Cotiso
Encyclopedia
Cotiso was a Dacia
n king
who ruled the mountains between Banat
and Oltenia
(modern-day Romania
). Horatius
calls him king of the Dacians. Suetonius
calls him king of the Getae . He is mentioned also by Florus
, who wrote that Cotiso and his armies used to attack towards south when the Danube
froze.
After the death of Burebista, the Dacian kingdom fell apart amid turnoil and civil strife. Yet, the people of the Dacians now under king Cotiso found itself courted by the two Roman antagonists. Octavian / Augustus
worried about the frontier and possible alliance between Mark Antony
and the Dacians, and plotted an expedition around 35 BC. Because of Antony, he had to propose a marriage with the daughter of Cotiso. The war with Antony prevented his plan from completion, and no settlement of the Dacian question was forthcoming during Augustus's reign. Despite several small conflicts, no serious campaigns were mounted. Augustus claimed in his Res Gestae that the Dacians had been subdued. This was mere propaganda, because Dacian troops frequently crossed the Danube to ravage parts of Pannonia and Moesia.
According to Appian
, Antony is responsible for the statement that Augustus sought to secure goodwilll of Cotiso, king of the Getae (Dacians) by giving him his daughter, and he himself marrying a daughter of Cotiso. According to Suetonius
, Cotiso refused the alliance and joined the party of Antony. According to Dio
, Antony's story to the proposed marriages is hardly credible and may have been invented by him to offset his own alliance with Cleopatra .
Suetonius
(LXIII, Life of Augustus) says Marcus Antonius wrote that Augustus betrothed his daughter Julia
to marry Cotiso (M. Antonius scribit primum eum Antonio filio suo despondisse Iuliam, dein Cotisoni Getarum regi) to create an alliance between the two men. This failed when Cotiso betrayed Augustus. Julia ended up marrying her cousin Marcus Claudius Marcellus
. After Caesar Augustus's victory in the civil wars, the Romans
punished the Dacian ruler, who was defeated by general Marcus Licinius Crassus
. In an ode
dedicated to his protector, Horatius
advises him not to worry about Rome
's safety, because Cotiso's army had perished.
Dacia
In ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...
n king
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
who ruled the mountains between Banat
Banat
The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
and Oltenia
Oltenia
Oltenia is a historical province and geographical region of Romania, in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Danube, the Southern Carpathians and the Olt river ....
(modern-day Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
). Horatius
Horatius
Horatius is the nomen of the Roman gens Horatia. Some of its members were:* The Horatii, three members of the Horatia gens who fought to the death against the Curiatii during the reign of Tullus Hostilius.* Marcus Horatius M. f...
calls him king of the Dacians. Suetonius
Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
calls him king of the Getae . He is mentioned also by Florus
Florus
Florus, Roman historian, lived in the time of Trajan and Hadrian.He compiled, chiefly from Livy, a brief sketch of the history of Rome from the foundation of the city to the closing of the temple of Janus by Augustus . The work, which is called Epitome de T...
, who wrote that Cotiso and his armies used to attack towards south when the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
froze.
After the death of Burebista, the Dacian kingdom fell apart amid turnoil and civil strife. Yet, the people of the Dacians now under king Cotiso found itself courted by the two Roman antagonists. Octavian / Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
worried about the frontier and possible alliance between Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
and the Dacians, and plotted an expedition around 35 BC. Because of Antony, he had to propose a marriage with the daughter of Cotiso. The war with Antony prevented his plan from completion, and no settlement of the Dacian question was forthcoming during Augustus's reign. Despite several small conflicts, no serious campaigns were mounted. Augustus claimed in his Res Gestae that the Dacians had been subdued. This was mere propaganda, because Dacian troops frequently crossed the Danube to ravage parts of Pannonia and Moesia.
According to Appian
Appian
Appian of Alexandria was a Roman historian of Greek ethnicity who flourished during the reigns of Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius.He was born ca. 95 in Alexandria. He tells us that, after having filled the chief offices in the province of Egypt, he went to Rome ca. 120, where he practised as...
, Antony is responsible for the statement that Augustus sought to secure goodwilll of Cotiso, king of the Getae (Dacians) by giving him his daughter, and he himself marrying a daughter of Cotiso. According to Suetonius
Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
, Cotiso refused the alliance and joined the party of Antony. According to Dio
Diö
Diö is a locality situated in Älmhult Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 891 inhabitants in 2005.Diö is situated 10 km north of the town Älmhult.Diö's largest employer is the wheelchair manufacturer Rea Stolen Invacare...
, Antony's story to the proposed marriages is hardly credible and may have been invented by him to offset his own alliance with Cleopatra .
Suetonius
Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
(LXIII, Life of Augustus) says Marcus Antonius wrote that Augustus betrothed his daughter Julia
Julia the Elder
Julia the Elder , known to her contemporaries as Julia Caesaris filia or Julia Augusti filia was the daughter and only biological child of Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire. Augustus subsequently adopted several male members of his close family as sons...
to marry Cotiso (M. Antonius scribit primum eum Antonio filio suo despondisse Iuliam, dein Cotisoni Getarum regi) to create an alliance between the two men. This failed when Cotiso betrayed Augustus. Julia ended up marrying her cousin Marcus Claudius Marcellus
Marcus Claudius Marcellus (Julio-Claudian dynasty)
Marcus Claudius Marcellus was the eldest son of Octavia Minor, sister of Augustus, and Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor, a former consul...
. After Caesar Augustus's victory in the civil wars, the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
punished the Dacian ruler, who was defeated by general Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus was a Roman general and politician who commanded the right wing of Sulla's army at the Battle of the Colline Gate, suppressed the slave revolt led by Spartacus, provided political and financial support to Julius Caesar and entered into the political alliance known as the...
. In an ode
Ode
Ode is a type of lyrical verse. A classic ode is structured in three major parts: the strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode. Different forms such as the homostrophic ode and the irregular ode also exist...
dedicated to his protector, Horatius
Horatius
Horatius is the nomen of the Roman gens Horatia. Some of its members were:* The Horatii, three members of the Horatia gens who fought to the death against the Curiatii during the reign of Tullus Hostilius.* Marcus Horatius M. f...
advises him not to worry about Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
's safety, because Cotiso's army had perished.