Quintus Labienus

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Quintus Labienus († 39 BC ) was a Roman general and the son of Titus Labienus , the most important general of Gaius Julius Caesar during his Gaul campaign . Like his father, Quintus was a Republican and fought first against Caesar and then against his heirs. He is famous for the campaign he carried out in 40 BC. Together with the Parthians in the Roman Orient.

In the war between the triumvirs and the murderers of Caesar, Labienus was a follower of Brutus and Cassius and was defeated by them in the autumn of 42 BC. BC, before the battle of Philippi , sent to the Arsakid Parthian king Orodes II to ask for his help. After the Caesar murderers were defeated at Philippi, Labienus raised an army of scattered Roman legionaries and invaded 40 BC. BC with Arsakid troops under Pakoros , the son of the Parthian king, invaded Syria , where he defeated several Roman associations and had the governor of Syria, Lucius Decidius Saxa , killed. It was probably largely thanks to Labienus' military abilities that the Parthians were able to record these successes, so that he also had coins minted on which he called himself Imperator Parthicus (whether this means "Parthian general" or rather "general and Parthian winner") should is unclear). As Pakoros then advanced south, Labienus advanced to western Asia Minor, with many cities hailing him as a liberator, while others, including Alabanda, Mylasa and Aphrodisias , violently opposed. He was finally born in 39 BC. BC by Publius Ventidius Bassus , legate of Mark Antony , defeated in the Taurus Mountains and killed a little later in his refuge in Cilicia .

The evaluation of the labienus has long been controversial in sources and modern research. While some consider him a traitor who, as a Roman, allied himself with Rome's mortal enemies, others see him as the last advocate of the free res publica , who only cooperated with the Parthians out of desperation. Some researchers even argue that Labienus wanted to establish an independent empire.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Edward Allen Sydenham : The Coinage of the Roman Republic. London 1952, No. 1356; Michael Crawford : Roman Republican Coinage . Cambridge 1974, No. 524/1 ( aureus ), No. 524/2 ( denarius ) .
personal data
SURNAME Labienus, Quintus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Roman general
DATE OF BIRTH 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 39 BC Chr.
Place of death Cilicia