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Simon Bar Kokhba as Military Leader, Where Should He Rank Among Rome's Greatest Enemies?
I would like to open a discussion on the Jewish rebel leader Simon Bar Kokhba someone who has caught my attention lately. For those unaware, Bar Kokhba was a Jewish prince who led a revolt against Roman rule between 132-135 CE during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. Good secondary book on the subject is Lindsey Powell's Bar Kokhba : The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome.
Bar Kokhba is described as having 'possessed the character of a robber and a murderer.' (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 4.6.2.) He was a harsh disciplinarian; we get accounts of him mutilating his own soldiers and kicking a famous Rabbi to death for wanting to negotiate with the Romans. (Midrash Rabbah Lamentations 2.2.4) At the same time he looks to have been a very capable and inspirational leader, 'nevertheless, relying upon his name, boasted to them, as if they were slaves, that he possessed wonderful powers; and he pretended that he was a star that had come down to them out of heaven to bring them light in the midst of their misfortunes.' (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 4.6.2.) He allegedly preformed amazing feats, 'he would catch the missiles from the enemy's catapults on one of his knees and hurl them back, killing many of the foe.' (Midrash Rabbah Lamentations 2.2.4). Bar Kokhba's combination of strictness and inspiration looks to have effectively united the populace in rebellion against Rome.
The rebellion was well planned with Bar Kokhba waiting for the best moment to strike and gathering weapons, 'So long, indeed, as Hadrian was close by in Egypt and again in Syria, they remained quiet, save in so far as they purposely made of poor quality such weapons as they were called upon to furnish, in order that the Romans might reject them and they themselves might thus have the use of them; but when he went farther away, they openly revolted.' (Cassius Dio, 12.2.) Per Jewish sources he raised 200,000 men for the rebellion. (Midrash Rabbah Lamentations 2.2.4)
Bar Kokhba was smart enough to know he could not engage the Romans in pitched battle and instead relied on guerilla tactics and defensive strongholds throughout the region, 'they did not dare try conclusions with the Romans in the open field, but they occupied the advantageous positions in the country and strengthened them with mines and walls, in order that they might have places of refuge whenever they should be hard pressed, and might meet together unobserved under ground; and they pierced these subterranean passages from above at intervals to let in air and light.' (Cassius Dio, 12.3.)
He seems to have been initially very successful inflicting heavy causalities on the Romans. According to Dio, 'Many Romans, moreover, perished in this war. Therefore Hadrian in writing to the senate did not employ the opening phrase commonly affected by the emperors, "If you and our children are in health, it is well; I and the legions are in health." (Cassius Dio, 13.3.) and Fronto adds that 'a significant number of soldiers were killed by the Jews.' (Fronto, Letter to Marcus Aurelius on the Parthian War. 2.) News spread throughout the empire of Bar Kokhba's accomplishments and 'many outside nations, too, were joining them through eagerness for gain, and the whole earth, one might almost say, was being stirred up over the matter.' (Cassius Dio, 13.2.) Bar Kokhba also began minting his own coins to promote his successes.
However, the Jewish prince failed to take Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem) and Hadrian ordered more experienced forces into the region under the command of the capable Julius Severus. Severus employed a new strategy of slowly grinding down the insurgents.(Cassius Dio, 13.2-3.) Bar Kokhba eventually withdraw to Betar 'a very secure fortress' per Eusebius (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 4.6.3.) At Betar he was cornered by two Roman legions (V Macedonica and XI Claudia) and the city put under siege. It was a drawn out affair 'the siege had lasted a long time, and the rebels had been driven to the last extremity by hunger and thirst.' (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 4.6.3.) Bar Kokhba died in the fighting, the city was sacked by the Romans and its populace massacred. (Midrash Rabbah Lamentations 2.2.4) Its unclear how involved Hadrian was in the operations, Jewish sources have him taking an active role in the campaign while Dio leaves things to his subordinates.
The destruction was immense as Dio writes, 'Fifty of their most important outposts and nine hundred and eighty-five of their most famous villages were razed to the ground. Five hundred and eighty thousand men were slain in the various raids and battles, and the number of those that perished by famine, disease and fire was past finding out. Thus nearly the whole of Judaea was made desolate, a result of which the people had had forewarning before the war. Thus nearly the whole of Judaea was made desolate.' (Cassius Dio, 14.1-2.) and Eusebius adds that the fighting 'devastated Palestine.' (Eusebius Chronicle: Hadrian 1.6.)
What are your thoughts on Simon Bar Kokhba? How would you rate his accomplishments? How does he compare to other enemies of Rome?
I would like to open a discussion on the Jewish rebel leader Simon Bar Kokhba someone who has caught my attention lately. For those unaware, Bar Kokhba was a Jewish prince who led a revolt against Roman rule between 132-135 CE during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. Good secondary book on the subject is Lindsey Powell's Bar Kokhba : The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome.
Bar Kokhba is described as having 'possessed the character of a robber and a murderer.' (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 4.6.2.) He was a harsh disciplinarian; we get accounts of him mutilating his own soldiers and kicking a famous Rabbi to death for wanting to negotiate with the Romans. (Midrash Rabbah Lamentations 2.2.4) At the same time he looks to have been a very capable and inspirational leader, 'nevertheless, relying upon his name, boasted to them, as if they were slaves, that he possessed wonderful powers; and he pretended that he was a star that had come down to them out of heaven to bring them light in the midst of their misfortunes.' (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 4.6.2.) He allegedly preformed amazing feats, 'he would catch the missiles from the enemy's catapults on one of his knees and hurl them back, killing many of the foe.' (Midrash Rabbah Lamentations 2.2.4). Bar Kokhba's combination of strictness and inspiration looks to have effectively united the populace in rebellion against Rome.
The rebellion was well planned with Bar Kokhba waiting for the best moment to strike and gathering weapons, 'So long, indeed, as Hadrian was close by in Egypt and again in Syria, they remained quiet, save in so far as they purposely made of poor quality such weapons as they were called upon to furnish, in order that the Romans might reject them and they themselves might thus have the use of them; but when he went farther away, they openly revolted.' (Cassius Dio, 12.2.) Per Jewish sources he raised 200,000 men for the rebellion. (Midrash Rabbah Lamentations 2.2.4)
Bar Kokhba was smart enough to know he could not engage the Romans in pitched battle and instead relied on guerilla tactics and defensive strongholds throughout the region, 'they did not dare try conclusions with the Romans in the open field, but they occupied the advantageous positions in the country and strengthened them with mines and walls, in order that they might have places of refuge whenever they should be hard pressed, and might meet together unobserved under ground; and they pierced these subterranean passages from above at intervals to let in air and light.' (Cassius Dio, 12.3.)
He seems to have been initially very successful inflicting heavy causalities on the Romans. According to Dio, 'Many Romans, moreover, perished in this war. Therefore Hadrian in writing to the senate did not employ the opening phrase commonly affected by the emperors, "If you and our children are in health, it is well; I and the legions are in health." (Cassius Dio, 13.3.) and Fronto adds that 'a significant number of soldiers were killed by the Jews.' (Fronto, Letter to Marcus Aurelius on the Parthian War. 2.) News spread throughout the empire of Bar Kokhba's accomplishments and 'many outside nations, too, were joining them through eagerness for gain, and the whole earth, one might almost say, was being stirred up over the matter.' (Cassius Dio, 13.2.) Bar Kokhba also began minting his own coins to promote his successes.
However, the Jewish prince failed to take Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem) and Hadrian ordered more experienced forces into the region under the command of the capable Julius Severus. Severus employed a new strategy of slowly grinding down the insurgents.(Cassius Dio, 13.2-3.) Bar Kokhba eventually withdraw to Betar 'a very secure fortress' per Eusebius (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 4.6.3.) At Betar he was cornered by two Roman legions (V Macedonica and XI Claudia) and the city put under siege. It was a drawn out affair 'the siege had lasted a long time, and the rebels had been driven to the last extremity by hunger and thirst.' (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 4.6.3.) Bar Kokhba died in the fighting, the city was sacked by the Romans and its populace massacred. (Midrash Rabbah Lamentations 2.2.4) Its unclear how involved Hadrian was in the operations, Jewish sources have him taking an active role in the campaign while Dio leaves things to his subordinates.
The destruction was immense as Dio writes, 'Fifty of their most important outposts and nine hundred and eighty-five of their most famous villages were razed to the ground. Five hundred and eighty thousand men were slain in the various raids and battles, and the number of those that perished by famine, disease and fire was past finding out. Thus nearly the whole of Judaea was made desolate, a result of which the people had had forewarning before the war. Thus nearly the whole of Judaea was made desolate.' (Cassius Dio, 14.1-2.) and Eusebius adds that the fighting 'devastated Palestine.' (Eusebius Chronicle: Hadrian 1.6.)
What are your thoughts on Simon Bar Kokhba? How would you rate his accomplishments? How does he compare to other enemies of Rome?
