Siege of Apamea

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Siege of Apamea
Date45-44 BC
Location
Apamea, Syria
37°04′00″N 37°53′01″E / 37.0667°N 37.8836°E / 37.0667; 37.8836
Result Pompeian victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Judea
Pompeians
Parthia
Arabs
Commanders and leaders
Lucius Statius Murcus
Quintus Marcius Crispus		 Quintus Caecilius Bassus
Deiotarus
Strength
3 Legions (Approximately 10,000-15,000 men)
Jewish Contingent		 1-2 Legions (Approximately 5,000-10,000 men)
Slaves, Galatians, Parthians, Jewish opponents of Antipater
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

The Siege of Apamea was an abortive siege of Apamea in Syria. Lucius Statius Murcus and Quintus Marcius Crispus led the attempt to capture the city, the equestrian Quintus Caecilius Bassus led its defence.

Prelude

Following

Civil War. Finally, Caesar dealt with Syria by appointing his cousin,[1] Sextus Julius Caesar as governor of the province.[2]

The following year, a Pompeian

mutinies and revolts in Syria, one of which resulted in Sextus being killed.[6][7] Sextus was replaced with acting governor Quintus Cornificius.[8][9]

The death of Sextus put the province into disarray and paved the way for Bassus to grab power. He assembled an army of slaves, vassals, regional kinglets, Parthians, and the Jewish opposition of Antipater of Idumea, including the Galatian Tetrarch, Deiotarus. Bassus then invaded Syria, meeting little resistance and capturing the majority of the province. He placed himself as acting governor, with his own government, administration, and military forces (militia).[10] By now, Caesar had sent reinforcements under Gaius Antistio Veto, who was to replace Cornificius; Veto arrived shortly thereafter and was received cordially by Cornificius.[11] Vetus's army besieged a city loyal to Bassus, and was initially successful, even being hailed as imperator by the troops.[12] However, the Parthian prince Pacorus I and an old ally of the Parthians, the Arabian king Alcaudonius, attacked and drove the Caesarians away from the city, badly bloodied.[13] Caesar immediately ordered another campaign to finally bring Bassus to heel.

Siege

In the later part of 45 BC, Caesar ordered a new campaign led by

Caesar's Civil War.[20][21]

Aftermath

With the end of the siege, Murcus was given command of the fleet, while Crispus went to govern

Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, fought the former Pompeians and assassins of Caesar, led by Cassius and Brutus. The war was ultimately concluded with the Battle of Philippi, and both Cassius and Brutus committed suicide when the battle was lost. Relations between Augustus and Antony broke down, and another civil war occurred, which was won by Augustus, led by the general Agrippa at the Battle of Actium
. Antony committed suicide in Egypt, and Augustus became master of the Roman republic and eventually its first emperor, thus ushering in a new period in Roman history.

Notes

  1. ^ Canfora, 2006: 246
  2. ^ Canfora, 2006: 248
  3. ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History , XLVII, 26
  4. ^ Marcus Tullius Cicero,Epistulae Ad Familiares, XII
  5. ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History , XLVII, 26
  6. ^ Tito Livio & Lucio Aneo Floro, Periocas , CXIV
  7. ^ Appian, Civil War , III, 77
  8. ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History , XLVII, 26,
  9. ^ Knoblet, 2005 pg 33
  10. ^ Knoblet, 2005 pg 33
  11. ^ Canfora, 2006: 264-268
  12. ^ Marcus Tullius Cicero, Epistulae Ad Familiares, XII,
  13. ^ Cicero, Epistulae Ad Atticum , XIV, 9 ; Cassius Dio, Roman History , XLVII, 27, 4
  14. ^ Appian, Civil War , IV, 58, 1 ; Cassius, Roman History , XLVII, 27, 5
  15. ^ Knoblet, 2005: pg. 34
  16. ^ Knoblet, 2005: 33-34
  17. ^ Strabo, Geography, XVI, 2, 10
  18. ^ Knoblet, 2005: pg. 33
  19. ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History , XLVII, 28, 4 ; Appian, Civil War, IV, 59, 1 ; Josephus, Jewish Antiquities , XIV, 11, 2
  20. ^ Appian, Civil War , III, 78, 1
  21. ^ Ussher, 2002: 675

Sources

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Siege_of_Apamea&oldid=1213854684"