Gaius Aelius Gallus was a Roman prefect of Egypt from 26 - 24 BC. He is primaly known for a disastrous expedition he undertook to Arabia Felix under orders of Augustus. Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... A prefect (from the Latin praefectus, perfect participle of praeficere: make in front, i. ... The Roman Empire 120, with Aegyptus province highlighted See Egypt Province for the province of the Ottoman Empire. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC - 20s BC - 10s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s Years: 31 BC 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC 26 BC 25 BC 24 BC 23 BC 22 BC 21... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC - 20s BC - 10s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s Years: 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC 26 BC 25 BC 24 BC 23 BC 22 BC 21 BC 20 BC 19... The Republic of Yemen is a country in the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia, and is a part of the Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia. ... For other persons named Octavian, see Octavian (disambiguation). ...

Life

Aelius Gallus was the 2rd praefect of Roman Egypt (Aegyptus) in the reign of Augustus during the years 26–24 BC. He replaced Cornelius Gallus—with whom he has often been confounded—had been invested with the same office. Aelius Gallus was recalled by Augustus for failure to pacify the Kushites. He was succeeded as praefect by Gaius Petronius, a military genius and close friend of Augustus. Aelius Gallus was also known to be an intimate friend of the Greek geographer Strabo and has been identified with the Aelius Gallus frequently quoted by Galen, whose remedies are stated to have been used with success in his Arabian expedition.^[1] The word prefect can refer to any of a number of types of official, including: in Latin, praefectus: a high-ranking military or civil official in the Roman Empire; the title now attaches to the heads of some departments of the Roman Curia, who are traditionally Cardinals, and if they... For other persons named Octavian, see Octavian (disambiguation). ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC - 20s BC - 10s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s Years: 31 BC 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC 26 BC 25 BC 24 BC 23 BC 22 BC 21... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC - 20s BC - 10s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s Years: 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC 26 BC 25 BC 24 BC 23 BC 22 BC 21 BC 20 BC 19... Cornelius Gallus (c. ... The Greek geographer Strabo in a 16th century engraving. ...

The expedition to Arabia Felix, of which an account is given by Strabo (xvi. pp. 780-783; see also Cassius Dio liii. 29; Pliny, Nat. Hist. vi. 32; Charles Merivale, Hist. of the Romans under the Empire, ch. ~4; H Kruger, Der Feidzug des A. G. nach dem glucklichen Arabien, 1862) unfortunately turned out to be a complete failure. Gallus undertook the expedition from Egypt by the command of Augustus, partly with a view to explore the country and its inhabitants, and partly to conclude treaties of friendship with the people, or to subdue them if they should oppose the Romans, for it was believed at the time that Arabia was full of all kinds of treasures. Cassius Dio Cocceianus (ca. ... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19th Century portrait. ... Charles Merivale (March 8, 1808 - December 27, 1893) was an English historian and churchman, for many years dean of Ely Cathedral. ...

When Aelius Gallus set out with his army, he trusted to the guidance of a Nabataean called Syllaeus, who deceived and misled him. A long account of this interesting expedition through the desert is given by Strabo—who gives an account of the expedition^[2][3] and derived most of his information about Arabia from his friend Aelius Gallus.^[4][5][6][7] The burning heat of the sun, the bad water, and the want of every thing necessary to support life, produced a disease among the soldiers which was altogether unknown to the Romans, and destroyed the greater part of the army; so that the Arabs were not only not subdued, but succeeded in driving the Romans even from those parts of the country which they had possessed before. Aelius Gallus spent six months on his march into the country, on account of his treacherous guide, while he effected his retreat in sixty days, obliged to return to Alexandria, having lost the greater part of his force. This article is about the city in Egypt. ...

Notes

References

This entry incorporates public domain text originally from:

• William Smith (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, 1870.