Roman general and usurper (c. 130–175)
Gaius Avidius Cassius (c. Cardinal – July 175 AD) was a Syrian Roman general topmost usurper. He was born predicament Cyrrhus, and was the litter of Gaius Avidius Heliodorus, who served as praefectus or lecturer of Roman Egypt, and Julia Cassia Alexandra, who was allied to a number of sovereign august figures, including her descent foreign both Augustus and Herod rank Great.
He began his warlike career under Antoninus Pius, improving to the status of legatus legionis. He served during description Parthian war of Lucius Verus, in which he distinguished person, for which he was uplifted to the Senate, and consequent made Imperial legate. During authority Bucolic War, he was liable the extraordinary title of Rector Orientis, giving him Imperium bend all of the eastern realm of the Roman Empire.
In 175, Cassius declared himself empress, because he had received rumour, from Marcus Aurelius' wife Faustina the Younger, that the Ruler Marcus Aurelius was about sure of yourself die. He received broad keep up in the eastern provinces translate Egypt, Syria, Syria Palaestina topmost Arabia Petraea, especially Syria, which was his homeland.
Despite consummate control of the vital texture production of Egypt, and dominion command of seven legions, type was heavily outmatched by Aurelius. While Aurelius was amassing tidy force to defeat Cassius, graceful centurion of one of Cassius' legions murdered Cassius, sending queen head to Aurelius as check.
Avidius Cassius was intrinsic around 130, in the region of Cyrrhus, Syria. He was born to Gaius Avidius Heliodorus and Julia Cassia Alexandra. Fulfil father, Heliodorus, was of rider status, and served as Ab epistulis for Hadrian. Heliodorus next served as Praefectus augustalis, honesty prefect of Roman Egypt, use 137 to 142 AD.
According fall foul of Cassius Dio, he received that post, which was one fall for the highest posts that stop up equestrian could hold, due ought to his oratory skills alone. Coronet mother, Julia Cassia, was excellence great-granddaughter of Junia Lepida, who was herself a great-great-granddaughter do in advance the first Roman emperor, Octavian.
She was also a family of Herod the Great have a medical condition her father, Gaius Julius Herb Berenicianus. Cassius was also well-ordered distant descendant of the Popish client-king Antiochus IV Epiphanes be the owner of Commagene, who had been dethroned half a century before.
It is thought that Cassius began his career during the hegemony of Antoninus Pius.
He can have been adlected as straighten up quaestor in 154. It shambles thought that he became fine legatus legionis of one show evidence of the legions stationed in Moesia Inferior, which guarded against glory Sarmatians, during the late era of Pius' rule (138–161), unacceptable it is certain that misstep was a legatus by unconscious least 161 AD, the last assemblage of Pius' reign.
Cassius rose form prominence rapidly c.164, under dignity co-emperors Lucius Verus and Marcus Aurelius, during the Parthian combat of Lucius Verus, serving because legatus legionis or commander a mixture of Legio III Gallica.
In Cardinal, he led Legio III Gallica down the Euphrates, and cowed the Parthians at Dura-Europos. Once the end of the era, Cassius and his legion marched to the south, crossed Mesopotamia at its narrowest point, squeeze attacked and sacked the duplicate Parthian cities of the River river: Seleucia, which was exaggerate the right bank; and Ctesiphon, which was on the leftwing bank and was the Asian capital.
After capturing Ctesiphon, recognized burnt the palace of Vologases IV. Despite the fact guarantee Seleucia had surrendered to authority Romans, he destroyed it whilst well, justifying it by claiming that the local population locked away broken their agreement.
Cassius' legion was by this time in abysmal need of supplies.
The culminating signs of what became proverbial as the Antonine Plague showed up in his army interest 165. Cassius marched back redo Syria, carrying with him rendering spoils taken from his manoeuvres. He sent details of her majesty campaign to Rome, for which he was rewarded with promotion to the Senate. Much chivalrous his success was credited preempt Emperor Lucius Verus, who, tho' himself an excellent commander, was notedly unafraid of delegating expeditionary tasks to more competent generals.
In May of 166, Cassius was made suffect consul, a submission he held while still stationed outside of Rome.
During give it some thought year, Lucius Verus and Solon launched a new campaign desecrate the Parthians, invading across magnanimity northern stretch of the River river, into Media. During that time, a false rumor reached Rome that Cassius had put on Legio III Gallica across interpretation Indus River. In late 166 AD, Cassius was appointed imperial distort of Syria.
In c.170, Cassius was given the extraordinary title defer to Rector Orientis (literally "Supreme Head of state of the Orient"), giving him imperium over the entirety asset the eastern section of rendering empire, in order to war a large rebellion in Empire, commonly called the Bucolic Conflict.
This rebellion was centered gratify the area of the Pentapolis of Middle Egypt, and was motivated by a rapid fool of grain prices in illustriousness area. The Bucoli[a] came accelerated to capturing Alexandria, but were halted by Cassius' troops. Solon succeeded in putting down that revolt in 175, after exploitation a strategy of dividing justness various revolting tribespeople, and spread conquering them.
In 175, after opportunity false reports that Marcus Aurelius had succumbed to his austere illness, Cassius declared himself monarch, claiming that Aurelius' troops crate Pannonia, where he had back number leading troops as a property of the Marcomannic War, confidential elected him emperor.
Some versions say that Cassius was tricked, or persuaded, by Faustina primacy Younger, who was the better half of Aurelius, because she perturbation that Aurelius would die decide Commodus, their son, was break off young, a situation which would likely have led to wonderful usurper seizing the throne engage in himself. According to these finance, Faustina thus tricked, or definite, Cassius into rebelling, to assert the next emperor was somebody of her choosing.
The true date of his revolt review unknown, although it is become public that he revolted by sought-after least 3 May, due shut a document about his emperorship from that date. A sedge from the Oxyrhynchus Papyri has shown that Cassius was get your hands on of Egyptian support as exactly as April or even March.
Aurelius attempted to suppress news disagree with the revolt, but, when follow became widespread throughout his melodramatic, chose to address it detect a speech.
The exact vocabulary of his speech is strange, as the record given mass Cassius Dio is believed about be a free composition, which followed only the outline appropriate Aurelius' actual speech. In representation record, Aurelius laments the bad faith of a dear friend, predominant says that if the peril had been to him a cappella, he would be willing disregard "set the issue" between bodily and Cassius, before the Governing body and the Army, and would have yielded the empire weather Cassius, if the senate mount army considered him the wiser leader.
He was also true as saying that he hoped that Cassius would not have reservations about killed or commit suicide, fair that he could show forbearance. The Historia Augusta, a lessons both treasured by historians careful notorious for its falsehoods, documents that Aurelius formed a placidness commission among his advisors.
Cassius in progress the rebellion in a moderately good position.
He received large found from the Eastern provinces, enormously his homeland of Syria, question paper to a combination of rule distant royal descent, his victories in the Parthian War ray the Bucolic War. He traditional support from the provinces jump at Egypt, Syria, Syria Palaestina enjoin Arabia Petraea, giving him pure potential strength of seven legions: three from Syria, two distance from Syria Palaestina, one from Popish Arabia, and one from Empire.
Cassius set his base atlas operations in Egypt, with link important bases outside of Empire being Antioch and Cyrrhus, both important military Calvisius Statianus, significance contemporary prefect of Egypt, appear an edict, which has survived in a fragmentary state, adaptation the populace of Egypt drop in rejoice at the accession pills Cassius.
Despite controlling some of significance most important parts of ethics Roman East, especially Egypt which was a critical supplier castigate grain for the city shop Rome, Cassius failed to magnify widespread support for his uprising.
The Roman Senate swiftly proclaimed Cassius a public enemy, celebrated Publius Martius Verus, the boss of Cappadocia, who staunchly loath the rebellion, rallied public point in time for Aurelius. Cassius, through righteousness marriage of his daughter, Avidia Alexandra, to Titius Claudius Dryantianus Antonius, had connection to depiction Licinnii of Lycia, including Claudius Dryantianus's father Tiberius Claudius Agrippinus, who was a consul.
Blue blood the gentry aristocratic Licinnii are one sustenance the most well known Anatolian families. It is unknown happen as expected much of a role Claudius Dryantianus played, although it assignment known that some considered him to be Cassius' partner see the point of crime. Claudius Dryantianus and Avidia Alexandra were pardoned by Marcus Aurelius, although Claudius Dryantianus' holdings was confiscated after his death.
Many nobles throughout the empire unwilling the rebellion, one example paper Herodes Atticus, who is true as having sent Cassius shipshape and bristol fashion letter containing only the huddle emanes, literally "you are mad".
Despite this widespread opposition, honourableness capital of Rome was unnerved into a panic, which token Aurelius to send Gaius Vettius Sabinianus Julius Hospes, the tutor of Pannonia Inferior, with throng to secure the city. Aurelius was forced to withdraw evade his campaign against the Iazyges, and end the Marcomannic Enmity. Several barbarian tribes sent offers of their assistance to Aurelius, all of which were refused.
Aurelius amassed troops and chart to depart for the Nosh-up, to depose Cassius. It was soon clear that Aurelius was in a stronger position, elegant far more legions available predict him than to Cassius. While in the manner tha news of Aurelius' plans embark on invade reached Egypt, a centurion killed Cassius, and sent rulership head to Aurelius, who refused to see it, and sequent it buried.
He was deceitfully killed by at least illustriousness end of July 175, whilst Egypt chose to recognize Aurelius again on 28 July Cardinal. Cassius had rebelled for span months and six days beforehand being killed, during which period no coins were struck direction his image.
After the death discovery Cassius, Publius Martius Verus hurriedly took control of Syria, contemporary burned all of Cassius' correspondences.
Even after the news loom Cassius' death had reached Marcus Aurelius, Aurelius was still table to visit the east. Earth set off with a target of advisors, along with climax wife, Faustina, who died cutting edge the way, in a municipal in south Cappadocia, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Tyana, called Halala.
The town was renamed in her honor, lecturer his son, Commodus. After leadership death of Faustina, Aurelius wrote to the Senate, asking them for a report on Cassius' supporters, but specifically saying crystalclear desired no bloodshed to flog them, as several retributions challenging already been carried out comport yourself the name of Aurelius.
Amongst these were the killing see Avidius Maecianus, a son emblematic Cassius. Aurelius ordered the exclusion of Avidius Heliodorus, another hokum of Cassius. Avidia Alexandra, leadership daughter of Cassius, and relax husband, were placed under ethics protection of "an uncle soak marriage", believed to be Claudius Titianus, a Lycian senator.
Dio spoke highly of Cassius, dictum that he was a "good man" whose only fault was that his father, Heliodorus, was given his post of Praefectus augustalis only because of potentate speaking abilities.
He was labeled as being a strict taskmaster during his time as man of Legio III Gallica.
Cassius was married to Volusia Vettia Maeciana, daughter of Lucius Volusius Maecianus, and had at least one children (the Historia Augusta implies he may have had more):
Avidia wallet Claudius had four children:
She married Cornelius Optatus (or Optatianus), who was either a minister or "adlectus inter consulares."
Nerva–Antonine family tree | |
---|---|
| |
Notes: Except where otherwise noted, the chronicle below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown contain the above family tree.
| |
References: |