Gaius Cestius Gallus (d. 67 AD) was aRoman senator and general who was active during thePrincipate. He wassuffect consul for the secondnundinium of the year 42 as the colleague ofGaius Caecina Largus.[1] Gallus was the son ofGaius Cestius Gallus, ordinary consul in 35.
Gallus was proconsul ofSyria from 63 to 65. He marched intoJudea with a force of over 30,000 men in September 66 in an attempt to restore order at the outset of theFirst Jewish-Roman War. As assembled atAntioch, Gallus' army comprisedLegio XII Fulminata, detachments from the three other legions based in Syria, six cohorts ofauxiliary infantry, and fouralae of cavalry. These regular troops were supported by 14,000 allies provided byAgrippa II and other client rulers.[2]
With his force reduced by detachments sent to occupy Galilee and the Judean coast, Gallus turned inland to subdue Jerusalem. After suffering losses amongst his baggage train and rearguard, Gallus reachedMount Scopus and penetrated the outer city, but was apparently unable to takethe Temple Mount. After a siege of nine days, Gallus decided to fall back to the coast. His decision appears to have been based on the loss of siege equipment by ambush and the threatened cutting of his supply lines as the October rains began.[3]
The war-like faction in Jerusalem, underShimon bar Giora, rose up against the Roman contingent, pursuing them as far asAntipatris, viaBeit Horon.[4][5]
Josephus initially estimated the number of Roman losses at 515, but in the ensuing rout, the dead among the Imperial Roman army numbered 5300infantrymen and 380cavalrymen. This incident befell the Roman army in the lunar month ofHeshvan, during the 12th year of the reign ofNero, and marked the beginning of the war with Rome.
Soon after his return to Syria, and before the spring of 67, Gallus died.[6] According toTitus Flavius Josephus the legate was broken by shame at a major and unexpected Roman defeat. Gallus was succeeded in the governorship of Syria byLicinius Mucianus.[6] EmperorNero appointed the future EmperorVespasian as commander of the Roman forces assembled in the province to crush the rebellion in Judea.
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| Preceded by | Roman consul 42 (suffect) withGaius Caecina Largus | Succeeded byas suffect |
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