Bato I
Encyclopedia
Also known as Bato the Daesitiate. Bato was an Illyria
n warlord who led the Daesitiates in the Great Illyrian revolt
against the Roman Empire
from 6-9 CE.
. Bato belonged to the indigenous Daesitiates tribe, whose homeland was in what is today central Bosnia
, and at the critical point in time he chose to lead his people in their struggle against their Roman occupiers. From 33 BC, the Daesitiates were under Roman rule as a semi-independent peregrine civitas. The civitas of the Daesitiates was part of provincia Illyricum
with its capital in Salona
on the Adriatic coast. Bato was probably a member of a distinguished indigenous family, and as an adult he was probably a political and military official of the Daesitiates.
In 6 CE, the Romans planned to attack the Marcomanni
and for that Augustus ordered the mobilisation of Illyrian auxiliary forces. But in spring the same year Illyrian forces in Bosnia rebelled with Baton as their leader. In the Pannonian region of Illyricum, the Breuci also rebelled. The leader of the Breuci, also named Bato, became leader of the Pannonian rebels. These two centres of resistance united in autumn 6 CE, and the two Batos became war-leaders of an allied rebel army.
Rome sent 10 legions and the same number of auxiliares, allies and mercenary forces to crush the uprising. Many within the legions were Roman war veterans. The supreme commander of all Roman forces was future emperor Tiberius
. Bato the Daesitiate unsuccessfully attempted to take Salona
, and after he was defeated by Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus
, the governor of Illyricum, he withdrew north to join forces with another Bato (Bato II
), the leader of the Breuci. After two years of war, in the summer of 8 CE, Bato of the Breuci surrendered his forces to Tiberius on the bank of the river Bathinus (probably the river Bosna
). Soon afterwards, he was captured by Bato of the Daesitiates, whose assembly put the Bato of the Breuci to death. In the next year, Tiberius and Germanicus
launched an operation against the Daesitiates. After fierce battles in September of 9 CE, only a few days before the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, Bato and the Daesitiates surrendered to Tiberius. It is alleged that when Tiberius asked Bato and the Daesitiates why they had rebelled, Baton was reputed to have answered: "You Romans are to blame for this; for you send as guardians of your flocks, not dogs or shepherds, but wolves." Bato spent the rest of his life in the Italian
town of Ravenna
.
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
n warlord who led the Daesitiates in the Great Illyrian revolt
Great Illyrian revolt
The Great Illyrian Revolt, was a major conflict between an alliance of indigenous communities from Illyricum and Roman forces that lasted for four years beginning in AD 6 and ending in AD 9.-The war:...
against the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
from 6-9 CE.
Background
He was probably born between 35 and 30 BCE in what is today Upper BosniaBosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
. Bato belonged to the indigenous Daesitiates tribe, whose homeland was in what is today central Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
, and at the critical point in time he chose to lead his people in their struggle against their Roman occupiers. From 33 BC, the Daesitiates were under Roman rule as a semi-independent peregrine civitas. The civitas of the Daesitiates was part of provincia Illyricum
Illyricum (Roman province)
The Roman province of Illyricum or Illyris Romana or Illyris Barbara or Illyria Barbara replaced most of the region of Illyria. It stretched from the Drilon river in modern north Albania to Istria in the west and to the Sava river in the north. Salona functioned as its capital...
with its capital in Salona
Salona
Salona was an ancient Illyrian Delmati city in the first millennium BC. The Greeks had set up an emporion there. After the conquest by the Romans, Salona became the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia...
on the Adriatic coast. Bato was probably a member of a distinguished indigenous family, and as an adult he was probably a political and military official of the Daesitiates.
Revolt
Marcomanni
The Marcomanni were a Germanic tribe, probably related to the Buri, Suebi or Suevi.-Origin:Scholars believe their name derives possibly from Proto-Germanic forms of "march" and "men"....
and for that Augustus ordered the mobilisation of Illyrian auxiliary forces. But in spring the same year Illyrian forces in Bosnia rebelled with Baton as their leader. In the Pannonian region of Illyricum, the Breuci also rebelled. The leader of the Breuci, also named Bato, became leader of the Pannonian rebels. These two centres of resistance united in autumn 6 CE, and the two Batos became war-leaders of an allied rebel army.
Rome sent 10 legions and the same number of auxiliares, allies and mercenary forces to crush the uprising. Many within the legions were Roman war veterans. The supreme commander of all Roman forces was future emperor Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
. Bato the Daesitiate unsuccessfully attempted to take Salona
Salona
Salona was an ancient Illyrian Delmati city in the first millennium BC. The Greeks had set up an emporion there. After the conquest by the Romans, Salona became the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia...
, and after he was defeated by Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus
Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus
Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus was the son of the Roman famous orator Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, whom he resembled in character, and wife Calpurnia.He was a senator and consul in 3 BC and AD 3...
, the governor of Illyricum, he withdrew north to join forces with another Bato (Bato II
Bato II
Bato II was an Illyrian warlord who led the Breuci in the Great Illyrian revolt against the Roman Empire. Bato II joined his rebel forces with those led by Bato I. After facing defeat, he surrendered to Tiberius in 8 CE on the bank of the Bosnian river...
), the leader of the Breuci. After two years of war, in the summer of 8 CE, Bato of the Breuci surrendered his forces to Tiberius on the bank of the river Bathinus (probably the river Bosna
Bosna
The Bosna is the third longest river in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is considered one of the country's three major internal rivers, along with the Neretva and Vrbas Rivers; the other three major rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina are the Una, to the northwest, the Sava, to the north, and the Drina,...
). Soon afterwards, he was captured by Bato of the Daesitiates, whose assembly put the Bato of the Breuci to death. In the next year, Tiberius and Germanicus
Germanicus
Germanicus Julius Caesar , commonly known as Germanicus, was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and a prominent general of the early Roman Empire. He was born in Rome, Italia, and was named either Nero Claudius Drusus after his father or Tiberius Claudius Nero after his uncle...
launched an operation against the Daesitiates. After fierce battles in September of 9 CE, only a few days before the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, Bato and the Daesitiates surrendered to Tiberius. It is alleged that when Tiberius asked Bato and the Daesitiates why they had rebelled, Baton was reputed to have answered: "You Romans are to blame for this; for you send as guardians of your flocks, not dogs or shepherds, but wolves." Bato spent the rest of his life in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
town of Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
.
Sources
- Velleius Paterculus II, CX, 4-5.
- Ovid, Ex Ponto, II, I, 46.
- SuetoniusSuetoniusGaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
. Tib. 20. - Cassius Dio (LV, 29, 2; LV, 32, 3; LV, 34, 4; LVI, 12, 2-3; LVI, 13, 2; LVI, 16, 1-3).
- StraboStraboStrabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
Geography (VII, 5, 3), and inscription CIL V 3346 Verona.