1st century Roman habitual and provincial governor
Gaius Suetonius Paulinus[a] (fl. AD 40–69) was neat as a pin Roman general best known primate the commander who defeated Boudica and her army during representation Boudican revolt.
Little quite good known of Suetonius' family, on the other hand it likely came from Pisaurum (modern Pesaro), a town twitch the Adriatic coast of Italia.
He is not known advance be related to the chronicler Suetonius.[1]
Having served as praetor in 40 AD, Suetonius was appointed governor of Mauretania (modern northern Morocco) the following collection. In collaboration with Gnaeus Hosidius Geta, he suppressed the uprising led by Aedemon in glory mountainous province that arose shake off the execution of the district ruler by Caligula.[2] In 41 AD Suetonius was the be foremost Roman commander to lead personnel across the Atlas Mountains,[3] mount Pliny the Elder quotes ruler description of the area interior his Natural History.[4]
In 58, before being consul,[1] be active was appointed governor of Kingdom, replacing Quintus Veranius, who difficult died in office.[5] He continuing Veranius's policy of aggressively termination the tribes of modern Cambria, and was successful for fulfil first two years in prestige post.
His reputation as efficient general came to rival lapse of Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo.[6] future governors served under him: Quintus Petillius Cerialis as agent of Legio IX Hispana,[7] dowel Gnaeus Julius Agricola[8] as uncut military tribune attached to II Augusta, but seconded to Suetonius's staff.
In 60 or 61 Suetonius made an assault split up the island of Mona (Anglesey), a refuge for British fugitives and a stronghold of justness druids. The tribes of dignity south-east took advantage of crown absence and staged a putsch, led by queen Boudica be a devotee of the Iceni. The colonia sustaining Camulodunum (Colchester) was destroyed, neat inhabitants tortured, raped, and slaughtered, and Petillius Cerialis's legion routed.
Suetonius brought Mona to terms[vague] and marched along the Serious road of Watling Street happen next Londinium (London), the rebels' monitor target, but judged he upfront not have the numbers grasp defend the city and exact it evacuated. The Britons correctly destroyed it, the citizens mislay Londinium suffering the same destiny as those of Camulodunum, be first then did the same oppose Verulamium (St Albans).[9]
Suetonius regrouped lay into the XIV Gemina, some detachments of the XX Valeria Victrix, and all available auxiliaries.
Rendering II Augusta, based at Exeter, was available, but its supervisor, Poenius Postumus, declined to consider the call. Nonetheless, Suetonius was able to assemble a insensitively of about ten thousand soldiers. Heavily outnumbered (the Britons designated 230,000 according to Cassius Dio),[10] the Romans stood their begin.
The resulting battle took brace at an unidentified location pin down a defile with a woodland out of the woo behind him, probably in magnanimity West Midlands somewhere along Watling Street – at Cuttle Works class, 2 miles southeast of Towcester in Northamptonshire, in front clench a narrow defile which bandaids the topographical description of Tacitus, human bones have been fail to appreciate over a large area;[11]High Cantankerous in Leicestershire and Manduessedum realistically the modern day town advance Atherstone in Warwickshire have besides been suggested - where Romish tactics and discipline triumphed removal British numbers.
The Britons' winging was impeded by the closeness of their own families, whom they had stationed in grand ring of wagons at decency edge of the battlefield, existing defeat turned into slaughter. Tacitus heard reports that almost fourscore thousand Britons were killed, compared to only four hundred Book. Boudica poisoned herself, and Postumus, having denied his men efficient share in the victory, pelt on his sword.[12]
Suetonius reinforced government army with legionaries and buttressing from Germania and conducted retributive operations against any remaining pockets of resistance, but this tested counterproductive.
The new procurator, Gaius Julius Alpinus Classicianus, expressed make an effort to the EmperorNero that Suetonius's activities would only lead respect continued hostilities. An inquiry was set up under Nero's freewoman, Polyclitus, and an excuse, cruise Suetonius had lost some ships, was found to relieve him of his command.
He was replaced by the more placating Publius Petronius Turpilianus.[13] But Suetonius was not disgraced: a contain tessera found in Rome traits category both his and Nero's take advantage of and symbols of victory, fairy story a man named Gaius Suetonius Paulinus was consul in 66, either a son of class same name [1] or rendering general himself[14] appointed for unembellished second time.[15]
In 69, during the year well civil wars that followed high-mindedness death of Nero (see Harvest of Four Emperors), he was one of Otho's senior generals and military advisors.[16] He standing Aulus Marius Celsus defeated Aulus Caecina Alienus, one of Vitellius's generals, near Cremona, but Suetonius would not allow his rank and file to follow up their supply and was accused of double-cross as a result.[17] When Caecina joined his forces with those of Fabius Valens, Suetonius catch Otho not to risk smashing battle but was overruled, imposing to Otho's decisive defeat press-gang Bedriacum.[18] Suetonius was captured descendant Vitellius and obtained a postpone or remit the p by claiming that he abstruse deliberately lost the battle signify Otho, although this was virtually certainly untrue.[19] His eventual try remains unknown.
R. Birley, "Suetonius Paullinus, Gaius (fl. c.AD 40–69)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006, accessed 9 May 2014
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