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Introduction (OTL)
The Year of the Four Emperors:
The sixty-ninth year after the birth of Christ was the year of the four emperors, when the acting emperor of the Rome was switched four times after the death of Caesar Nero Claudius. His first replacement as emperor was Galba, the second one was Otho, the third emperor being Vitellius and the last one being Vespasian.
In early 68, the governor of Gallia Lugdunensis, Caius Julius Vindex, rebelled against the unpopular Nero after a new tax policy had been made, declaring that governor Servius Sulpicius Galba should be the new emperor. Vindex’ rebellion was quickly put down by Roman legions from Germania Inferior and officially ended when Caius Julius Vindex killed himself. By June of 68 AD, the senate had enough of Nero and again Galba was declared the new emperor and Nero was declared a public enemy of Rome.
The legions that destroyed Vindex’ rebellion were punished for “obstructing” Galba’s path to emperor and their commander, Lucius Verginius Rufus, was replaced by the new emperor. Aulus Vitellius was appointed the new governor of Germania Inferior (present day Belgium, Luxembourg and the southern half of the Netherlands), causing the Roman Legions in Germania Inferior to lose loyalty to the new emperor as well as causing the local Germanic populace to feel insulted by the loss of political confidence in their people. The Batavians, a sub-tribe of the Chatti that lived in Germania Inferior, known to be the fiercest barbarian warriors by the Romans, even had their Imperial Batavian Bodyguard disbanded.
Galba did not remain popular for long with the people of the Empire, destroying and taking fines from towns that did not accept him as the new emperor. Galba was a paranoid leader and constantly thought that people were plotting to overthrow him, therefore he had many of his political rivals executed. Galba also refused to give rewards to the legions that supported his ascension to power, causing him to become unpopular within the ranks of the army as well. In early 69 a civil war erupted when the legions of Germania Inferior refused to swear allegiance to the new emperor, declaring their governor, Aulus Vitellius, as the new emperor.
Galba was killed by his own Praetorian guard and an ambitious, powerful man, Marcus Salvius Otho, was declared emperor by the senate the same day that Galba died. Even though Otho was not known to be tyrannical or cruel, and was expected to be a fair leader, Vitellius’ legions from Germania Inferior were marching to Italy to seize Rome for Vitellius. Otho, not wanting to start another civil war, sent emissaries to negotiate for peace with Vitellius. It was too late for peace however and Otho’s legions were defeated by the combat-hardened veterans from Vitellius’ legions. Otho then committed suicide rather than fleeing, leaving Vitellius’ as the new emperor.
After Otho committed suicide Vitellius was recognized as the new emperor by the Roman senate. After having tightly secured his position of power, Vitellius held feasts, banquets and parades that left him nearly bankrupt; eventually Vitellius was forced to borrow money. When money lenders started to demand their repayment, Vitellius had them, as well as his political rivals and citizens that opposed him, killed.
Meanwhile in Germania Inferior, the Batavian tribe declared their independence after a high ranking Batavian was executed by the Romans after false charges of rebellion. The Batavians were led by an angry Gaius Julius Civilis, a Batavian Roman citizen whose brother had been executed, and who himself had been falsely accused and imprisoned on charges of betrayal and rebellion twice.
Not long after Vitellius was declared emperor, troops from the provinces of Iudaea, Aegyptus and Syria declared Titus Flavius Vespasianus (Vespasian) the new emperor of Rome. Vespasian was a man who held exclusive military power given to him by Emperor Nero to put down the Jewish revolt. Supported by governors from the Middle-Eastern territories, Vespasian quickly sent an army to seize Rome for himself.
About the Batavians:
The Batavians were a truly unique people from a relatively small tribe (40,000 members approximately), that settled south of the Rhine in the modern day Netherlands, living in small settlements composed of 6-20 houses with Roman fortresses looking over them and with an oppidum (storehouse) in modern day Nijmegen. The Batavian people made their food by cattle-herding and farming, living around riverbeds and swamps that provided them with wet and fertile soil.
The Batavians were originally a pro-Roman part of the Chatti tribe that was forced to leave by the anti-Roman part of the tribe. The Batavians settled down in a small fertile island in modern day Gelderland called “the Betuwe” (meaning “Good Island”); this is one of the reasons why they might have been called “Batavi”.
Instead of paying their taxes to the Romans with coins, the Batavians paid them in soldiers, supplying eight auxiliary cohorts as well as well as several cavalry units (and the disbanded Imperial Batavian Bodyguard) at any given time.
Most of the written information about the Batavians came from the Historiae novels by the Roman historian Gaius Tacticus, who stated that they were the bravest and toughest warriors in all of Germania, being skilled horsemen, boatmen, swimmers as well as superb infantry. The Batavians proved themselves to the Romans in Britannia by serving as amphibious units, aiding the Romans greatly. The first historical report that mentions the Batavians was in the time of Emperor Tiberius when Batavian soldiers aided his army and fought against an army commanded by Arminius himself.
The Batavians were a peaceful tribe that only fought under the Romans (if not against them). The warlike part of their culture can be traced all the way back to the foundation of their tribe, as they claimed to be descended from the Greek hero “Herakles” (Hercules), who supposedly visited the Betuwe during his travels.
Like many Germanic tribes under the Rhine, the Batavians were heavily influenced by the Celts, causing a debate amongst historians whether they should be classified as Germanic or Celtic since they truly had a blend of both cultures. The native tongue of the general Batavian populace was either a local Celtic or Germanic language, although many Batavians were fluent (and some literate) in Latin, due to the fact that every capable male had to serve in the Roman army after becoming 16 years of age.
The Barbarian Uprising:
Meanwhile in Germania Inferior, Gaius Julius Civilis, who also was the commander of Batavian Roman auxiliary cohorts, was looking for a way to distract the Romans. After meeting Brino, the chief of the Cananefates (a neighboring tribe of the Batavians), Civilis convinced him to join their rebellion as well. Soon after the meeting, Cananefatean warriors started attacking Roman forts. The Romans, now fighting in a civil war between Vitellius and Vespasian, were low on manpower and sent a few local auxiliary units to put down the rebellion. The auxiliary units were quickly massacred by Batavian soldiers led by Julius Civilis, who then assumed the position of leader of the Batavians as well as the leader of their new found rebellion.
Infuriated by the defeat of his troops, Flaccus, the supreme commander of the military in Germania Inferior, sent the V Alaudae and the XV Primigenia legions to destroy the Germanics. The two legions were accompanied by three Batavian cavalry units who deserted the Roman army for their own countrymen, lowering the already low morale of the Roman troops. The two Roman legions confronted the small Batavian army by the Oppidum Batavorum (Batavian Storehouse) where the tribe’s treasury was stored. The Romans suffered a crushing defeat and were forced to retreat out of the now Batavian-claimed lands.
Vespasian, fighting a civil war against Vitellius for the position of Roman emperor considered himself blessed by the Germanic rebellion since the rebellion kept Vitellius’ most loyal troops from returning home. Vespasian thus saluted the rebellion and promised the Batavians their independence if he were to become emperor. Civilis used this to justify the rebellion in the eyes of the general Roman populace, saying that the Batavians were fighting for Vespasian against Vitellius’ troops.
After the V Alaudae and the XV Primigenia retreated to the Roman fortress of Castra Vetera, Civilis chose to pursue them and laid siege to the fortress. Castra Vetera was a very well supplied, modern fortress that was nearly impregnable, so Civilis decided to starve out the Roman troops.
On the 21st of December 69, Vespasian won the civil war and was declared the new emperor of Rome. The Romans expected the Batavians to lift the siege now that Vespasian was the new emperor. Julius Civilis however did not care about Vespasian; Civilis cared only about Batavia, a soon to be independent kingdom. Flaccus, now with an actual emperor to serve, start preparing an army to defeat the Batavians besieging Castra Vetera. Civilis however was not going to wait for the Romans to attack, and therefore sent eight cavalry units to ambush the army. When the eight units attacked the Roman army they were completely obliterated. The cavalry units did serve their purpose however, causing enormous losses of man power as well as morale on the Roman army, leaving it a disorganized, fractured wreck.
Knowing that the weakened Roman army (led by Flaccus) would come to liberate Castra Vetera, Civilis abandoned the siege and threatened to attack Moguntiacum, causing the Flaccus to rush his troops there. Upon reaching the unharmed Moguntiacum, Flaccus and his troops went back to Castra Vetera and celebrated the accession of the new emperor Vespasian as well as the liberation of Castra Vetera. Flaccus distributed sums of money to his army for the celebration. The troops however were historically loyal to Vitellius, the former governor of Germania Inferior and took Flaccus’ act of generosity as an offense. Flaccus was murdered by his troops and his second in command deserted his post. With the whole Roman army trapped in Castra Vetera weakened, fractured and confused by its lack of leadership, Civilis saw his chance and attacked it once more.
The legions now helpless were promised a safe escape if they abandoned the fortress and left it to be plundered by the Batavians. The now desperate Roman soldiers accepted Civilis’ terms and surrendered Castra Vetera. Once the Roman army was a few kilometers away from the fortress it was ambushed by other local Germanic troops and was completely annihilated. The Batavians were now freshly armed with all the equipment, weapons and gold left in the fortress of Castra Vetera as well as the gold from the Oppidum Batavorum and a local Roman palace.
In the early part of year 70, things were looking good for Civilis, now reinforced with the eight auxiliary units that had abandoned Vitellius’ army, had dozens of local Germanic allies that had also joined the rebellion. The rebellion even spread to Gaul, with the Trevirans and the Lingones being the first Celtic tribes to declare their independence. Led by Julius Sabinus, the Celts were able to capture two local Roman legions. Soon dozens of other Gallic tribes joined the rebellion, resulting in a complete “barbarian uprising” across Gaul and Germania.
The Fall of the Rebellion:
The barbarian uprisings in Germania and Gaul now posed a serious threat to the Roman Empire. Consequently once Vespasian had the situation in Rome under control, he sent a massive army to crush the rebellion once and for all. Seven legions assembled from all across the Empire and led by Quintus Petillius Cerialiswere sent: the VIII Augusta, the XI Claudia, the XIII Gemina, the XXI Rapax, the II Adiutrix, the VI Victrix and the XIV Gemina. On the news of the approaching army, many tribes in Gaul surrendered (those Frenchies) and the two Roman legions captured by the Celts were released. Several former Germanic allies of Julius Civilis declared their neutrality, leaving only a few tribes in Germania Inferior still fighting the Romans.
Civilis was now desperate, as he was facing one of the biggest armies the Romans had ever assembled with only a small elite army, a small fleet and a few allies. Civilis sent his men to raid the approaching Romans but these minor raids had little effect on the massive army. His men on water were more successful however; capturing the Roman flagship. After hearing about the humiliating loss, Quintus Petillius Cerialis directly invaded the Betuwe. Upon hearing that the Jewish rebellion was over and thus more legions might be coming their way, Civilis made a wise decision and surrendered to the Romans, avoiding mayor bloodshed.
Once all the local tribes had surrendered the Romans renewed their “deal” with Batavians. For safety measures the Romans burned the biggest Batavian city by the Oppidum Batavorum and relocated it to a defenceless spot. The Romans also stationed the X Gemina legion by the Betuwe to ensure peace. The fate of Julius Civilis, the patriot and mastermind behind the rebellion, is unknown, although it is believed that after the rebellion was over he settled in the independent Germanic territories north of his own tribe (Frisia).
The Year of the Four Emperors:
The sixty-ninth year after the birth of Christ was the year of the four emperors, when the acting emperor of the Rome was switched four times after the death of Caesar Nero Claudius. His first replacement as emperor was Galba, the second one was Otho, the third emperor being Vitellius and the last one being Vespasian.
In early 68, the governor of Gallia Lugdunensis, Caius Julius Vindex, rebelled against the unpopular Nero after a new tax policy had been made, declaring that governor Servius Sulpicius Galba should be the new emperor. Vindex’ rebellion was quickly put down by Roman legions from Germania Inferior and officially ended when Caius Julius Vindex killed himself. By June of 68 AD, the senate had enough of Nero and again Galba was declared the new emperor and Nero was declared a public enemy of Rome.
The legions that destroyed Vindex’ rebellion were punished for “obstructing” Galba’s path to emperor and their commander, Lucius Verginius Rufus, was replaced by the new emperor. Aulus Vitellius was appointed the new governor of Germania Inferior (present day Belgium, Luxembourg and the southern half of the Netherlands), causing the Roman Legions in Germania Inferior to lose loyalty to the new emperor as well as causing the local Germanic populace to feel insulted by the loss of political confidence in their people. The Batavians, a sub-tribe of the Chatti that lived in Germania Inferior, known to be the fiercest barbarian warriors by the Romans, even had their Imperial Batavian Bodyguard disbanded.
Galba did not remain popular for long with the people of the Empire, destroying and taking fines from towns that did not accept him as the new emperor. Galba was a paranoid leader and constantly thought that people were plotting to overthrow him, therefore he had many of his political rivals executed. Galba also refused to give rewards to the legions that supported his ascension to power, causing him to become unpopular within the ranks of the army as well. In early 69 a civil war erupted when the legions of Germania Inferior refused to swear allegiance to the new emperor, declaring their governor, Aulus Vitellius, as the new emperor.
Galba was killed by his own Praetorian guard and an ambitious, powerful man, Marcus Salvius Otho, was declared emperor by the senate the same day that Galba died. Even though Otho was not known to be tyrannical or cruel, and was expected to be a fair leader, Vitellius’ legions from Germania Inferior were marching to Italy to seize Rome for Vitellius. Otho, not wanting to start another civil war, sent emissaries to negotiate for peace with Vitellius. It was too late for peace however and Otho’s legions were defeated by the combat-hardened veterans from Vitellius’ legions. Otho then committed suicide rather than fleeing, leaving Vitellius’ as the new emperor.
After Otho committed suicide Vitellius was recognized as the new emperor by the Roman senate. After having tightly secured his position of power, Vitellius held feasts, banquets and parades that left him nearly bankrupt; eventually Vitellius was forced to borrow money. When money lenders started to demand their repayment, Vitellius had them, as well as his political rivals and citizens that opposed him, killed.
Meanwhile in Germania Inferior, the Batavian tribe declared their independence after a high ranking Batavian was executed by the Romans after false charges of rebellion. The Batavians were led by an angry Gaius Julius Civilis, a Batavian Roman citizen whose brother had been executed, and who himself had been falsely accused and imprisoned on charges of betrayal and rebellion twice.
Not long after Vitellius was declared emperor, troops from the provinces of Iudaea, Aegyptus and Syria declared Titus Flavius Vespasianus (Vespasian) the new emperor of Rome. Vespasian was a man who held exclusive military power given to him by Emperor Nero to put down the Jewish revolt. Supported by governors from the Middle-Eastern territories, Vespasian quickly sent an army to seize Rome for himself.
About the Batavians:
The Batavians were a truly unique people from a relatively small tribe (40,000 members approximately), that settled south of the Rhine in the modern day Netherlands, living in small settlements composed of 6-20 houses with Roman fortresses looking over them and with an oppidum (storehouse) in modern day Nijmegen. The Batavian people made their food by cattle-herding and farming, living around riverbeds and swamps that provided them with wet and fertile soil.
The Batavians were originally a pro-Roman part of the Chatti tribe that was forced to leave by the anti-Roman part of the tribe. The Batavians settled down in a small fertile island in modern day Gelderland called “the Betuwe” (meaning “Good Island”); this is one of the reasons why they might have been called “Batavi”.
Instead of paying their taxes to the Romans with coins, the Batavians paid them in soldiers, supplying eight auxiliary cohorts as well as well as several cavalry units (and the disbanded Imperial Batavian Bodyguard) at any given time.
Most of the written information about the Batavians came from the Historiae novels by the Roman historian Gaius Tacticus, who stated that they were the bravest and toughest warriors in all of Germania, being skilled horsemen, boatmen, swimmers as well as superb infantry. The Batavians proved themselves to the Romans in Britannia by serving as amphibious units, aiding the Romans greatly. The first historical report that mentions the Batavians was in the time of Emperor Tiberius when Batavian soldiers aided his army and fought against an army commanded by Arminius himself.
The Batavians were a peaceful tribe that only fought under the Romans (if not against them). The warlike part of their culture can be traced all the way back to the foundation of their tribe, as they claimed to be descended from the Greek hero “Herakles” (Hercules), who supposedly visited the Betuwe during his travels.
Like many Germanic tribes under the Rhine, the Batavians were heavily influenced by the Celts, causing a debate amongst historians whether they should be classified as Germanic or Celtic since they truly had a blend of both cultures. The native tongue of the general Batavian populace was either a local Celtic or Germanic language, although many Batavians were fluent (and some literate) in Latin, due to the fact that every capable male had to serve in the Roman army after becoming 16 years of age.
The Barbarian Uprising:
Meanwhile in Germania Inferior, Gaius Julius Civilis, who also was the commander of Batavian Roman auxiliary cohorts, was looking for a way to distract the Romans. After meeting Brino, the chief of the Cananefates (a neighboring tribe of the Batavians), Civilis convinced him to join their rebellion as well. Soon after the meeting, Cananefatean warriors started attacking Roman forts. The Romans, now fighting in a civil war between Vitellius and Vespasian, were low on manpower and sent a few local auxiliary units to put down the rebellion. The auxiliary units were quickly massacred by Batavian soldiers led by Julius Civilis, who then assumed the position of leader of the Batavians as well as the leader of their new found rebellion.
Infuriated by the defeat of his troops, Flaccus, the supreme commander of the military in Germania Inferior, sent the V Alaudae and the XV Primigenia legions to destroy the Germanics. The two legions were accompanied by three Batavian cavalry units who deserted the Roman army for their own countrymen, lowering the already low morale of the Roman troops. The two Roman legions confronted the small Batavian army by the Oppidum Batavorum (Batavian Storehouse) where the tribe’s treasury was stored. The Romans suffered a crushing defeat and were forced to retreat out of the now Batavian-claimed lands.
Vespasian, fighting a civil war against Vitellius for the position of Roman emperor considered himself blessed by the Germanic rebellion since the rebellion kept Vitellius’ most loyal troops from returning home. Vespasian thus saluted the rebellion and promised the Batavians their independence if he were to become emperor. Civilis used this to justify the rebellion in the eyes of the general Roman populace, saying that the Batavians were fighting for Vespasian against Vitellius’ troops.
After the V Alaudae and the XV Primigenia retreated to the Roman fortress of Castra Vetera, Civilis chose to pursue them and laid siege to the fortress. Castra Vetera was a very well supplied, modern fortress that was nearly impregnable, so Civilis decided to starve out the Roman troops.
On the 21st of December 69, Vespasian won the civil war and was declared the new emperor of Rome. The Romans expected the Batavians to lift the siege now that Vespasian was the new emperor. Julius Civilis however did not care about Vespasian; Civilis cared only about Batavia, a soon to be independent kingdom. Flaccus, now with an actual emperor to serve, start preparing an army to defeat the Batavians besieging Castra Vetera. Civilis however was not going to wait for the Romans to attack, and therefore sent eight cavalry units to ambush the army. When the eight units attacked the Roman army they were completely obliterated. The cavalry units did serve their purpose however, causing enormous losses of man power as well as morale on the Roman army, leaving it a disorganized, fractured wreck.
Knowing that the weakened Roman army (led by Flaccus) would come to liberate Castra Vetera, Civilis abandoned the siege and threatened to attack Moguntiacum, causing the Flaccus to rush his troops there. Upon reaching the unharmed Moguntiacum, Flaccus and his troops went back to Castra Vetera and celebrated the accession of the new emperor Vespasian as well as the liberation of Castra Vetera. Flaccus distributed sums of money to his army for the celebration. The troops however were historically loyal to Vitellius, the former governor of Germania Inferior and took Flaccus’ act of generosity as an offense. Flaccus was murdered by his troops and his second in command deserted his post. With the whole Roman army trapped in Castra Vetera weakened, fractured and confused by its lack of leadership, Civilis saw his chance and attacked it once more.
The legions now helpless were promised a safe escape if they abandoned the fortress and left it to be plundered by the Batavians. The now desperate Roman soldiers accepted Civilis’ terms and surrendered Castra Vetera. Once the Roman army was a few kilometers away from the fortress it was ambushed by other local Germanic troops and was completely annihilated. The Batavians were now freshly armed with all the equipment, weapons and gold left in the fortress of Castra Vetera as well as the gold from the Oppidum Batavorum and a local Roman palace.
In the early part of year 70, things were looking good for Civilis, now reinforced with the eight auxiliary units that had abandoned Vitellius’ army, had dozens of local Germanic allies that had also joined the rebellion. The rebellion even spread to Gaul, with the Trevirans and the Lingones being the first Celtic tribes to declare their independence. Led by Julius Sabinus, the Celts were able to capture two local Roman legions. Soon dozens of other Gallic tribes joined the rebellion, resulting in a complete “barbarian uprising” across Gaul and Germania.
The Fall of the Rebellion:
The barbarian uprisings in Germania and Gaul now posed a serious threat to the Roman Empire. Consequently once Vespasian had the situation in Rome under control, he sent a massive army to crush the rebellion once and for all. Seven legions assembled from all across the Empire and led by Quintus Petillius Cerialiswere sent: the VIII Augusta, the XI Claudia, the XIII Gemina, the XXI Rapax, the II Adiutrix, the VI Victrix and the XIV Gemina. On the news of the approaching army, many tribes in Gaul surrendered (those Frenchies) and the two Roman legions captured by the Celts were released. Several former Germanic allies of Julius Civilis declared their neutrality, leaving only a few tribes in Germania Inferior still fighting the Romans.
Civilis was now desperate, as he was facing one of the biggest armies the Romans had ever assembled with only a small elite army, a small fleet and a few allies. Civilis sent his men to raid the approaching Romans but these minor raids had little effect on the massive army. His men on water were more successful however; capturing the Roman flagship. After hearing about the humiliating loss, Quintus Petillius Cerialis directly invaded the Betuwe. Upon hearing that the Jewish rebellion was over and thus more legions might be coming their way, Civilis made a wise decision and surrendered to the Romans, avoiding mayor bloodshed.
Once all the local tribes had surrendered the Romans renewed their “deal” with Batavians. For safety measures the Romans burned the biggest Batavian city by the Oppidum Batavorum and relocated it to a defenceless spot. The Romans also stationed the X Gemina legion by the Betuwe to ensure peace. The fate of Julius Civilis, the patriot and mastermind behind the rebellion, is unknown, although it is believed that after the rebellion was over he settled in the independent Germanic territories north of his own tribe (Frisia).
