Second battle of Bedriacum
At the place Bedriacum (also Betriacum ), located in northern Italy between Cremona and Mantua , took place on 24/25. October 69 the decisive battle of the Roman civil war for the succession of Nero (year of the four emperors ) took place.
Vitellius' army was defeated by the Danube regions under the command of Mark Antony Primus , who had proclaimed the general Vespasian emperor.
Vespasian
| date | October 25, 69 AD to October 26, 69 AD |
|---|---|
| place | Bedriacum / Cremona |
| output | Victory of the Flavian Party |
| consequences | Sack of Cremona, the Flavians invade Italy |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
Fabius Fabullus (legate of the 5th Legion) and Cassius Longus, camp prefect, after the betrayal of the Vitellian general Aulus Caecina Alienus |
|
| Troop strength | |
| 5 legions and auxilia from the Danube provinces, Praetorians dismissed by Vitellius - cohorts | 7 legions, mostly not in nominal strength, vexillation of the three British legions, auxilia from the Germanic and British provinces |
prehistory
Already on April 14th of the same year a battle between the troops of the emperor Otho and those of his competitor and successor Vitellius had taken place near Bedriacum . The Danube regions had already joined Otho, but were mostly still on the march during this first battle and were not used. As a result, they recognized Vitellius only reluctantly and were among the first troops to take the oath on Vespasian, who had been elevated to emperor in the east.
After the invasion of Italy, Antony's troops first occupied Verona in order to gain control of the Alpine passes and to cut off Vitellius from reinforcements of the legions on the Rhine. When Antonius Primus learned of the betrayal of the Vitellian general Aulus Caecina Alienus , he let his legions march towards Cremonas. At the 8th milestone before Bedriacum, Antonius met the vanguard of the Vitellians. A cavalry battle developed, with the Vitellians, after initial difficulties, being defeated by the Flavians, who were superior to cavalry.
Actual battle on the Via Postumia
The main force of the Vitellian legions had meanwhile taken up position on the 4th milestone on the embankment of the Via Postumia . The leaderless army as well as the Flavians, incited by the victorious cavalry battle, demanded after the battle despite falling darkness. The struggle, which was tough and lossy for both sides, lasted until the early hours of the morning. The Flavians had a slight advantage, as the moon was behind them and they were less visible to the Vitellians.
According to Tacitus, the battle with the rising sun was decided. The soldiers of Legio III Gallica , who came from Syria, greeted the rising sun with loud shouts. From this a rumor arose among the Vitellians that the reinforcements of the Flavians had arrived under Gaius Licinius Mucianus and they turned to their camp in front of the city wall of Cremona to flee.
This was conquered by the Flavians, whereupon the Vitellian soldiers fled to the city, which was now attacked. At first there was persistent fighting on the city walls, but the Vitellians soon lost their courage. They sent Caecina, who had been tied up until then, as a negotiator to Antony. The legionary eagles and standards were carried out of the city, Caecina followed them in the elevator of a consul with lictors , which focused the anger of the troops on them.
Destruction of Cremona
After the city was captured, it was sacked by the soldiers of the Flavian party and, with the exception of the Temple of Mefitis, razed to the ground. The reasons for this are not clearly clarified even with Tacitus. First the Legio XIII Gemina was held back by Vitellius in Cremona after the first battle of Bedriacum and had to build an amphitheater there for a gladiatorial play by Caecina. During both wars, Cremona served the Vitellians as their headquarters. It is also unclear whether Antony had given the soldiers the prospect of sacking the city as an incentive for the storming. All in all, it must be stated that in the civil war of the four-emperor year the military commanders had little control over the soldiers.
The blame for the sacking of the city is put on Antonius by an anecdote handed down by Tacitus. After the battle, he went to a bath to wash off the blood. In response to his complaint about the lukewarm water, a house slave replied: "It will get hot immediately." At that time, the city was already on fire.
Troops involved:
| Vespasian | Vitellius |
| Legacy: M. Antonius Primus | leaderless army after the betrayal of Caecina, commanded by Fabius Fabullus (legate of the 5th Legion) and Cassius Longus, camp prefect |
| Legio III Gallica | Legio I Italica |
| Legio VII Galbiana | Legio IV Macedonica |
| Legio VII Claudiana | Legio V Alaudae |
| Legio VIII Augusta | Legio XV Primigenia |
| Legio XIII Gemina | Legio XVI Gallica |
| Auxilia from the Danube provinces | Legio XXI Rapax |
| Praetorians dismissed by Vitellius - cohorts | Legio XXII Primigenia |
| vexillationes of the British legions Legio II Augusta , Legio VIIII Hispana and Legio XX Valeria Victrix | |
| Auxilia from the Germanic and British provinces |
An important archaeological find documenting what happened was made in the 1960s about 700 m east of Porta Venezia on via Postumia . A sheet metal with the inscription of the Legio IV Macedonica was found, along with some other bronze objects . The piece is interpreted as part of a ballista , which also includes the ring-shaped finds, which are to be interpreted as clamping bushes. This corresponds with the written sources that confirm the placement and use of the guns on the street in battle. After the Legion fled to Cremona, the valuable metal parts were probably hidden on the road and, for unknown reasons, were not lifted again. The piece is now in the Museo Civico in Cremona.
After the battle, the way to Rome was clear for the Flavians. After the conquest of Rome, the Roman Senate confirmed Vespasian as the legitimate heir to the throne with the lex de imperio Vespasiani.
swell
literature
- Dietwulf Baatz : A catapult of the Legio IV Macedonica from Cremona. In: Dietwulf Baatz: Buildings and catapults of the Roman army. Steiner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-515-06566-0 , pp. 185-206 ( Mavors. Roman army researches 11).
- Peter Connolly : The Roman Army. Neuer Tessloff Verlag 1976, ISBN 3-7886-0180-9 , pp. 52-59.
- Gwyn Morgan: 69 AD The Year of Four Emperors. Oxford University Press, Oxford et al. 2006, ISBN 0-19-512468-5 .
- Edward T. Salomon: A history of the Roman world. From 30 BC to AD 138. 6th edition. Routledge, London et al. 1991, ISBN 0-415-04504-5 , pp. 207ff.
- Colin M. Wells: The Roman Empire. 2nd edition. Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA 1995, ISBN 0-674-77770-0 , p. 158 ( restricted online version (Google Books) ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Historiae III, 23.
- ↑ Historiae III, 27.
- ↑ Historiae III, 32.
- ↑ after Tacitus: Historiae II, 100 and III, 21f.
- ↑ Historiae II, 14
- ↑ On the find see Dietwulf Baatz : A catapult of the Legio IV Macedonica from Cremona. In: D. Baatz: Buildings and catapults of the Roman army. Mavors XI, Steiner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-515-06566-0 , pp. 185-206; For the inscription on the sheet, see H. Dessau: Inscriptiones Latinae selectae 2283.
Coordinates: 45 ° 4 ′ 48 ″ N , 10 ° 7 ′ 48 ″ E