Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Soldiers stationed in Nazareth in 5-4 BCE
#1
The closest threads I could find on this topic were this and this. One of them even has a similar post. Thanks again everyone who posted on my first thread.

Would there have been soldiers stationed in Nazareth rather than in Sepphoris as such in 5-4 BCE? All I can really find on the situation in 4 BCE was that Varus sent cohorts from legions based in Syria (X Fretensis, III Gallica, and XII Fulminata) to crush the revolt, 2000 rebels were crucified and that Sepphoris was burnt to the ground, with those who weren't crucified being sold into slavery. Also, I'm a little unclear on whether a 14/15/16 year old could have served as an actual soldier rather than helping out around the camp, although from reading various threads on this forum it does seem plausible but very rare since the usual age was about 18. Could a man younger than the usual age actually fight, or was the chance of this happening very slim? The estimated birthdate for Abdes Pantera that I found --- no source cited --- is c. 22 BCE. Estimated year of death is 40 CE.

If anyone wants to read the novel once it's done, PM me.
The road goes ever on
Reply
#2
Quote:Would there have been soldiers stationed in Nazareth rather than in Sepphoris as such in 5-4 BCE?

Probably not. As far as I'm aware, Nazareth was a pretty small and insignificant place. Nobody even mentions it (outside of the bible, obviously) for centuries after your date.



Quote:a 14/15/16 year old could have served as an actual soldier

Quite possibly. As you'll have seen, there are inscriptions giving ages at enlistment in that range. A youth would not be enlisted if he was incapable of serving, so presumably these individuals were rather mature for thier age!
Nathan Ross
Reply
#3
Because there are no mentions of it some people even think it didn't exist :o
The road goes ever on
Reply
#4
Quote:Because there are no mentions of it some people even think it didn't exist :o

Related to the second one: Would near Nazareth, rather than in it, be more plausible?
The road goes ever on
Reply
#5
Quote:some people even think it didn't exist

Some people are determined to disbelieve everything they read...


Quote:Would near Nazareth, rather than in it, be more plausible?

Still not very likely, I'm afraid. The practice of stationing small groups of soldiers (called stationarii) in towns and villages around the provinces was quite common, especially in the eastern empire - such men did all kinds of things, from local paramilitary policing to directing traffic and maintaining the imperial post.

But this was only done within settled Roman provinces. In 4BC Galilee was still part of a client kingdom; it had no regular Roman garrison, which is why troops were sent from Syria. Perhaps in the aftermath of the revolt small parties of soldiers might have combed the area conducting reprisals and so on, but they would not have remained long in a potentially hostile region.
Nathan Ross
Reply
#6
In that case, where would an auxiliary soldier taking part in suppressing the revolt have been stationed?
The road goes ever on
Reply
#7
Quote:In that case, where would an auxiliary soldier taking part in suppressing the revolt have been stationed?

Josephus's account (In Jewish War, book II) suggests that Varus treated the uprising as a war, and marched his army in regular column. He was based initially at Ptolemais (Acre/Akko) on the coast, and could have reached Sepphoris from there in a day or two's march; J later mentioned that Varus camped (or 'bivouacked') near the village of Arous during his march south through Samaria. This probably means that the Roman force were building marching camps, rather than billeting themselves on the civilian population.

A little later, J says that Varus sacked and destroyed all the villages around Sappho, during his advance on Emmaus; this could mean that this was a one-off, or that Varus had been sacking all the settlements along his line of march. In which case, Nazareth too could have been hit around the same time as Sepphoris. But I still don't see evidence for Roman troops remaining in the area for any great length of time: Varus seems to have been in hurry to head south and relieve his legion in Jerusalem.
Nathan Ross
Reply
#8
Thanks for that, Nathan.
The road goes ever on
Reply
#9
Not really related, but if a fourteen-year-old boy could join the army, could a thirteen-year-old girl be a camp follower, or were those usually older?
The road goes ever on
Reply
#10
Out of general interest, was the situation in 4 BCE a crisis?
The road goes ever on
Reply
#11
If you believe that Herod the Great died in 4 BC (and there is significant evidence that he actually died a few weeks after the eclipse of 10 January 1 BC - http://askelm.com/star/star011.htm) then there was significant unrest - so much so that Varus led 3 legions into Judea to put it down - http://www.teamultimedia.com/war-of-varus.html
Reply
#12
(03-07-2016, 09:16 PM)Banzai Wrote: there was significant unrest - so much so that Varus led 3 legions into Judea to put it down

That's the subject of this thread, isn't it?
Nathan Ross
Reply
#13
(02-28-2015, 10:22 PM)Sigurdrifa Wrote: Out of general interest,  was the situation in 4 BCE a crisis?

(03-07-2016, 10:15 PM)Nathan Ross Wrote:
(03-07-2016, 09:16 PM)Banzai Wrote: there was significant unrest - so much so that Varus led 3 legions into Judea to put it down

That's the subject of this thread, isn't it?

Hmmm... looks like it is "Soldiers stationed in Nazareth in 5-4 BCE" to me.
Reply
#14
(03-09-2016, 04:34 AM)Banzai Wrote: Hmmm... looks like it is "Soldiers stationed in Nazareth in 5-4 BCE" to me.

Yes, but in the context of the war you mentioned. As the first post says - "in 4 BCE... Varus sent cohorts from legions based in Syria... to crush the revolt".
Nathan Ross
Reply
#15
(02-28-2015, 10:22 PM)Sigurdrifa Wrote: Out of general interest, was the situation in 4 BCE a crisis?

(03-09-2016, 10:57 AM)Nathan Ross Wrote:
(03-09-2016, 04:34 AM)Banzai Wrote: Hmmm... looks like it is "Soldiers stationed in Nazareth in 5-4 BCE" to me.

Yes, but in the context of the war you mentioned. As the first post says - "in 4 BCE... Varus sent cohorts from legions based in Syria... to crush the revolt".

Perhaps I should have answered the question, "was the situation in 4 BCE a crisis" with merely "Yes" and that would have obviated any need for quibbling.
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Alae stationed in Novaesium (Neuss) claste 0 423 05-04-2019, 12:11 AM
Last Post: claste
  Units stationed at Luguvalium? Adriangunn 2 1,659 09-06-2015, 05:47 PM
Last Post: Adriangunn
  where was 9th legion stationed during Jewish wars Petertimber 4 1,599 10-24-2014, 11:54 AM
Last Post: Renatus

Forum Jump: