Caius Cestius Gallus - Legatus Syriae

In another thread I mentioned that I had purchased my coin of the year and it finally arrived. I must confess that I never knew this coin existed until it came up for sale. It's an amazing link to the outbreak of the Jewish War. Please forgive any typo's below and lets see your revolt-ing coins!



SELEUCIS and PIERIA, Antioch. Nero. AD 54-68. Æ As (30.5mm, 15.36 g, 12h). Caius Cestius Gallus, legatus Syriae. Year 115 of the Caesarean Era, 66/7 C.E.
O: Laureate head right; coiled serpent to right. IM • NER • CLAV • CAESAR
R: ЄΠI ΓAIOY KЄCTIO Y ΛNTIO ЄT • ЄIP in five lines within wreath (In the magistracy of Gaius Cestius, Antioch, year 115)
- McAlee 294 = Superior, (9 December 1989), lot 2827 (same dies); RPC I – Extremely rare, the second known.

Josephus lays much of the blame for the Jewish revolt at the feet of Florus, Roman procurator of Judaea. Florus was notorious for his cruelty and greed. In 66 C.E. he demanded 17 talents from the temple treasury, using the pretense that it was needed by the Emperor. The Jews refused, ridiculing his request by taking up a mock collection for the “poor Florus.”

Florus responded by sending troops to loot and pillage the Upper-Marketplace in Jerusalem. Thousands of Jews were killed, including woman and children. Rather than bringing the city under control, Josephus reasons, “What more need be said? It was Florus who constrained us to take up war with the Romans, for we preferred to perish together rather than by degrees. The war in fact began in the second year of the procuratorship of Florus and in the twelfth of Nero's reign.”

The Sicarii, or “dagger-men,” took the fortress of Masada and killed the Roman garrison stationed there, establishing the first rebel stronghold. The fortress of Antonia was also captured and the Roman soldiers stationed there were slain. The remaining Roman holdouts surrendered under the agreement that their lives would be spared but they too were slaughtered. At the same time, the daily sacrifices for the Emperor were discontinued. A mixture of elation and fear gripped Jerusalem as they awaited the inevitable Roman response.

Gaius Cestius Gallus, Legate of Syria in 66 C.E., was the response. On Nero’s order, he assembled a force at Antioch comprised of legio XII Fulminata, detachments from the three other legions based in Syria, six cohorts of auxiliary infantry and four alae of cavalry. He also had military support from the Jewish ruler Herod Agrippa II.

Within three months Gallus, with his force of over 30,000 troops, began working their way down from Galilee to Jerusalem, attacking key cities such as Chabulon, Joppa and Antipatris. Although enduring successful raids from the rebels, the Romans finally entered and set fire to the suburbs of Jerusalem as the rebels retreated to the safety of the temple fortress.

After setting fire to Bezetha, north of the temple, Gallus encamped in front of the royal palace, southwest of the temple. At that time, Josephus says he could have easily taken the city since pro-Roman Jews were ready to open the gates of the city for him. A six day delay, however, strengthened the insurgents. The zealots attacked and killed the pro-peace faction in the city, murdering their leaders, then assaulted the Romans from the wall. The advance units of the Romans employed the Testudo, overlapping their shields over themselves like the back of a tortoise, and began undermining the walls. After five days they are on the verge of success when, for an undetermined cause, Gallus called off the attack. In History of the Jews, Professor Heinrich Graetz suggests: “[Cestius Gallus] did not deem it advisable to continue the combat against heroic enthusiasts and embark on a lengthy campaign at that season, when the autumn rains would soon commence . . . and might prevent the army from receiving provisions. On that account probably he thought it more prudent to retrace his steps.” Whatever the reason, the disastrous decision to abruptly leave Jerusalem was made.

Gallus, with evidently little battlefield experience, suffered one humiliating defeat after another during the retreat. By the battles end the losses amounted to 5,300 infantry, 480 cavalry, all the pack animals, artillery and the eagle standard of the legio XII Fulminata. With the rebels emboldened by their shocking victory, the stage is set for the Romans to return in greater force. This time, however, Nero would send general Vespasian.

Cestius Gallus died a broken man in 67 C.E.. Tacitus described the outbreak of the revolt to Gallus death as follows: “the endurance of the Jews lasted till Gessius Florus was procurator. In his time the war broke out. Cestius Gallus, legate of Syria, who attempted to crush it, had to fight several battles, generally with ill-success. Cestius dying, either in the course of nature, or from vexation.” - The Histories V

 

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A wonderful historical coin @Nemo .The writeup was excellent.

 

It's fantastic! I saw that you had won it when I quickly scanned most of the auction to snoop on who won what .

The flan looks very Alexandrian, doesn't it? The obverse style could also pass for Alexandrian.

 

I've seen a movie on the battle of Massada. It shows some typical scenes of the write-up above. Did anyone watch that movie?

 

Well done @Nemo ! Very nice coin... and your write up is fantastic. Thanks for the background.

I regret that I do NOT focus on the Judean area, not my historical interest. I recently grabbed this Prutah as it was a Britannicus... however, its mintage butts-up against your coin, ending in 54 CE... So mine was probably minted DURING the time folks were TICKED-OFF enough to REBEL!

Judaea Claudius w-Britannicus CE 41-54 Æ Prutah 17mm 2.8g Antonius Felix-procurator Dated RY 14 54 CE 2-crossed shields spears - Palm tree BPIT K AI L IΔ date Hendin 1348

 

Thanks Orfew!

Thanks Tif. I agree its got that nice, chunky Alexandrian look. I was so paranoid that I was going to get Clio'd on this one! It broke the bank but I don't have any regrets!

 

It is definitely a "no regrets" kind of coin . Congrats!

 

I never saw the movie but it sounds interesting. I had the chance to visit Masada and it is absolutely breathtaking.

 

I saw that coin come up and wondered who got it.

Great catch!

 

Thanks Jay. This went to the the top of my want list the second i saw it.

 

Nice prutah @Alegandron, I'll photograph mine one day.

 

Awesome write up @Nemo and a sweet new coin...BIG, thick , DATED, historically killer...and pretty... the whole package!

 

Thanks for the kind words!

 

Wow! I can easily see why this coin is going to be your 'coin of the year'! A superb coin in every way.

In Steve Mason's A History of the Jewish War there is a superb chapter on the Battle of Beth Horon. Highly recommended!

 

Thanks David. I read and thoroughly enjoyed the book. Unfortunately I had an e-version through Scribd that somehow got deleted and it looks like they don’t carry it anymore! ☹️

 

Great coin!

 

Thanks Randy.

Here's one from the other side of the wall.


Judaea, First Jewish War AR Shekel. Dated year 2 (AD 67/8)
O: Hebrew script read from right to left SKL ISRAL “Shekel of Israel”, the date Shin Bet, "Year Two" of the revolution, above Omer cup with beaded rim
R: Hebrew script YRUSLIM H KDOSA “Jerusalem the Holy” around sprig of three pomegranates.

As Jewish factions were fighting for control in Jerusalem, General Vespasian's armies invaded Galilee in 67 CE with 60,000 men as they began the effort to quell the rebellion started a year earlier. Vespasian captured the commander of Galilee, Josephus ben Matthias, in the little mountain town of Jotapata, which fell after a fierce siege of 47 days. It was the second bloodiest battle of the revolt, surpassed only by the sacking of Jerusalem, and the longest except for Jerusalem and Masada.

Driven from Galilee, Zealot rebels and thousands of refugees arrived in Judea, causing even greater political turmoil in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, back in Rome in 68 CE, Nero commits suicide, plunging the Empire into a civil war. Galba, Otho and Vitellius would assume the purple till Vespasian, leaving the battle in Judaea to Titus, brought the matter to a conclusion in 69.

 

I like that one too.

 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081900/?ref_=nv_sr_4

 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081900/?ref_=nv_sr_4