Anicetus was the leader of an unsuccessful anti-Roman uprising in Colchis in 69 AD.[1] He claimed to be acting on behalf of Vitellius, and destroyed a cohort and part of the Roman fleet stationed at Trapezus.[2] The revolt was put down by the Roman reinforcements under Virdius Geminus, a lieutenant of Vespasian.[3] Overtaken at the mouth of the river Chobus (now the Enguri River),[3] Anicetus was surrendered to the Romans by the local tribesmen, and executed.[2]
According to Tacitus, the only ancient source to mention him, Anicetus had been a freedman of King Polemon II of Pontus, and had commanded the royal fleet. In 64 AD, the Kingdom of Pontus had become a Roman province, and Tacitus implies that Anicetus' rebellion was motivated by his desire to free Pontus from Roman rule.[2] However, David Woods argues that Anicetus should in fact be identified with the prefect of the fleet at Misenum who shared the name, and who was involved in Nero's murder of his mother, Agrippina.[4] Woods argues that his actions were therefore not those of someone fighting for independence from Rome, but of a Roman hoping to secure a position of power by supporting the Vitellian faction in the civil war which followed the death of Nero.[5]
anicetus, pirate, anicetus, leader, unsuccessful, anti, roman, uprising, colchis, claimed, acting, behalf, vitellius, destroyed, cohort, part, roman, fleet, stationed, trapezus, revolt, down, roman, reinforcements, under, virdius, geminus, lieutenant, vespasia. Anicetus was the leader of an unsuccessful anti Roman uprising in Colchis in 69 AD 1 He claimed to be acting on behalf of Vitellius and destroyed a cohort and part of the Roman fleet stationed at Trapezus 2 The revolt was put down by the Roman reinforcements under Virdius Geminus a lieutenant of Vespasian 3 Overtaken at the mouth of the river Chobus now the Enguri River 3 Anicetus was surrendered to the Romans by the local tribesmen and executed 2 AnicetusDied69LazicaPiratical careerYears activefl 69RankCaptainBase of operationsBlack Sea According to Tacitus the only ancient source to mention him Anicetus had been a freedman of King Polemon II of Pontus and had commanded the royal fleet In 64 AD the Kingdom of Pontus had become a Roman province and Tacitus implies that Anicetus rebellion was motivated by his desire to free Pontus from Roman rule 2 However David Woods argues that Anicetus should in fact be identified with the prefect of the fleet at Misenum who shared the name and who was involved in Nero s murder of his mother Agrippina 4 Woods argues that his actions were therefore not those of someone fighting for independence from Rome but of a Roman hoping to secure a position of power by supporting the Vitellian faction in the civil war which followed the death of Nero 5 References edit Tacitus Histories 3 pp 47 48 a b c Woods David 2006 Tacitus Nero and the Pirate Anicetus in Latomus 65 3 p 641 a b Wheeler Everett L 2011 Roman Fleets in the Black Sea in Acta Classica pp 125 126 Woods David 2006 Tacitus Nero and the Pirate Anicetus in Latomus 65 3 pp 641 649 Woods David 2006 Tacitus Nero and the Pirate Anicetus in Latomus 65 3 p 648External links editRoman Fleet nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Smith William 1870 Anicetus In Smith William ed Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology Vol 1 p 178 nbsp This pirate related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This ancient Roman biographical article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Anicetus pirate amp oldid 1211090837, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
