Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

86 3 Military confrontations
splendour for the Persians, who had been in a defensive position since the
death of ˇ Sāpūr I. Narsē aspired to take possession of the entire Near and
Middle East and threatened many parts of the eastern half of the Roman
Empire. Diocletian entrusted the Caesar of the East, Galerius, with the
response to the Persian offensive of 296, which presented an immediate
threat especially for Syria. There were initial setbacks but in the spring of
298 a Roman offensive opened a new and decisive phase in this Persian
War. 51 Near the Armenian city of Satala Galerius forced his way into the
Persian camp and inflicted a crushing defeat on Narsē. Lactantius attributes
significance to the fact that the kings in the Near East customarily travelled
together with their entire household and that this diminished the mobility
of the Sasanian army considerably. It was wiped out completely. Galerius
captured the royal family including his harem and many treasures. Narsē
himself managed to escape with difficulty.
The Roman triumph over the Eastern opponent was celebrated and commemorated
on a wide scale. Apart from victory-titles such as Persicus maximus
II, Armeniacus maximus, Medicus maximus and Adiabenicus maximus,
which were assumed by all Tetrarchs after 298, 52 coins conveyed the triumphal
message. 53 This also applies to a bronze medallion of 298, which was
issued for Galerius after his victory against the Sasanians in Siscia (fig. 10).
The legend Victoria Persica leaves no doubt that the theme of the medallion
is Galerius’ triumph over Narsē. 54 On the obverse the bust of Galerius is
depicted, on the reverse the mounted Caesar is galloping over two unarmed
figures. This detail alludes to the fact that Galerius attacked the Persian
camp at Satala by surprise. In the foreground, a woman, a child and a
man are visible, who are extending their arms, pleading with Galerius. All
figures can be easily identified as Persians by their Phrygian caps. Apparently,
Galerius intended to emphasise not only his military victory but also
the capture of the king’s family and harem. Narsē’s extreme humiliation
reminds one of Valerian’s defeat and capture by ˇ Sāpūr I. 55
In 304 Galerius erected a triumphal arch in Thessaloniki (fig. 11). The
dimensions of the monument and its ornamentation make this arch one of
51 On Galerius’ campaigns see Enßlin 1936: 102–10; 1942: 40–5; Bleckmann 1992: 135–55; on the
chronology of events see also Barnes 1982: 54 and 63.
52 CIL iii 824 (= ILS 642), iii 6979 (= ILS 660); on the victory-titles in the imperial titulature of the
Tetrarchs see also Barnes 1976: 182–6 and id. 1982: 27.
53 Cf. e.g. RIC vi no. 23 a.b. 26; also Pink 1931: 3, 47, 50. fig. iii 59–61.
54 Garucci 1870: 112–18; Dressel 1973: 306–7.
55 Schönebeck 1937: 370 places the medallion within the traditional triumphal iconography; in this
context see also Pond 1970. Laubscher 1975: 135 observes that the motif follows the typical representation
of an emperor’s triumph over barbarians; Garucci 1870: 113 suggests that the medallion
explains the victory-title Persicus II because the military victory and the capture of the royal family
can be seen as a ‘two-fold’ victory over Persia.