article by Valerie Maxfield, The Ala Britannica, Dona and Peregrini
Valerie A. Maxfield, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, Bd. 52 (1983), pp. 141-150:
According to Maxfield, this unit, originally raised in Britain, was under Trajan "sent east from its base in Lower Pannonia." It was in Amaseia in Pontus and in Emona. Another British unit, the cohors I Brittonum, was "probably moved east from its base in Dacia to participate in the war of Marcus and Verus." Maxfield's summary of the ala's history reads as follows:
The ala was in Pannonia for a very long time - including during the reigns of Marcus, Verus and Commodus. For all of the unit's diplomas, see https://scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl/access/item%3A2964103/view. In this work we find diplomas in 192 and 193 for the unit in Moesia Superior (bearing the name of Commodus) and several inscriptions in 252 when the unit appears in Syria (Apamea).
This is significant because Pannonia was in Illyricum, and Pannonia Inferior was bordered by Sarmatia. The ala was, of course, also in Pannonia Superior.
Thus, we had units named for their province of original formation based in the Illyricum of Perennis' son or sons.
Given all of the above, I think we can adequately reconcile the different versions of the story of the Fall of Perennis by saying that no troops with Sarmatian cavalry journeyed from Britain to Rome. Instead, we had troops go to Rome from nearby Illyricum, where fighting had been going on with Sarmatia and where units with British names were known to be based.
I would add that an ala milliaria was comprised of around 1,000 soldiers, although it could contain more than that.
I would add that an ala milliaria was comprised of around 1,000 soldiers, although it could contain more than that.
[1]
Here are the three accounts of the Fall of Perennis, as found in Cassius Dio, Herodian and the Augustan History:
CASSIUS DIO
9 Perennis,6 who commanded the Pretorians after Paternus, met his death as the result of a mutiny of the soldiers. For, inasmuch as Commodus had given himself up to chariot-racing and licentiousness and performed scarcely any of the duties pertaining to his office, Perennis was compelled to manage not only the military affairs, but everything else as well, and to stand at the head of the State. 21 The soldiers, accordingly, whenever any matter did not turn out to their satisfaction, laid the blame upon Perennis and were angry with him.
2a The soldiers in Britain chose Priscus, a lieutenant, emperor; but he declined, saying: I am no more an emperor than you are soldiers"
The lieutenants in Britain, accordingly, having been rebuked for their insubordination, — they did not become quiet, in fact, until Pertinax quelled them, — now chose out of their number fifteen hundred javelin men and sent them into Italy. 3 These men had already drawn near to Rome without encountering any resistance, when Commodus met them and asked: "What is the meaning of this, soldiers? What is your purpose in coming?" And when they p91 answered, "We are here because Perennis is plotting against you and plans to make his son emperor," Commodus believed them, especially as Cleander insisted; for this man had often been prevented by Perennis from doing all that he desired, and consequently he hated him bitterly. 4 He accordingly delivered up the prefect to very soldiers whose commander he was, and had not the courage to scorn fifteen hundred men, though he had many times that number of Pretorians. 10 So Perennis was maltreated and struck down by those men, and his wife, his sister, and two sons were also killed. Thus Perennis was slain, though he deserved a far different fate, both on his own account and in the interest of the entire Roman empire, — except in so far as his ambition for office had made him chiefly responsible for the ruin of his colleague Paternus. For privately he never strove in the least for either fame or wealth, but lived a most incorruptible and temperate life; and as for Commodus and his imperial office, he guarded them in complete security.
AUGUSTAN HISTORY (LIFE OF COMMODUS)
6 1 About this time the victories in Sarmatia won by other generals were attributed by Perennis to his own son.45 2 Yet in spite of his great power, suddenly, because in the war in Britain46 he had dismissed certain senators and had put men of the equestrian order in command of the soldiers,47 this same Perennis was declared an enemy to the state, when the matter was reported by the legates in command of the army, and was thereupon delivered up to the soldiers to be torn to pieces.48 3 In his place of power Commodus put Cleander,49 one of his chamberlains.
4 After Perennis and his son were executed...
[6 1 Eo tempore in Sarmatia res bene gestas per alios duces in filium suum Perennis referebat. 2 hic tamen Perennis, qui tantum potuit, subito, quod bello Britannico militibus equestris loci viros praefecerat amotis senatoribus, prodita re per legatos exercitus hostis appellatus lacerandusque militibus est deditus. 3 in cuius potentiae locum Cleandrum ex cubiculariis subrogavit.
4 Multa sane post interfectum Perennem eiusque filium...]
HERODIAN
[1.9.1] [185] After he had removed the men whom Commodus had reason to fear, those who showed him good will for his father's sake, and those who were concerned for the emperor's safety, Perennis, now a powerful figure, began to plot for the empire. Commodus was persuaded to put the prefect's sons in command of the army of Illyricum, though they were still young men; the prefect himself amassed a huge sum of money for lavish gifts in order to incite the army to revolt. His sons quietly increased their forces, so that they might seize the empire after Perennis had disposed of Commodus.
[1.9.2] This plot came to light in a curious fashion. The Romans celebrate a sacred festival in honor of Jupiter Capitolinus, and all the stage shows and athletic exhibitions are sent to take part in this festival in the capital. The emperor is both spectator and judge, together with the rest of the priests, who are summoned in rotation for this duty.
[1.9.3] Upon his arrival for the performance of the famous actors, Commodus took his seat in the imperial chair; an orderly crowd filled the theater, quietly occupying the assigned seats. Before any action took place on the stage, however, a man dressed as a philosopher (half-naked, carrying a staff in his hand and a leather bag on his shoulder) ran out and took his stand in the center of the stage. Silencing the audience with a sweep of his hand, he said:
[1.9.4] "Commodus, this is no time to celebrate festivals and devote yourself to shows and entertainments. The sword of Perennis is at your throat. Unless you guard yourself from a danger not threatening but already upon you, you shall not escape death. Perennis himself is raising money and an army to oppose you, and his sons are winning over the army of Illyricum. Unless you act first, you shall die."
[1.9.5] Whether he said this by divine inspiration, or whether, obscure and unknown before, he was making an effort to gain fame, or hoped to receive a generous reward from the emperor - whatever the reason, Commodus was thunderstruck. Everyone was suspicious of the man's words, and no one believed him. Perennis ordered the philosopher to be seized and burned for making insane and lying accusations.
[1.9.6] Such was the penalty that the beggar paid for his ill-timed outspokenness. The emperor's intimate friends, however, who had long been secretly hostile to Perennis (for the prefect was harsh and unbearable in his insolence and arrogance), believed that the time had come and began to bring charges against him. As a result, Commodus escaped the plot, and Perennis and his sons perished miserably.
[1.9.7] For not much later, some soldiers visited Perennis' son in secret and carried off coins bearing the prefect's portrait. And, without the knowledge of Perennis, the praetorian prefect, they took the coins directly to Commodus and revealed to him the secret details of the plot. They were richly rewarded for their service.
[1.9.8] While Perennis was still ignorant of these developments and anticipated nothing of the sort, the emperor sent for him at night and had him beheaded. And he dispatched men to Perennis' son by the fastest route, so that they might reach him before he knew what had happened. These men were to take a route shorter than the one by which news was regularly carried; in this way they would be able to come to the youth before he was aware of events at Rome. Commodus wrote the youth a friendly letter, telling him that he was recalling him to greater expectations, and ordering him to come to Rome.
[1.9.9] Perennis' son knew nothing of the reception awaiting him and was unaware of his father's fate. When the messengers informed him that his father had given these same orders orally but, satisfied with the emperor's letter, had not written a separate note, the youth was convinced, although he was concerned about leaving the plot unfinished. Nevertheless, relying on his father's power as if that power still existed, he left Illyricum.
[1.9.10] On the way to Italy the youth was killed by the emperor's men. Such was the fate of Perennis and his son. Thereafter Commodus regularly appointed two praetorian prefects, believing that it was safer not to place too much authority in the hands of one man; he hoped that this division of authority would discourage any desire to seize the imperial power.
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