Epulon (''Epulo'', ''Epulone'', ''Aepulo''; ruled 181 – 177 BC) was a king or tribal leader of the Histri in northern Illyria.. Epulon conducted a series of wars against commanders sent by the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

during the

Roman expansion From its origin as a city-state on the peninsula of Italy in the 8th century BC, to its rise as an empire covering much of Southern Europe, Western Europe, Near East and North Africa to its fall in the 5th century AD, the political history of A ...

of the first half of the 2nd century BC, until his death in 177 BC.

Military activities

Rome had already consolidated its conquest of various peoples of northern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, and established good relations with the

Adriatic Veneti The Veneti (also Heneti) were an Indo-European people who inhabited northeastern Italy, in an area corresponding to the modern-day region of Veneto.Ardiaean Kingdom The Ardiaei were an Illyrian people who resided in the territory of present-day Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia between the Adriatic coast on the south, Konjic on the north, along the Neretva river and its right ...

, and the northern Illyrians of the northern Adriatic and eastern

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. Threatened by imminent loss of independence, Histria launched a first, indecisive attack against the Romans, in 221 BC. Another attack, in 181 BC at the new-founded colony of Aquileia, was beaten off by the Roman praetor Q. Fabius Buteo, who established a peace treaty with the Histrians. Later that year, Epulon became king of the Histrians; he was warlike, uncompromising and persistent, and immediately prepared for battle against the Aquilean colony. Rome sent an army in its defense in 178 BC, under the consul A. Manlius Vulso. The Histrians made a successful attack on a Roman camp and drove the legions in panic who quickly fled. Epulon's forces took a great booty of valuables, equipment, food and wine. After initial successes in defeating his enemies at Aquilea, Epulon was defeated in northern Istria and forced to withdraw his forces to the Histrian capital of Nesactium. Before attacking Nesactium the Romans captured other important Histrian centers in Istria. It is said that the Romans were at first unable to take Nesactium and did not made any success in their lengthy siege of the city. In 177 BC, under the consul C. Claudius Pulcher who had brought two new

legion Legion may refer to: Military * Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army * Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army * Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...

s, the success of their assault changed only when the Romans in a few days, diverted a river which protected Nesactium and provided them with water. The Histrians chose to fight rather than to surrender the city. The Histrians killed their women and children and threw them from the city walls while at the same time fought the Romans. When Epulon realised that the Romans had won, he committed suicide by stabbing himself with a sword to avoid Roman captivity. The survivors were killed or captured. After the fall of Nesactium other Istrian cities also suffered the same fate. Soon all of Istria was conquered as well as the independence of the Histrians. According to Livy, 5,632 Histrians were sold into slavery.Livy 41.11

References

Bibliography

* {{Illyrians 2nd-century BC rulers in Europe Ancient history of Slovenia Illyrian Croatia European kings

Military activities

See also

References

Bibliography