Marcus Junius Silanus (Praetor 212 BC)

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Victory of Silanus over Hasdrubal, majolica (1544), Güstrow Castle Museum (Mecklenburg)

Marcus Junius Silanus came from the Roman plebeian noble family of Junier , was born in 212 BC. Chr. Praetor and carried 206 v. In the decisive victory of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus against a Carthaginian army in the battle of Ilipa .

Life

Although Marcus Iunius Silanus never rose to consulate , he was able to achieve some military successes against the Carthaginians during the Second Punic War . For the first time he is in 216 BC. Mentioned when he was able to occupy Naples , from whose inhabitants he had been called, before Hannibal . 212 BC He was elected praetor and stayed with two legions in Etruria for two years .

210 BC The young Scipio Africanus advanced to become the new commander in chief of the Roman army on the Iberian Peninsula. For his military support, Silanus went to Spain in the position of a propaetor as the successor to Gaius Claudius Nero , where he acted quite successfully as sub-commander Scipios for several years. With 3000 infantrymen and 500 cavalrymen, he took up his post on the Ebro when Scipio set out to conquer the important city of Carthago Nova . In the following years, Silanus and his commander-in-chief were repeatedly confirmed in their position every year.

Silanus achieved a first major success in 207 BC. On behalf of Scipio he moved with his army to the area of ​​the Keltiberer , where Mago , Hannibal's youngest brother, and Hanno wanted to recruit troops. These two Punic military leaders were defeated by Silanus in a battle, in which Hanno was taken prisoner by the Romans, while Mago managed to escape to Hasdrubal . The next year (206 BC) Scipio defeated the army of Hasdrubal and Mago decisively in the Battle of Ilipa , in which Silanus commanded the left wing together with Lucius Marcius Septimus and contributed significantly to the Roman success. This battle marked the end of Punic domination in Spain.

Silanus then led the high command when Scipio traveled to see the West Numid king Syphax . Finally, one hears from Silanus that he and Lucius Marcius Septimus took over the Roman troops when Scipio left the Spanish theater of war and returned to Rome . Silanus and Septimus remained in this position until the arrival of Scipio's successors, Lucius Cornelius Lentulus and Lucius Manlius Acidinus .

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Livy 23:15 , 2.
  2. ↑ Livy 25: 2, 5; 25, 3, 2; 25, 20, 3; 26, 1, 5.
  3. ↑ Livy 26:19 , 10; Zonaras 9, 7.
  4. ↑ Polybios 10, 6, 7; Livy 26, 42, 1.
  5. ↑ Livy 27, 7, 17 and 27, 22, 7.
  6. ↑ Livy 28: 1, 4-2, 14; Zonaras 9, 8, 8; confused Appian , Iberica 28 and 31ff.
  7. ↑ Polybios 11, 20, 3ff .; 11, 23, 1; 11, 26, 6; Livius 28, 13, 3ff .; 28, 14, 15f .; 28, 16, 9ff .; Appian, Iberica 26 and 28.
  8. ↑ Livy 28:17 , 11.
  9. ↑ Polybios 11, 33, 8.
personal data
SURNAME Junius Silanus, Marcus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Silanus, Marcus Junius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman praetor 212 BC Chr.
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH after 206 BC Chr.