A History of the Roman People by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Ancient, General, Rome
ISBN: 9781351754705
Google: ZQaQDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2019-04-03T03:00:22+00:00

FIGURE 20.1 The Roman Empire under the Principate. (Provincial Boundaries ca. 180 c.e.).

Solidifying control of the Balkans, Crete, and Cyrene

The Balkan region (extending from Greece north to the middle Danube), Crete, and Cyrene formed a middle zone between the West and the rich provinces of the East. For the previous century, the Romans had concentrated on establishing their power in Asia Minor and the Levant. Now it was time to pay more attention to these intermediate territories, which sat astride the land and sea routes between the East and West.

The Danubian lands, 14 b.c.e. to 6 c.e.

Long overdue was the conquest of the Danubian lands in the northern Balkans. Illyricum (the modern republics of Bosnia, Croatia, and Macedonia; western Hungary; northern Serbia; and eastern Austria) was constantly disturbed by Pannonian and Dacian tribes. In addition, the Dalmatian coastal regions of Illyricum never had been completely pacified. In 13 b.c.e., Marcus Agrippa took over operations begun in the previous year against the Dalmatians and Pannonians. His heart failed during a harsh winter campaign, and Tiberius finished the task in four years of hard fighting from 12 to 9 b.c.e.

In the eastern Balkans, Thracian uprisings and Dacian invasions from across the Danube during 13 b.c.e. forced Augustus to act. Three years of fighting, from 12 to 10 b.c.e., eliminated the threat but depopulated Moesia (Serbia and northern Bulgaria) along the south bank of the Danube from Illyricum to the Black Sea. Eventually, Roman armies rounded up 50,000 Dacians from across the Danube and settled them in the vacant territory.

By these conquests, Augustus moved the frontier of the Empire away from northeastern Italy and greatly shortened communications between the vital Rhineland and the East. Moreover, although less economically valuable than many provinces, the Danubian lands soon proved to be the best recruiting grounds in the Empire. In later centuries, many of the emperors who fought to preserve the Empire from outside attacks came from this region.

Macedonia and Greece

In 27 b.c.e., Augustus separated Greece from Macedonia by creating the senatorial province of Achaea, apparently with Corinth as its capital. This new province included the Cycladic Islands, Aetolia, Acarnania, and part of Epirus. The island of Corcyra, Thessaly, Delphi, Athens, Sparta, and the League of Free Laconians remained technically autonomous.

Crete and Cyrene

The large island of Crete, despite its strategic location and the suppression of its pirates from 69 to 67 b.c.e., had remained independent during subsequent decades. It was not considered profitable enough for anyone to annex. Augustus finally ended this anomaly in 27 b.c.e. by combining Crete with Cyrene to create a proconsular province for a senator of praetorian rank. Cyrene and other prosperous Greek cities on the east coast of North Africa constituted a territory between Africa Proconsularis and Egypt. It had become a dependency of Egypt under the Ptolemies. Although the Romans had inherited the region from its Ptolemaic ruler in 96 b.c.e., they had done little with it until Augustus.

Holding the East

The problems presented by the East differed widely from those of the West.

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