Julian and the invasion of Persia

[TITVS SABATINVS AQVILIVS]

I'd like very much to discuss that right now, however I have to leave for about ten days. No time, so...

A soon as I'll come back here we'll can resume all the subject. In the meanwhile I hope in other members' knowledge too!

Vale,

[Mithras]

Look forward to it!

[Robert Vermaat]

I think that some units, many even the bulk of the invasion force, had already been assembled by Constantius, whose plan it was to attack the Persians. He had after been asking for troops from Julian's commands, and we know for instance that the Tricesimani (former Legio XXX from Xanten) was present at the siege of Amida in 359.

Julian had marched from Augst in the summer of 361 with about 23.000 men, the bulk of the Gallic army. Apparently, by this time Constantius had moved a great deal of his forces from Illyrium and and the Danube are into the Orient for his invasion. But when he died on November 3rd, 361, Julian turned Constantius' troops around again, and most probably added his own expeditionary force to them, after he wintered in Constantinople and took the next year to get his rule in order and to assemble the last troops. According to Zosimus, the combined armies numbered 65.000 men when Julian set out on march 5th, 363.

Campaign map from Wikpedia (German version):

Link to the enlarged version.

[Mithras]

Thanks for the map, Robert, and for the assesment of both numbers and intent. Of course it makes sense that the army and probably the invasion plan, was already waiting for Julian. I had not thought about the build-up before ...

For an invasion 'beyond the Empire' what is the preciedent as far as troop units are concerned, Robert? The field armies I assume, would form the core of a force. Would JUlian be rash enough yo take the Gallic field army with him to Iraq, as well as the Eastern?

[Robert Vermaat]

Yes, Julian would have taken both of them along. The reasons seem obvious; he won't had reason to trust the eastern forces, who had after all been loyal to Constantius for a long time. Success on the battlefield might have eased the tension, but of course he would have taken his loyal Western forces along.

According to Hoffmann, the expeditionary force involved about half of all the troops north of the mediterranean. I expect that almost all the limitanei from the Eastern provinces may also have been involved. The campaign cost a lot of casulaties (including, or maybe mainly) a great many who perished in the winter marsh back across Anatolia. However, a claim that only 10% had returned can be dimissed - that figure would dwarf the losses at Adrianople!

Hoffmann, working from what he judged to be the first great split of the army between East and West in 364, worked backwards to determine which units of the field army had returned with Jovian (plus others that stayed put but were in the area of the split operation). These are the first units split into seniores and iuniores. It's clear that units in Italy, Gaul and Britain were too far away to be involved.

[Mithras]

I've Googled Hoffman, Robert, but can't pin down any academic writing about Julian's campaign. Who is he? Did he write a book, or a paper.? Any help is very gratefully recieved!

[Robert Vermaat]

Who is he? Did he write a book, or a paper?

ARGH!! hock:
(Robert drops to the floor with a heart attack).


(recovers)

You really don't know the man? This is THE book:
Hoffmann, Dietrich (1969): Das Spätrömische Bewegungsheer und die Notitia Dignitatum, 2 vols., Epigraphische Studien 1, (Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn).

I'm fortunate enough to be able to read German....

[Mithras]

Oh, I guess he is very famous ! hock:

I feel like I'm missing out on very valuable information.... :x

[Mithras]

"The winter march through Anatolia", that is not mentioned in Ammianus is it? I remember the narrative skipped the march from N.Iraq straight to Antioch where it continued with Jovian's death. I'm at work now, and cannot check my text. The march continued west? And there were more casualties?

If so - grim. What a disaster!

[Robert Vermaat]

Sorry for the late reply.

After Julian's death (June 26 363), the Roman army leaves Persia, but not at once.
Julian's Corps marches north under the new emperor Jovian, who concludes a shameful peace with Shapur. Sebastian's Corps meanwhile had hardly moved from its position in the north, and both armies meet near Singara, after which the united army marches past Nisibis to Antioch.
Not to winter there, because the march continues through Asia Minor, until they reach the coast before Constantinople in February. (Philostorgios VIII.8) . This later Byzantine author wrote that Jovian only commanded the sorry remains of an army that hardly survived the winter march past Ankara, indeed it would not have been more than 10% of its original strength when it entered Bythinia! However, I agree with Hoffmann in his comment, that losses of this kind (which would have been far larger than those suffered at Adrianople!) are totally unbelievable. Indeed, it is the same army that is split between Valentinian and Valens in the following summer (364), something which would have been strange if these forces formed just a band of sorry survivors, instead of the flower of the Roman army.

However, the Persian campaign was not without lossses, even when the Romans suffered no tactical defeats. Many casualties are reported on the march through Persia after Julian's death, killed by hunger and thirst, and by the forced march back across the Tigris (AM XXV.8:1-3, Zosimus III.33:1. Also Rufinus, Historia Ecclesiastica II.1, Sozomen VI.3:2).

Yet, the 'substantial losses' that Ammianus wrote about (AM XXX.8:8) must have been limited, because the Romans won every engagement with the Persians until the armistice. Ammianus is also the one who mentions that Shapur is 'good enough' to allow the Romans an unharmed retreat 'of humanitarian reasons' (AM XXV.7:6), something he would hardly have done if the Roman force had been within his power to destroy!

[Mithras]

I see, Ammianus (who is the only source for this campaign that I was aware of) does not mention that winter crossing of Anatolia in any more than casual terms. He only refers to Jovian and his staff, and does not mention the winter effects on the soldiers.

I will check those sources, thanks again Robert ... !

To continue the story then... it seems that Jovian would not have disbanded his army at Antioch (no mention in Ammianus), even if he's had plenty of Eastern limitanei - instead, carrying the entire force to Constantinople to secure the throne. Do you agree with that assessment?

[Goffredo]

10 years ago I read a true magnificent book.
"The roman empire of Ammianus" by John Matthews

http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/1990/01.02.14.html

[Robert Vermaat]

Do you agree with that assessment?

Well, yes, mostly. He might have left Eastern limitanei behind before Antioch, and in Asia Minor of course, and continued with the Eastern comitatenses and the whole Gallic expeditionary force.

[Mithras]

Ah, that's a crucial point in my research. I'm looking at II and III Isauria, both legions from Cilicia. They would seem prime candidates for the build-up at Antioch and the campaign of Julian into Persia. I had wondered if they might have accompanied the new emperor back to Constantinople, or diverted along the south Anatolian coast to their base at Seleucia (Sifilke).

The latter theory makes more sense, unless by marching to Constantinople, Jovian thought he was marching into another war, this time civil...

I've looked at those other sources, they are very interesting!

[TITVS SABATINVS AQVILIVS]

After my first post, a little update:

As already told,

I ARMENIACA at Claudiopolis (Cappadocia - Armenia II), till 359 AD.
In 363 is with Iulianus in Persia.

LEGIO I PARTHICA
after the fall of Singara come back to Nisibis and reformed is with Iulianus in Persia

LEGIO III PARTHICA
Apatna, Mesopotamia, is with Iulianus in Persia


From Ammianus' Res Gestae:

Are also with Iulianus in Persia:

Iovii and Victores XXIV 4,20,24

Tertiaci XXV 1,7

Zianni XXV 1,19

Now, more:

The II Armeniaca, II Flavia Virtutis and II Parthica were a Bezabde in 360, then in the Notitia Dignitatum (395 for the East), but nothing in the middle, only maybe with Julian in Persia

The Candidati - Ammianus xxv-3,6

The Mattiarii, Lancearii, Victores - Zosimus III-22

The Gentiles? They are under the command of Malaricus in 363, but if Ammianus (XXV-8,11) tells us that Malaricus was temporarily in Italy for family affairs, his unit had to be in Persia at the same time...

The Legio XV Apollinaris was likely at the Euphrates Limes at that time and before. Then in the Notitia Dignitatum (395 for the East) is still in Satala. It is this the last mention of the Legio XV Apollinaris.


A little digression: according to Ammianus XXIV-6,10 and XVI-5,10:

In Persia, the Romans soldiers shining for their crested helms, marched at the Anapaestum/Pyrrhica following the aulos rythm and Julian too had to learn it as military exercise...

Valete,