The Roman Military Political Strategy in the Northern Black Sea Region during the Reign of Emperor Vespasian

S. V. Yartsev
Leo Tolstoy Tula State Pedagogical University
Lenina pr. 125, Tula, 300026, Russia
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V. G. Zubarev
Leo Tolstoy Tula State Pedagogical University
Lenina pr. 125, Tula, 300026, Russia
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

This article considers the Roman military political strategy in the Northern Black Sea region during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian from 69 through 79 AD. Against the backdrop of the civil war in the Empire that broke out after Nero’s death, in the Northern Black Sea region Rome`s relations with Farzoy’s barbarian kingdom soured, and the Emperor Vespasian`s strategic aim in the north-east was to liquidate this kingdom. This study primarily focuses on the Alans’ march to Transcaucasia in 72 AD in the context of Roman interests. On analyzing the sources, the authors conclude that the move of the Asiatic nomads to the Northern Black Sea region through the Caucasus was inspired by the diplomacy of the Roman Empire to counteract the local Scythians and nomads ruled by Farzoy and Inismey. As a consequence, Vespasian was unable to respond the plea of the Parthian King Vologases to fight the Alans, as the latter were important element in the Roman strategy to liquidate the local hostile barbarians in the Northern Black Sea region. This objective outweighed the disturbance in Roman-Parthian relations. The authors argue that the most important actions of Vespasian were strengthening the defense of the lower Danube limes and blocking the mountain passes after the Alans`s move through the Caucasus. Hardly had the barbarians of Farzoy and Inismey been defeated (most likely, in 72–75 AD), when the Alans’ kings took over the hegemony in the region. As a result, the Roman strategy changed its focus; henceforth, it targeted the Alans. Romans` possession of the main Caucasian mountain passes gave them not only the dominant position in Transcaucasia and the control of trade routes to the East in bypass of Parthia, but also the opportunity to use the Alans in their policy in the region.

Keywords: the Roman Empire, Emperor Vespasian, first century AD, King Farzoy, the Caucasus, Parthia, Armenia, Hyrcania, the Alans

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