Gnaeus Suellius Flaccus was a Roman

Praetor Praetor ( , ), also pretor, was the title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected '' magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to discharge vari ...

Creta et Cyrenaica Crete and Cyrenaica ( la, Provincia Creta et Cyrenaica, Ancient Greek ) was a senatorial province of the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire, established in 67 BC. It comprised the island of Crete and the region of Cyrenaica in present-day ...

. He is known for defeating the

Nasamones The Nasamones ( grc, Νασαμῶνες) were a nomadic Berber tribe inhabiting southeast Libya. They were believed to be a Numidian people, along with the Garamantes. They took their name from Nasamon (Νασάμων), the son of Amphithemis an ...

, a nomadic Berber tribe that rose against Roman rule.

Career

Responding to alleged acts of extortion, the Nasamones resisted Roman rule in

Cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, برقة, Barqah, grc-koi, Κυρηναϊκή ��παρχίαKurēnaïkḗ parkhíā}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...

around 75 AD. They began raiding in the region, marauding the coastal settlements in eastern Libya. Flaccus was sent in by the emperor

Domitian Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Fl ...

to deal with the threat. Flaccus was initially unsuccessful; his army was defeated and the tax collectors accompanying him were killed. However, when the raiders began looting Flaccus' camp, they discovered copious amounts of wine as well as other provisions. They drank the wine, feasted on the provisions, and fell asleep in the camp. Shortly thereafter, Flaccus returned with his army and massacred the sleeping tribesmen. Domitian was thrilled with his success, proclaiming: "I have forbidden the Nasamones to exist."

References

Crete and Cyrenaica 1st-century Romans Imperial Roman praetors {{AncientRome-mil-bio-stub