Aelius Gallus Attempts the Conquest of Arabia—And Reaches the Limits of Roman Power | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

Aelius Gallus Attempts the Conquest of Arabia—And Reaches the Limits of Roman Power

Overview

In 25 B.C., the Roman emperor Augustus sent Aelius Gallus, prefect of Egypt, on a military expedition to the Arabian Peninsula. His aim was to extend Roman control throughout Arabia, and to gain control of the wealthy spice-producing states at the peninsula's southern tip, but instead the Romans became mired in a miserably failed operation that proved costly in terms of lives, finances, and the empire's reputation. It was the first time Rome truly came face to face with the limits of its imperial ambitions, an early sign of the slow Roman retreat that would commence some two centuries later.

Background

Founded as a republic in 507 B.C., Rome had begun its existence fighting with the Etruscans for supremacy over the Italian Peninsula. In 496 B.C., Rome fought a battle with several of its neighbors and won, in large part thanks to the Romans' adoption of Greek military tactics such as the use of the hoplite (a heavily armed infantry soldier) and the phalanx, or massed column. An attack on Rome itself by the Celts or Gauls in 390 B.C. further intensified the Romans' determination to establish military superiority over all foes, and in the years that followed, the consuls who led the young republic undertook to ensure that its lands would never be so threatened again.

Aelius Gallus Attempts the Conquest of Arabia—And Reaches the Limits of Roman Power article

Read the rest of this article.
This article contains 1,568 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page).