Avidius Cassius facts for kids

Gaius Avidius Cassius (Greek: Γάϊος Αουίδιος Κάσσιος; c. 130 – July 175 AD) was a Roman general from Syria. He is known for trying to take over the Roman Empire. This is called being a usurper.

Cassius was born in Cyrrhus. His father, Gaius Avidius Heliodorus, was a governor of Roman Egypt. His mother, Julia Cassia Alexandra, was related to famous people like Augustus (the first Roman emperor) and Herod the Great.

Cassius started his military career under Emperor Antoninus Pius. He quickly became a high-ranking commander. He was a key general during the Parthian war of Lucius Verus. He fought bravely and was rewarded by becoming a Senator. Later, he became an Imperial legate, which was a governor of a Roman province.

During a big rebellion in Egypt called the Bucolic War, Cassius was given a special title. He was named Rector Orientis, meaning "Supreme Commander of the East." This gave him control over all the eastern parts of the Roman Empire.

In 175 AD, Cassius declared himself emperor. He did this because he heard that Emperor Marcus Aurelius was very sick and might die. Cassius gained a lot of support in the eastern provinces. These included Egypt, Syria, Syria Palaestina, and Arabia Petraea. Syria, his home, was especially supportive.

Even though he controlled Egypt, which supplied a lot of grain to Rome, and commanded seven legions, he was no match for Emperor Aurelius. While Aurelius was getting his army ready, one of Cassius's own soldiers killed him. The soldier sent Cassius's head to Aurelius as proof.

Who Was Avidius Cassius?

His Early Life and Family

Avidius Cassius was born around 130 AD. His birthplace was Cyrrhus in Syria. His parents were Gaius Avidius Heliodorus and Julia Cassia Alexandra.

His father, Heliodorus, was a Roman knight. He worked for Emperor Hadrian. Later, he became the governor of Roman Egypt from 137 to 142 AD. This was a very important job for a knight. People said he got this job because he was a great speaker.

His mother, Julia Cassia, had important family connections. She was a great-great-granddaughter of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. She was also a descendant of Herod the Great, a famous king. Cassius was even distantly related to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a former king.

Cassius's Military Career

Starting His Path to Power

Cassius likely began his career during the rule of Emperor Antoninus Pius. He might have become a quaestor, a financial officer, in 154 AD. He was definitely a legatus legionis, or commander of a Roman legion, by 161 AD. His legion was stationed in Moesia Inferior, guarding against tribes called the Sarmatians.

Victories in the Parthian War

Cassius became very famous around 164 AD. This was during the Parthian war of Lucius Verus, when Lucius Verus and Marcus Aurelius were co-emperors. Cassius commanded Legio III Gallica.

In 165 AD, he led his legion down the Euphrates River. He defeated the Parthians at Dura-Europos. Later that year, Cassius and his army marched south. They attacked and captured two important Parthian cities on the Tigris River: Seleucia and Ctesiphon. Ctesiphon was the Parthian capital. After taking Ctesiphon, he burned the palace of Vologases IV. He also destroyed Seleucia, even though it had surrendered. He said the people there had broken their agreement.

After these battles, Cassius's army needed supplies. The first signs of a terrible disease, later called the Antonine Plague, appeared in his army in 165 AD. Cassius marched his troops back to Syria. He sent news of his victories to Rome. For his success, he was made a Senator.

Becoming a Roman Consul

In May 166 AD, Cassius was made a suffect consul. This was a high political position. He held this job while still serving outside Rome. That year, Lucius Verus and Cassius started another campaign against the Parthians. They invaded Media.

By late 166 AD, Cassius was appointed imperial legate of Syria. This made him the governor of that important province.

Commander of the East

Around 170 AD, Cassius received a special title: Rector Orientis. This meant "Supreme Commander of the East." This gave him military control over the entire eastern part of the Roman Empire. He received this power to fight a large rebellion in Egypt. This rebellion was called the Bucolic War. It happened because grain prices rose very quickly.

The rebels almost captured Alexandria, a major city. But Cassius's troops stopped them. Cassius put down the revolt in 175 AD. He did this by dividing the rebel groups and then defeating them one by one.

Cassius Declares Himself Emperor

The Start of the Rebellion

In 175 AD, Cassius heard false news that Emperor Marcus Aurelius had died from a serious illness. Because of this, Cassius declared himself emperor. He claimed that Aurelius's soldiers in Pannonia had chosen him.

Some stories say that Faustina the Younger, Marcus Aurelius's wife, tricked Cassius. She supposedly feared that Aurelius would die while their son, Commodus, was too young to rule. She might have wanted Cassius to rebel to ensure a strong leader would follow. The exact date of his revolt is not known, but it was by May 3rd. Old documents show Cassius was confident of support from Egypt as early as March or April.

Emperor Aurelius tried to keep the news of the revolt quiet. But when it spread, he spoke to his army. He expressed sadness about a friend's betrayal. He said he would even let the Senate and Army decide who was the better leader.

Support and Opposition

Cassius started his rebellion in a strong position. He had a lot of support from the eastern provinces. This was partly because of his distant royal family connections. His victories in the Parthian War and the Bucolic War also made him popular. He gained support from Egypt, Syria, Syria Palaestina, and Arabia Petraea. This gave him control of seven legions.

Cassius set up his main base in Egypt. Important military centers like Antioch and Cyrrhus were also under his control. The Roman governor of Egypt, Gaius Calvisius Statianus, even ordered people to celebrate Cassius becoming emperor.

However, Cassius did not get widespread support. The Roman Senate quickly declared him a public enemy. Publius Martius Verus, the governor of Cappadocia, strongly opposed the rebellion. He gathered public support for Aurelius.

Many important Romans were against the rebellion. For example, Herodes Atticus sent Cassius a letter that simply said, "You are mad." The capital city of Rome was in a panic. Aurelius had to send troops to secure the city. He also had to stop his war against the Iazyges tribe. Several barbarian tribes offered to help Aurelius, but he refused.

The End of the Rebellion

Aurelius gathered his troops and prepared to go to the East to defeat Cassius. It soon became clear that Aurelius had many more legions than Cassius. When news of Aurelius's plans reached Egypt, one of Cassius's own centurions killed him. The centurion sent Cassius's head to Aurelius. Aurelius refused to see it and ordered it buried. Cassius was likely killed by the end of July 175 AD. Egypt recognized Aurelius as emperor again on July 28, 175 AD. Cassius's rebellion lasted for three months and six days. No coins were made with his image during this time.

What Happened Next

After Cassius died, Publius Martius Verus quickly took control of Syria. He burned all of Cassius's letters. Even after hearing of Cassius's death, Marcus Aurelius still decided to visit the East. He traveled with his advisors and his wife, Faustina. Sadly, Faustina died during the journey in a village in Cappadocia. The town was later renamed in her honor.

Aurelius wrote to the Senate, asking for a report on Cassius's supporters. But he specifically said he did not want anyone killed to punish them. However, some punishments had already happened. One of Cassius's sons, Avidius Maecianus, was killed. Another son, Avidius Heliodorus, was sent away from Rome. Cassius's daughter, Avidia Alexandra, and her husband were placed under the protection of an uncle.

Cassius's Family Life

The historian Dio spoke well of Cassius. He called him a "good man." Cassius was known for being a very strict leader when he commanded Legio III Gallica.

Cassius was married to Volusia Vettia Maeciana. She was the daughter of Lucius Volusius Maecianus. They had at least three children:

• Avidius Heliodorus – His first son, who was sent away by the emperor.
• Avidius Maecianus – His second son, who was killed after the rebellion ended.
• Avidia Alexandra – His daughter, who had to live under the protection of an uncle with her husband.

Nerva–Antonine family tree

See also

In Spanish: Avidio Casio para niños