Siege of Segusio
Siege of Segusio | |||||||
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Part of Civil wars of the Tetrarchy | |||||||
Roman Empire (311) | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Constantinian forces | Maxentian forces | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Constantine the Great | Unknown | ||||||
Casus belli: Avenge the death of Maxentius' father. |
The siege of Segusio (
The siege of Segusio was the first of many battles that took place in the Italian peninsula, in all of them Constantine was victorious. With the capture of the city after subjecting it to a siege,[2] the victorious emperor was able to continue his march through the interior of the peninsula until he reached Augusta Taurinorum, where he fought the Battle of Turin against the forces of Maxentius.[3]
Background
At the end of the 3rd century, the Roman Empire was divided into East and West, and each part was ruled by an Augustus, or major emperor, and a Caesar, or minor emperor. After the Augustus of the East, Galerius, bestowed the dignity of Caesar on Maxentius (r. 306–312), son of Emperor Maximian Herculius (r. 285–305, 310), he married Galerius' daughter, Valeria Maximilla. On October 28, 306, Maxentius proclaimed himself princeps. The following year, the young emperor assumed the title of Augustus, forcing his father Maximian to ratify it to give his rule the appearance of legitimacy.[4]
As soon as Galerius heard of his son-in-law's actions, he sent Emperor Flavius Severus to put down the rebellion. Maxentius, with the help of a ruse by his father Maximian, managed to take Severus prisoner. When Flavius Severus died,[4][5] Galerius invaded Italy to try to avenge his death, but realizing that Maxentius would be trying to win over his army, he chose not to trust his own troops and withdrew.[4][5]
Between 308 and 310, Maximian tried to assume all power, to the detriment of his son Maxentius, without achieving his goal. He then tried to win Constantine to his cause, but this plan also failed, then he tried to win Diocletian to his side at Carnuntum. When his intrigues were frustrated, Maximian Herculius returned to the side of his son-in-law Constantine in Gaul,[4] where he died in 310 after being implicated in a plot against him.[6][7] The following year, Maxentius, demanding revenge for the death of his father, declared war on Constantine, who, in response, invaded northern Italy, mobilizing 40,000 soldiers, according to some sources.[8][9] According to the chronicles of the historian Zosimus, the Constantinian forces consisted of 90,000 legionaries and 8,000 horsemen.[1]
Battle and consequences
The first town
Rather than bow to the invading army, the citizens of Segusio closed their gates to Constantine. The emperor then ordered his men to set fire to its great gates and scale its walls. The city was quickly taken, but Constantine prevented his troops from sacking the city, preferring to continue his advance into the interior of Italy.[11][12]
With the conquest of
Subsequently, a series of triumphs would follow, as in
See also
References
- ^ a b Ridley (2017, II.15.1)
- ^ a b Cameron (2001, p. 61)
- ^ a b Jones (1978, pp. 70–71)
- ^ a b c d DiMaio (1997a)
- ^ a b DiMaio (1996b)
- ^ DiMaio (1997b)
- ^ Barnes (1981, pp. 34–35)
- ^ Anonymous (3rd-4th centuries, (9) 5.1-3)
- ^ a b MacMullen (1969, p. 71)
- ^ Odahl (2004, p. 96)
- ^ Barnes (1981, p. 41)
- ^ Odahl (2004, p. 101)
- ^ Jones (1978, p. 70)
- ^ Odahl (2004, pp. 101–102)
- ^ Odahl (2004, pp. 102, 317–318)
- ^ Barnes (1981, pp. 41–42)
- ^ Odahl (2004, p. 103)
- ^ Lenski (2006, p. 69)
- ^ a b Barnes (1981, p. 42)
- ^ Odahl (2004, p. 104)
- ^ Jones (1978, p. 71)
- ^ Curran (2000, p. 67)
- ^ Barnes (1981, p. 43)
- ^ MacMullen (1969, p. 78)
Bibliography
- Anonymous (3rd-4th centuries). Panegyrici Latini.
- ISBN 978-0-674-16531-1.
- Curran, John (2000). Pagan City and Christian Capital. ISBN 0-19-815278-7.
- Cameron, Averil (2001). El Bajo Imperio romano (284-430 d. de C.) (in Spanish). Translated by Carbajosa, Pablo. Ediciones Encuentro. ISBN 8474906202.
- DiMaio, Michael (1996b). "Galerius (305-311 A.D.)". Salve Regina University.
- — (1997a). "Maxentius (306-312 A.D.)". Salve Regina University.
- — (1997b). "Maximianus Herculius (286-305 A.D)". Salve Regina University.
- ISBN 0802063691.
- Lenski, Noel Emmanuel (2006). The Cambridge companion to the Age of Constantine. ISBN 0-521-52157-2.
- ISBN 0-7099-4685-6.
- Odahl, Charles Matson (2004). Constantine and the Christian Empire. ISBN 0-415-38655-1.
- Ridley, Ronald T. (2017). Zosimus, New History. A Translation with Commentary. ISBN 9780959362602.