03-24-2013, 10:00 PM
Hi, in regard to the Iazyges. I have a few questions that maybe someone could help me with.
When the Iazyges were defeated by Marcus Aurelius they had to hand over 8000 cavalry of which 5500 were sent to Britain. What happened to the other 2500 horsemen? A friend told me they were sent to Egypt but I can't find anything about their deployment.
Another question is how do you make a semi-nomadic horseman hand himself over leaving his family behind where unlike a farmer or town dweller he can just pack his wagon and move away from the reach of the Romans? I assume that hostage taking was the Roman way but I don't really know.
Were the Iazyges allowed to transport their families with them?
I only ask because although he defeated the Iazyges Marcus Aurelius needed to conclude a treaty quickly to deal with a revolt in the East could they have wrung some extra conditions out of the Romans even though the Rebel leader Avidius Cassius was murdered by his own troops so he had to go with an army to consolidate his position. Would he have taken Marcomanni and Iazyges with him. (If I had to travel through rebellious provinces I wouldn't trust the Eastern Army.)
I read where he had trouble with Iazyges after 175AD so the Iazyges must have still been a military threat to him so did he get his 8000 in one go or was it phased (the logistics of moving 8000 horsemen through the war ravaged empire would have been tremendous) as he finally let the Iazyges trade near the Danube and trade with Roxolani (which is what they wanted since Trajan cut them off when he conquered Dacia), after 179AD as though certain conditions were met after full transfer of horsemen or something. Any help with sources would be appreciated.
When the Iazyges were defeated by Marcus Aurelius they had to hand over 8000 cavalry of which 5500 were sent to Britain. What happened to the other 2500 horsemen? A friend told me they were sent to Egypt but I can't find anything about their deployment.
Another question is how do you make a semi-nomadic horseman hand himself over leaving his family behind where unlike a farmer or town dweller he can just pack his wagon and move away from the reach of the Romans? I assume that hostage taking was the Roman way but I don't really know.
Were the Iazyges allowed to transport their families with them?
I only ask because although he defeated the Iazyges Marcus Aurelius needed to conclude a treaty quickly to deal with a revolt in the East could they have wrung some extra conditions out of the Romans even though the Rebel leader Avidius Cassius was murdered by his own troops so he had to go with an army to consolidate his position. Would he have taken Marcomanni and Iazyges with him. (If I had to travel through rebellious provinces I wouldn't trust the Eastern Army.)
I read where he had trouble with Iazyges after 175AD so the Iazyges must have still been a military threat to him so did he get his 8000 in one go or was it phased (the logistics of moving 8000 horsemen through the war ravaged empire would have been tremendous) as he finally let the Iazyges trade near the Danube and trade with Roxolani (which is what they wanted since Trajan cut them off when he conquered Dacia), after 179AD as though certain conditions were met after full transfer of horsemen or something. Any help with sources would be appreciated.
Michael Kerr
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
