OSPREY. MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES

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A.D. 68. Galba, Governor of Spain, marches onRome and Nero commits suicide. Galba

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. succeeds.B.C. e Ictator, mus u IUS aesar ISassassinated. The civil war which Caesar had

begun in 49 B.C. continues.

29 B.C. Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, great-nephew of the Dictator, succeeds in establish-ing himself as ruler of the Roman world.

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Ghronology

SOME PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN ROMAN

MILITARY HISTORY, FROM THE DEATH OF

CAESAR TO THE REIGN OF TRAJ AN

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27 B.C. Octavianus takes the titles of ,Imp era tor'and 'Augustus' and becomes the first RomanEmperor.

A.D. 9. Three legions under P. Quinctilius Varus-the XVIIth, XVIIIth and XIXth - are des-

troyed in the Teutoburg Forest; a loss ofone-tenth of Rome's legionary strength.

A.D. 14. Augustus Caesar dies and the Rhinelegions mutiny. His successor, TiberiusClaudius Nero, quells the revolt and armyconditions are improved to avoid furthertrouble.

A.D. 37. Tiberius dies and is succeeded by theinsane Gaius Caesar, nicknamed 'Caligula'.

A.D. 41. Gaius is assassinated by the PraetorianGuard at the age of twenty-nine and issucceeded by Tiberius Claudius Drusus.

"A.D. 43. Four legions invade Britain under the

command of Aulus Plautius.

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A.D.54. Claudius is murdered by his wifeAgrip-pina the Younger, who secures the successionfor her son Nero Claudius Caesar DrususGermanicus, who in turn assassinates her inA.D. 59.

A.D.60. The Druids on Mona Insulis are massacred

by Suetonius Paulinus, followed by a seriousrevolt in south-east Britain led by the impla-cable Queen Boudicca.

A.D. 61. Paulinus crushes the Boudiccan Revolt.

A.D. 69. Galba's harshness is resented by thesoldiers and he is assassinated at the age ofsixty-three. Marcus Salvius Otho is pro-claimed Emperor at the same time as AulusVitellius and civil war breaks out. Othocommits suicide after Vitellius defeats him in

battle; he reigned for three months. FlaviusVespasianus marches on Italy from the eastand defeats Vitellius. Flavius Sabinus Vespa-sianus now becomes Emperor and the civilwar ends.

A.D. 79. Vespasianus dies after a stable reign andis succeeded by his son Titus.

A.D. 8 I. Titus dies. He completed the building ofthe great Flavian amphitheatre, the Colos-seum, begun by his father in A.D. 72. Titus issucceeded by his brother Titus Flavius Dom.i-tianus.

A.D. 96. Domitianus is murdered, an unworthyson of a great father. Marcus Cocceius Nervabecomes Emperor and the Flavian dynasty isat an end.

A.D. 98. N erva dies at the age of sixty-six. MarcusUlpius Trajanus succeeds. Trajan was possiblythe finest Roman Emperor and extended theEmpire to its largest geographical size.

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I Legionary, battle order, late Republic2 Legionary, battle order, late Augustan3 Legionary, marching order, late

Augustan

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I Legionary, battle order, Tiberian2 Signifer, battle order, Legio XIV

Gemina, post-Augustan3 Aquilifer, battle order, mid first

century A.D.

MICHAEL YOUENS

MICHAEL YOUENS

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I

I Legionary, battle order, first balf ofthe first century A.D.

2 Aquilifer, battle order, first balf ofthe first century A.D.

3 Centurio, parade order, Legio XIClaudia Pia FideHs, Claudian

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J: Signifer, battle order, AuxiliaCohors V Asturum, first century A.D.

2 Auxiliary, battle order, firstcentury A.D.

3 Auxiliary, battle order, firstcentury A.D.

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I Centurio, battle order, Legio XXValeria, Claudio-Neronian

2 Legionary, marching order, midfirst century A.D.

3 Legionary, battle order, second halfof the first century, Flavian

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I Levantine Sagittarius, battle order,Trajanic

2 Auxiliary, cold climate order,applicable to most dates

3 Legionary, battle order, Trajanic

MICHAEL YOUENS

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MICHAEL YOUENS

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I Cornucen, battle order, Trajanic

2 Army conunander, applicable withslight variations to all dates

3 Auxiliary cavalry, battle order, firstcentury A.D.

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Officer, perhaps a tribunis rnilitaris,Trajanic

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Through their army the Romans not only con-quered new lands, but also brought the benefitsof their civilization and order to countries where

internal wars had become a way of life.Though at times the hand of Rome was respon-

sible for some astounding cruelties - largely the

result of highly placed single individuals or the de-mands of lesser mortals - generally speaking theadvantages to be gained from belonging to the

A section of Trajan's Column relief

Roman world were very great. A man could workhis land secure in the knowledge that a maraudingband from neighbouring tribes would not be per-mitted to carry off the results of his efforts andprobably kill him and his family into the bargain:He could travel from Palmyra in Syria toEburacum in north Britain without a passport and'without ever feeling entirely out of place.

Wherever he went Rome had established minia-

ture versions of the mother city with baths,temples, markets and all the other complexities ofthe 'Roman Way'. For these good things, thelegions were directly responsible, making this aworld in which a man could profit from worthylabour and find contentment.

Thus, the great Pax Romana or Roman Peacemust surely rank among the highest of humanendeavours in history.

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