Corocotta
Encyclopedia
According to several historians of the 20th century, Corocotta was a Cantabrian
warrior leader during the 1st century BC. His great achievement was the union of the disperse Cantabri clans in an alliance against the invading Roman
armies, to the great exasperation of the powerful empire.
He fought against Rome from the years 29 BC
to 19 BC
. The Roman historian Dio Cassius
relates the story of this robber who caused numerous difficulties for the Roman Army
. Such was his fame that during the campaign of Emperor Augustus in Cantabria
from 26
-25 BC
, a price of 200,000 sestercii
was put on his head. To the emperor's astonishment, none other than Corocotta himself walked into the Roman camp, presenting himself and demanding the reward. In a gesture to Corocotta's bravery, the Augustus let him go after granting him the money.
(books 53 and 54) but in 56, after Augustus’s death, cited as an example of his clemency. She comes to the conclusion that this short text does not support the translation and Adolf Schulten
's interpretation that has received widespread support in both Spain and internationally since 1943. . Probably Corocotta was neither a hero, nor Cantabri
or Hispanic
, nor did he have any relationship with the famous wars. She argues that there does not even exist a concrete basis for the anecdote, and therefore for his visiting a Roman camp. She concludes that Corocotta must have been rather a bandit, probably of North African origin who, with the nickname of "The Hyena" (cp. Gr. krokóttas, cf. “The Jackal”), was operating successfully in Iberia. The amount of the reward for his apprehension is also erroneous in many translations: Dión's Greek text says "πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι μυριάδας", i.e. "two hundred fifty thousand", more probably of sesterces. In short, possibly what we have is an "historiographic ghost".
Cantabri
The Cantabri were a pre-Roman Celtic people which lived in the northern Atlantic coastal region of ancient Hispania, from the 4th to late 1st centuries BC.-Origins:...
warrior leader during the 1st century BC. His great achievement was the union of the disperse Cantabri clans in an alliance against the invading Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
armies, to the great exasperation of the powerful empire.
He fought against Rome from the years 29 BC
29 BC
Year 29 BC was either a common year starting on Friday or Saturday or a leap year starting on Thursday, Friday or Saturday of the Julian calendar and a leap year starting on Thursday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
to 19 BC
19 BC
Year 19 BC was either a common year starting on Thursday, Friday or Saturday or a leap year starting on Thursday or Friday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Wednesday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
. The Roman historian Dio Cassius
Dio Cassius
Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek...
relates the story of this robber who caused numerous difficulties for the Roman Army
Roman army
The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
. Such was his fame that during the campaign of Emperor Augustus in Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
from 26
26 BC
Year 26 BC was either a common year starting on Tuesday or Wednesday or a leap year starting on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Monday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
-25 BC
25 BC
Year 25 BC was either a common year starting on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday or a leap year starting on Wednesday or Thursday of the Julian calendar and a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
, a price of 200,000 sestercii
Sestertius
The sestertius, or sesterce, was an ancient Roman coin. During the Roman Republic it was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions...
was put on his head. To the emperor's astonishment, none other than Corocotta himself walked into the Roman camp, presenting himself and demanding the reward. In a gesture to Corocotta's bravery, the Augustus let him go after granting him the money.
Revision
Recently a Spanish scholar has carried out a review of the Greek text of Cassius Dio LVI, 43, 3, in which she emphasizes, first, that the anecdote (the only ancient reference on Corocotta) is not in Dio's statements on the Cantabrian warsCantabrian Wars
The Cantabrian Wars occurred during the Roman conquest of the modern provinces of Cantabria, Asturias and León, against the Asturs and the Cantabri. They were the final stage of the conquest of Hispania.-Antecedents:...
(books 53 and 54) but in 56, after Augustus’s death, cited as an example of his clemency. She comes to the conclusion that this short text does not support the translation and Adolf Schulten
Adolf Schulten
Adolf Schulten was a German historian and archaeologist.Schulten was born in Elberfeld, Rhine Province, and received a Doctorate in Geology from the University of Bonn in 1892. He studied in Italy, Africa and Greece with support from the Institute of Archaeology...
's interpretation that has received widespread support in both Spain and internationally since 1943. . Probably Corocotta was neither a hero, nor Cantabri
Cantabri
The Cantabri were a pre-Roman Celtic people which lived in the northern Atlantic coastal region of ancient Hispania, from the 4th to late 1st centuries BC.-Origins:...
or Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
, nor did he have any relationship with the famous wars. She argues that there does not even exist a concrete basis for the anecdote, and therefore for his visiting a Roman camp. She concludes that Corocotta must have been rather a bandit, probably of North African origin who, with the nickname of "The Hyena" (cp. Gr. krokóttas, cf. “The Jackal”), was operating successfully in Iberia. The amount of the reward for his apprehension is also erroneous in many translations: Dión's Greek text says "πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι μυριάδας", i.e. "two hundred fifty thousand", more probably of sesterces. In short, possibly what we have is an "historiographic ghost".