Kitos War facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kitos Waror Second Jewish–Roman War |
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| Part of the Jewish–Roman wars | |||||||||
 The extent of the Roman Empire under Trajan (117) |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Roman Empire | Jewish/Judean zealots | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Cassius Dio: 460,000+ Roman subjects (largely Roman Greeks) were killed in Cyrene and Cyprus alone Unknown numbers in Aegyptus, Libya and the rest of the Eastern Mediterranean |
200,000 dead Jewish communities of Cyprus, Cyrene and possibly others completely depopulated and permanently expelled to the eastern edges of the Empire (mainly Judea) |
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The Kitos War (115–117 CE) was a major conflict between the Roman Empire and Jewish rebels. It is also known as the "rebellion of the diaspora" because it involved Jewish communities living outside of Judea. This war was one of several Jewish–Roman wars that happened between 66 and 136 CE.
The fighting started in 115 CE. At this time, most Roman armies were busy fighting a war against the Parthian Empire in the east. This left Roman areas like Cyrenaica, Cyprus, and Egypt with very few soldiers. Jewish uprisings in these areas quickly grew out of control. Rebels attacked the small Roman forces and Roman citizens.
The Roman legions eventually crushed these rebellions. A Roman general named Lusius Quietus played a key role in stopping the revolt. The name "Kitos" for the war comes from a later, changed version of his name, "Quietus." Some areas were so damaged by the rebels that the Romans had to bring in new settlers. This was to prevent these places from becoming completely empty.
Contents
Background of the Conflict
Tensions between the Jewish people living in the Roman Empire and the Greek and Roman populations grew throughout the 1st century CE. There were often violent events, especially in Judea. Parts of the Jewish population there sometimes rebelled against Roman rule. Other incidents happened in places like Alexandria in Egypt, where there was a large Jewish community.
These tensions eventually led to the First Jewish–Roman War, which began in 66 CE. This first war started because of religious disagreements and protests against Roman taxes. Jewish rebels quickly took over the Roman military base in Judea. The pro-Roman king, Herod Agrippa II, and Roman officials fled Jerusalem.
A Roman general named Cestius Gallus tried to stop the revolt. However, his army was defeated by Jewish rebels. After this, General Vespasian and his son Titus took charge. They brought four Roman legions and began to take back control. The revolt ended in 70 CE when Roman legions under Titus attacked and destroyed Jerusalem, the main center of the rebellion. They later defeated other Jewish strongholds.
Revolt and Fighting
In 115 CE, Emperor Trajan was leading a military campaign against the Parthian Empire in the east. This war started because the Parthians had put their own king in charge of the Kingdom of Armenia. Armenia was an area that both the Roman and Parthian empires wanted to control.
While Trajan's army was winning battles in Mesopotamia, Jewish rebels began attacking the small Roman forces left behind. A revolt in Cyrenaica (modern-day Libya) quickly spread to Egypt and then to Cyprus. It also encouraged a revolt in Judea. A large uprising, centered around the city of Lydda, threatened to cut off grain supplies from Egypt to the Roman army. The Jewish rebellion quickly spread to newly conquered Roman areas. Cities with many Jewish people, like Nisibis, Edessa, Seleucia, and Arbela (now Erbil, Iraq), joined the revolt. They attacked their small Roman garrisons (military bases).
Fighting in Cyrenaica
In Cyrenaica, the rebels were led by a man named Lukuas, also known as Andreas. He even called himself "king." His group destroyed many temples dedicated to Roman and Greek gods. They also ruined Roman public buildings like the Caesareum (a temple for the emperor), the basilica (a public hall), and public baths.
The violence in Cyrenaica was so severe that many people were killed. The land became almost empty. Later, Emperor Hadrian had to bring in new settlers from other places to live there. This was to make sure the area did not remain completely deserted.
Historians like Dio Cassius describe extreme acts of violence by the Jewish rebels in Cyrenaica. The destruction was so great that Hadrian had to completely rebuild the city of Cyrene after the war. After the war, laws were made that forced Jews to leave Cyrene. This greatly reduced the Jewish community there.
Fighting in Egypt
Lukuas also led rebels towards Alexandria, a major city in Egypt. He entered the city after the Roman governor had left it and set it on fire. Egyptian temples and the tomb of Pompey (a famous Roman general) were destroyed. Jewish rebels also won a battle near Hermopolis in 116 CE.
Emperor Trajan sent new troops under a commander named Marcius Turbo. However, it took until the autumn of 117 CE to fully bring peace back to Egypt and Cyrenaica.
Fighting in Cyprus
On the island of Cyprus, a Jewish group led by Artemion took control. They killed many thousands of Cypriot Greek civilians. According to Dio Cassius, 240,000 Greeks were killed. A Roman army was sent to the island and quickly took back the capital city. After the revolt was completely defeated, laws were made that banned any Jews from living on the island. This law was so strict that even Jewish people who survived shipwrecks near Cyprus were punished if they tried to come ashore.
Fighting in Mesopotamia
A new revolt started in Mesopotamia while Emperor Trajan was in the Persian Gulf. Trajan had to reconquer cities like Nisibis, Edessa, and Seleucia. These cities all had large Jewish communities that had joined the rebellion.
Trajan had been suffering from illness due to years of constant fighting in the hot eastern climate. He decided to return to Rome to recover. However, his health quickly got worse, and he died in Cilicia. His successor, Hadrian, then became emperor.
Fighting in Judea
The Jewish leader, Lukuas, fled to Judea. Marcius Turbo followed him and ordered the execution of two brothers, Julian and Pappus, who were important rebel leaders. Lusius Quietus, who had defeated the Jews in Mesopotamia, was now in charge of the Roman army in Judea. He began to attack Lydda, where many Jewish rebels had gathered under Julian and Pappus.
The situation in Lydda became very difficult for the rebels. Lydda was eventually captured, and many rebellious Jews were executed. The "slain of Lydda" are often remembered with great respect in the Talmud (a collection of Jewish teachings). The rebel leaders Pappus and Julian were among those executed by the Romans that year. They became known as martyrs among the Jewish people.
Lusius Quietus, who had been highly respected by Trajan, was removed from his command once Hadrian became emperor. He was killed in 118 CE under unclear circumstances, possibly on Hadrian's orders.
Hadrian made the decision to end the war and give up many of Trajan's recent conquests in the east. He wanted to make the eastern borders stable. Even though he gave up the province of Mesopotamia, he made Parthamaspates (a son of the Parthian king) the king of a restored Osroene. This area would remain a small, independent state between the Roman and Parthian empires for about a hundred years.
The situation in Judea remained tense for the Romans. Emperor Hadrian had to permanently move the Sixth Ironclad Legion (Legio VI Ferrata) to Caesarea Maritima in Judea.
Aftermath of the War
Further important events happened in Judea Province in 130 CE. Emperor Hadrian visited the Eastern Mediterranean and decided to rebuild the ruined city of Jerusalem. He planned to rename it Aelia Capitolina, using part of his own name. This decision, along with other rules Hadrian made against the Jews, is believed to be one of the reasons for the start of the Bar Kokhba revolt in 132 CE.
The Bar Kokhba revolt was an extremely violent uprising that pushed the Roman military to its limits. This rebellion ended with a huge attack on the Jewish population of Judea. Jewish religious practices were banned, but this ban was lifted in 138 CE after Hadrian's death.
See also
- History of the Jews in the Roman Empire
- Jewish–Roman wars
- First Jewish–Roman War, 66–73 CE
- Bar Kokhba revolt, 132–136 CE
- List of conflicts in the Near East
