Tacfarinas: little-known African rebel

[guy]

Here is an excellent article by Dr. Joanne Ball discussing the need to adopt an unconventional military strategy by the Roman army to defeat the African rebel Tacfarinas.
 

Quote

 

Between 17 and 24 AD, an African rebel – and former Roman soldier – named Tacfarinas led a campaign of resistance against the Roman Empire in North Africa, significantly destabilizing Imperial interests in the region. Conventional military tactics proved ineffective for multiple Roman commanders against an enemy who waged a campaign of irregular warfare, launching quick attacks and disappearing back into the desert afterwards. The uprising was only suppressed when the Romans adopted some irregular field tactics of their own, beating their opponents at their own game.

Tacfarinas had taught Rome a valuable lesson in Africa. Their initial conventional warfare responses to the irregular tactics employed by the insurrection had proved inadequate, failing to have any significant effect on Tacfarinas’ army. They were unable to mount an effective defense against the hit-and-run attacks used by the enemy, leading to significant economic losses across the region as well as a generalized destabilization of Roman interests in the area.

It was only with the appointment of a commander who decided to adapt the tactics used by the rebels to chase them down into their hiding spots that the insurrection could finally be ended. 

 

 

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/tacfarinas-made-rome-realize-it-had-to-fight-like-the-enemy-to-win

 

Tacfarinas - Wikipedia

Edited December 23, 2022 by guy

[caldrail]

What's amusing is the series of triumphs awarded to generals for defeating Tacfarinas only to hear he was still active