Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres
-Historic Gaius Julius Caesar

Caesar in the east


Asia at the begin of Caesars Pro-Consulship. Red represents the Roman Pronvinces in Anatolia. White represents the varrious de facto independent Seleucid Empire. Purple represents the Kingdom of Potuns. Green represents the Kingdom of Armenia and Pink represents the Parthian Empire.

Commentarii de Bello Asiatico

I. All of Asia is divided multiple parts. The Roman territories consist of Pergamon and Lydia in the west. The Kingdom of Pontus lies to the north. In the centre one finds Cappadocia and Galatia, to the South Syria and Cilicia. In the east the Armenians and Parthians inhabit the former Persian Empire. All these differ from each other in language, custom and law. Nominally under the rule of the Seleucid King these regions enjoy de facto independence, except for Pontus, Armenia and Parthia, which represent their own kingdoms. Of all these the people from Pontus are the bravest, since their warriors enjoy rigorous discipline and training, while the Syrians and Cilicians are the finest traders. The Armenians to the east live under their king and enjoy a high civilisation and fight a tough struggle against the Parthians throughout the last decades. The region of Syria is the most decadent one. Once a region of commerce and culture the old kings of the Seleucids and Ptolemaists have constantly waged war here and decreased economical and political stability. Yet another plague disturbs the stability of Asia, since pirates control most of the Cilician coast.
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The Roman Empire, by Wolfgang Schreier, Bonn 2003

Once again the further fate of the Republic was decided by a man not being in Rome. Caesar had high ambitions for his term, he reinforced the infrastructure and strengthened his legions. His aim was to increase his wealth and clients through war; his book de bello asiatico is an important document to this. The fact that the conquest of a whole region is described with an impressing soberness and not always euphemistically written makes this document a unique example of Latin literature.
There was a complex situation in the east that led to Caesars wars. For centuries the Seleucid Empire has been crumbling and by the first century BC it only existed nominally. Most regions under the Seleucid Empire were independent. Rome itself had a good relationship with the Empire and shared a border peacefully for nearly a century. Starting from 80 BC the Seleucid Empire was in turmoil and politically instable, with most regions fighting against the Seleucid king. Pirates were a great problem for commerce on the southern coast of Anatolia.
As stated above the main reason for Caesar to go to war was to gather more clients and thus gaining more political power. The actual war was triggered by a call for help of the Phrygians, a people from the centre of Anatolia. They asked Caesar to aid them in their struggle for independence from the Seleucids. Was this event staged? The Senate in Rome asked the same question and did not come to a conclusion. Nevertheless Caesar saw this as the opportunity he had been preparing and decided to go to war without asking the Senate in Rome for permission.




Commentarii de Bello Asiatico

VI. When Caesar was informed that Seleucid king Helenos Koilesyriakos transferred troops from Syria through the Cilician Gate into central Anatolia he feared that the Galatians and the Phrygians would oppose him. That could have brought chaos into the already political instable region. Caesar decided to gather his troops in early May and march to Ipsos where the capital of the Phrygians was located, for he had promised to protect them over aggression. When he arrived at Ipsos the Phrygians gladly opened their gates to the Romans. Their ruler Adestus greeted Caesar with a huge military ceremony and he told Caesar all he knew about Koilesyriakos army. Not all were glad to have the Romans protect their region. Some Phrygians openly protested against Caesar and stated that all Adestus did was to exchange Roman over Seleucid rule. Nevertheless in late May the Roman legions were set and ready to march against the remnants of the once great Seleucid army.