The Impact of Marcus Aurelius' Eastern Campaign on the Socio-Political Situation of the Roman Empire

Abstract

With Pompey’s incorporation of the Seleucid Kingdom into Rome’s borders in the first century BCE, the Roman Empire became a neighbor of the Parthian Kingdom, and the Euphrates River was established as the natural frontier. Thus began the centuries-long struggle for dominance in the East between Rome and Parthia. Although no war occurred between the Roman Empire and the Parthian Kingdom during the early imperial period, the political tensions that arose over the Kingdom of Armenia during the reigns of Nero and Trajan led to armed conflict. As a result of Emperor Trajan’s eastern campaign, Rome’s borders expanded as far as the Persian Gulf. However, his successor Hadrian abandoned Trajan’s gains and withdrew Roman control to the western bank of the Euphrates. Antoninus Pius likewise followed this more moderate policy. This stance was perceived by the Parthian Kingdom as a sign of weakness, prompting them to seize the Kingdom of Armenia and attempt to occupy Rome’s eastern territories. This attempted occupation at the end of Pius’s reign became a legacy for Marcus Aurelius. In response, Marcus Aurelius dispatched Lucius Verus to the eastern regions. The Roman army succeeded in recovering the Kingdom of Armenia and securing the threatened eastern frontier, achieving victory. During the campaign, however, an outbreak of plague first appeared on the eastern frontier and subsequently spread throughout much of the Roman world. This study aims to examine the impact of Marcus Aurelius’s eastern campaign on the socio-political situation of the Roman Empire.

Keywords

• Roman Empire
• Eastern Campaign
• Marcus Aurelius
• Parthian Kingdom
• Plague Epidemic.

Marcus Aurelius'un Doğu Seferi'nin Roma İmparatorluğu'nun Sosyo-Politik Durumuna Etkisi

Öz

İÖ I. yüzyılda Pompeius, Seleukos Krallığını Roma’nın sınırlarına dahil etmesiyle birlikte Parth Krallığı ile sınır komşusu olmuş ve Fırat Nehri doğal sınır olarak belirlenmiştir. Böylece Roma-Parth arasında yüzyıllar boyunca sürecek olan doğu hakimiyeti mücadelesi başlamıştır. Roma İmparatorluğu’nun ilk dönemlerinde Parth Krallığı ile savaş yaşanmamasına rağmen Nero ve Traianus’un imparatorluklarında Armenia Krallığı üzerinden başlayan siyasi gerilimler savaşların yaşanmasına neden olmuştur. İmparator Traianus’un doğu seferi sonucunda Roma sınırları Basra Körfezine kadar genişlemiştir. Traianus’un ölümü sonrasında imparator olan Hadrianus, selefinin kazanımlarını terk ederek Fırat Nehri’nin batısına çekilmiştir. Antonius Pius’ta selefinin izinden gitmiş ve daha ılımlı bir politika izlemiştir. Bu durum Parth Krallığı tarafından zayıflık olarak algılanmış ve Armenia Krallığını ele geçirerek Roma’nın doğu coğrafyasını işgal etmeye çalışmışlarıdır. Pius’un imparatorluğunun son günlerinde yaşanan işgal girişimi Marcus Aurelius’a miras kamıştır. Marcus Aurelius işgal girişimine karşı Lucius Verus’u doğu coğrafyasına göndermiştir. Roma ordusu Armenia Krallığını ve işgal edilmeye çalışılan doğu sınırlarını kurtarmayı başararak zafer kazanmıştır. Sefer sırasında ortaya çıkan veba salgını ilk olarak doğu sınırlarında devamında ise Roma coğrafyasının büyük çoğunluğunda yayılmıştır. Bu çalışma Marcus Aurelius’un doğu seferinin Roma İmparatorluğu’nun sosyo-politik durumuna etkisini anlatmayı amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Roma İmparatorluğu
• Doğu Seferi
• Marcus Aurelius
• Parth Krallığı
• Veba Salgını

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