Clades Lolliana

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The Clades Lolliana ( Latin : "Defeat of Lollius") is a battle between Roman troops and the Germanic tribes of the Sugambri , Tenkerer and Usipeter , which took place in 17 or 16 BC. Took place and ended with a Roman defeat.

After a renewed incursion of the three Germanic tribes into the area on the left bank of the Rhine, which belonged to the Roman province of Gaul , the local governor Marcus Lollius moved towards them . However, the Germanic tribes triumphed over Lollius and were even able to capture the eagle of the 5th Legion . This loss meant a great loss of prestige for the Emperor Augustus , who had just highlighted the importance of the legionary eagle in the Roman public in order to better present the end of the conflict with the Parthians , who had returned three captured legionary eagles to the Roman Empire. Augustus broke in 16 BC. To Gaul, where he stayed for three years. The Lollius defeat is often seen as the triggering factor for his attempt to conquer Germania, which began with the Drusus campaigns (12 to 8 BC).

The defeat is mentioned by numerous ancient writers. The most detailed descriptions can be found in Velleius Paterculus and Cassius Dio . Tacitus and Suetonius combine the defeat of Lollius with that of Varus in AD 9. There are other mentions from Iulius Obsequens , the Greek epigrammatist Krinagoras and possibly Properz . How severe the Roman defeat actually turned out can hardly be seen. According to Cassius Dio (and a hint in Horace ), the Teutons made peace as soon as they heard of the imminent arrival of Augustus, but it is not mentioned whether the eagle was also returned.

literature

  • Reinhard Wolters : Roman conquest and rulership organization in Gaul and Germania. Brockmeyer, Bochum 1990, ISBN 3-88339-803-9 , pp. 140 f. and 149–157 (Bochum historical studies, old history, 8).
  • Reinhard Wolters: Die Römer in Germanien 4th, updated edition. Beck, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-406-44736-8 .

Web links

  • To the Clades Lolliana and its consequences on the private website of the archaeologist Jürgen Franssen