The Galatians by John D Grainger;

Author:John D Grainger; [Grainger;, John D]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History / Military / Ancient
ISBN: 9781526770684
Publisher: Casemate
Published: 2020-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Galatia and its Wars

The essential element to note for the history of the Galatians for the two centuries after their settlement in Asia Minor is that they remained as three distinct ‘tribes’, each of which, once it was occupying a specific territory, was actually an independent state. They had arrived as three separate mobile states, which divided the Seleukid enemy’s territory into three areas from which each conducted separate military operations.

Just as it is necessary to avoid the term ‘tribe’ in referring to each Galatian political entity, it is also necessary to avoid the word ‘raid’ in referring to the Galatians’ military exploits. Both are denigratory and imply a lack of organization and intelligent direction. Their ‘raids’ were, in fact, military campaigns with specific objects in view. They were conducted in a particular way, which their Greek opponents did not like – the mass charge, naked champions, and so on – but this does not make them any the less military. The one set of battles we are informed of in detail – against Vulso’s army in 189 – show evidence of advance planning and firm command. They were in fact not very good at battles, and their victories were very few. Their original aim, as already remarked, was to secure a territory on which to settle; afterwards they aimed at retaining those territories.

It became clear very soon in their first Asian campaigns that the land from the Aegean coast to Armenia was already divided among existing states. It was going to be necessary therefore for each tribe to persuade at least one of the established states to agree to allot them land. At that point peace could be made, and presumably the tribe and the allotting state would become allies.

The land they gained was in the interior of the peninsula, high above sea level, dry in summer, cold in winter. The Tolistobogii were first, by a treaty with Antiochos I in 274 after the Elephant Victory.1 They took over the upper valley of the Sangarios River, including the town of Gordion and the temple town of Pessinos. The Tektosages continued raiding for some years, but it seems probable that the Trokmoi were settled by treaty at the same time as the Tolistobogii. The Trokmoi took a large area east of the Halys River, with a centre at Tavion. The Tektosages were allotted land between the other two tribes by Mithradates I of Pontos in the early 260s, including Ankyra; this must have been organized before 266, when Mithradates died. By that date all three had taken over their new homelands.

This was all achieved, first by a suspension of fighting by a truce, then by a treaty agreed between tribal leaders and the king. Technically, this will have made the new Galatians in some way subjects of the king, since it was part of his kingdom they were receiving. This was perhaps of little account, for the Tektosages were settled by Mithradates but on Seleukid land, and the Trokmoi were settled on land which may not have been part of any kingdom.

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