Epulon
| Epulon | |
|---|---|
| King Epulon | |
| Reign | 181 BC - 177 BC |
| Successor | Roman Republic |
| Died | 177 BC Nesactium |
Epulon (ruled 181 – 177 BC) was an Illyrian king of Histria in northern Illyria. Livy who described the Roman wars against the Histrians call him a king. However Epulon wasn't truly a king in the sense that Livy thought, but the leader of the Histrian tribe, selected by the tribal council. Epulon warred against a series of commanders sent by the Roman Republic during a period of Roman expansionism in the first half of the 2nd century BC until his death in 177 BC.[1] Epulon is also known as Epulo, Epulone or Aepulo.
Conflict between the Histrians and the Romans was inevitable, as soon as the Romans conquered various peoples of northern Italy and the Adriatic Venenti. Therefor at the same time as when the Romans were at war with the southern Illyrians of the Ardaeian State, wars started also against the northern Illyrians of the northern Adriatic and eastern Alps. The first war between the Histrians and Rome began in 221 BC. The colony of Aquilea was founded to enforce a defensive boundary between the Illyrians but the Histrians saw this as a danger to their independence.
In 181 BC the Histrians with their own right attempted to inhibit the construction of the city but the Roman general, Q. Fab Buteoni won another battle against them and established peace. Later in that year, Epulon became king of the Histrians. Epulon was a warlike and uncompromising leader. Immediately as he got the throne e prepared for battle against the Romans. The Romans would not allow for any surprises and in 178 BC they sent an army under A. Manli Vulzonin.[2] to Aquilea. The fate of the war swinged in both directions. As a result Rome sent even greater forces in 177 BC. 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.[3]
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. Under C. Claudius Pulcher who had brought two new legions, 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 so suffered the same faith. Soon all of Istria was conquered as well as the independence of the Histrians. According to Livy, 5,632 Histrians were sold into slavery.[4][5]