Military History of Late Rome 284-361 by Ilkka Syvanne

Author:Ilkka Syvanne [Syvanne, Ilkka]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: new
ISBN: 9781473871830
Google: vamgCgAAQBAJ
Amazon: B015X3SCKI
Goodreads: 18320388
Publisher: Pen & Sword
Published: 2013-12-01T05:00:00+00:00

The Fruits of Victory: Persecutions 299–305

Maximian was able to return to Italy in 299 where he celebrated a triumph in Rome. It is not known when the provinces of northern Africa were reformed according to Diocletian’s scheme, but his new administrative organization was definitely in place by the time the Verona List was written in about 303. It is therefore probable that the reorganization of the provinces of Africa took place at the same time as Maximian was there. After this Maximian’s vices took over and he spent his remaining years in power in idleness. During this time he managed to alienate the Italian upper classes by terrorizing the Senate. He concocted false charges and sentenced the leading senators to death, confiscated their property, and in the process of doing that he raped whomsoever caught his lusty eyes. In contrast to Diocletian, whose money coffers were always full, Maximian’s fiscal policies continued to be a mess. According to the period sources, he spent more than he earned with the result that he had to resort constantly to extraordinary means to obtain money, which meant stealing from the rich. We have no reasons to suspect that this was not the case. The sources are unanimous regarding Maximian’s personality traits. He was unsuited to be ruler of anything and on top of it all he was not really a good commander because a good general also needed other qualities besides tactical acumen. The raping of hostages that secured peace was something that not even the harsh warriors of Illyria accepted. The hostages were sacrosanct and it was fortunate that Maximian left Africa immediately after he had pacified it and did not linger in the area.

In the meanwhile Constantius had continued his good rule. We have no reasons to suspect this despite the fact that the extant sources would have had every reason to flatter Constantius and his descendants. The sources are quite unanimous regardless of whether these were written by pagans or Christians. Constantius maintained good relations with the leading classes and thereby secured their support for his continued rule. According to Eutropius (10.1), Constantius used to say that private individuals were better guardians of the state’s money than a single imperial vault. One of Constantius’ underlying goals must have been to stress the contrast between his rule and that of Maximian. Constantius’ previous successes enabled him to consolidate his position during the years 297–299, which he seems to have spent well. His next order of things was to take the offensive against the Franks either in 300 or 301, after which he fought off three enemy invasions of the Upper Rhine region between 302 and 304. The Picts definitely raided Britain in 305, but may already have done so in 304 or even before, which also eventually brought a response from Constantius.

According to Eutropius (9.23), at one point in time, which Barnes (1982, 61) dates to the year 302, Constantius was near the city of Lingones (Andematunnum/Langres) when he came across

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