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By mid 1st century BC, the city-state of Rome had grown into a powerful Republic that exerted hegemony over much of the Mediterranean. During this expansion, Rome’s ruling classes forged friendships and alliances with those governing the various surrounding realms. Such relationships figured prominently in the series of civil wars that heralded the end of the Republic and the genesis of the Empire.
The role of Rome’s client states expanded when Octavian, later named Augustus, consolidated power after prevailing at the Battle of Actium. To maintain power and defend his extensive realm, Augustus looked beyond employing Rome's allies as convenient military assets: he now required them to serve as his personal clients. As such, these client kingdoms multitasked various roles such as protecting valuable trade routes and otherwise promoting imperial interests in addition to providing a buffer against Rome's enemies. In Augustus time, the prodigious list of client kingdoms included Bosporus, Cappadocia, Lycia, Mauretania, and Nabataea.
Augustus also recognized the usefulness of transitioning Rome's client states into provinces, depending on the circumstance. One such case example is the ancient realm of Thrace, the origin of this ancient bronze coin. Thrace 's location was highly strategic: straddled between Asia Minor (and the Black Sea) and Macedonia (and the Mediterranean Sea). Augustus recognized the area's importance. He sought to extend his realm's south-eastern European border beyond Macedonia to Asia Minor to the east and the Lower Danube river to the north. The objective was not only to provide Italy a more buffered border, but also to secure a major river supply route in the region. To meet the objective, Rome's forces had to subjugate several tribes already settled over the region (which was no easy task). By 29 BC, Rome's forces had more or less gained the upper hand, and Augustus decided it was the best course to annex the lands directly bordering the Lower Danube into the Roman Province of Moesia. Regarding Thrace, however, Augustus' strategy was to convert as a client state and he kept the local ruler, King Rhescuporis I, in charge. There was a rebellion in 11 BC, and Rhescuporis was killed.Subsequently, the Romans moved in to quell the rebellion, and afterwards Augustus renewed his decision to keep Thrace as a client kingdom under the rule of Rhescuporis’ uncle, Rhoemetalces I.
This bronze, struck in Thrace between 11 BC and 12 AD, provides evidence of the political arrangement. One side of the coin depicts a diademed bust whose epithet reads BAΣIΛEΩΣ POIMHTAΛKOY, or King Rhoemetalces. The other side depicts another, bare headed, bust whose epithet reads KAIΣAPOΣ ΣEBAΣTOY, signifying Caesar Augustus.
Rhoemetalces provided peace and prosperity over Thrace until his death in 12 AD. At that time, Augustus decided to split Thrace into two portions, and appointed Rhoemetalces’ brother, Rhescuporis II, sovereign over the more troublesome portion (ancient historian Tactitus described it as wild and savage, with enemies on its frontier). The remaining, cultivated portion of Thrace was placed under the dominion of Rhoemetalces’ son, Cotys III. Augustus’ reasoning for splitting Thrace into disparate client states, rather than maintaining it as one or annexing as one or more new provinces, was probably that any other option would be too costly for Rome at that time.
Several years after Augustus’ death, Rhescuporis II imprisoned his nephew, seeking to consolidate Thracian rule. Cotys III died in prison, and it was widely held that Rhescuporis II was responsible. At least that was the conclusion reached by the Roman Senate following an investigation opened by Augustus’ successor, Tiberius. Sentenced into exile, Rhescuporis II attempted to flee his captors, but was killed in the attempt. Tiberius then reunited the Thracian Kingdom under joint rule of Cotys’ widow, Antonia Tryphaena and her eldest son, Rhoemetalces II. The latter, who never married nor had any children, died in 38 AD. Thrace’s throne then passed to the eldest male dynast, Rhoemetalces III, son of previously dethroned Rhescuporis II . Rhoemetalces III died in 46 AD, and, after a brief anti-Roman uprising, Thrace was annexed by Emperor Claudius.
Convoluted dynastic struggles aside, Augustus’ long-term strategy for Thrace succeeded; for centuries, the region served as an important eastern province and buffer zone against Rome’s eastern enemies. Augustus’ successors maintained Rome down a similar path of absorbing surrounding kingdoms. The Julio-Claudians and Flavians continued the strategy of adding new client kingdoms and annexing existing ones to bolster the expanding Empire’s fringes. The policy proved largely successful, although a notable exception was Armenia, a region constantly contended between Rome and her eastern enemies. Only Emperor Trajan succeeded in fully conquering and annexing Armenia, and even then, direct Roman control proved short-lived. In fact, it was not until Trajan that any Emperor dared to annex all Rome’s client kingdoms. Ultimately, the Empire failed to sustain direct control over such vast borders, demonstrating the wisdom of Augustus’ original, balanced system of provinces and client kingdoms.
Additional Reading: J D Everatt,
A Study of the Client Kings in the Early Roman Period, Durham Theses, Durham University, 1972.
Coin Details: KINGDOM OF THRACE, Rhoemetalces I, with Augustus. Circa 11 BC – 12 AD, Æ (19mm, 4.54 g, 6h), NGC Grade: AU, Strike: 4/5, Surface: 4/5, Obverse: Diademed head of Rhoemetalces right, BAΣIΛEΩΣ POIMHTAΛKOY, Reverse: Bare head of Augustus right, KAIΣAPOΣ ΣEBAΣTOY, References: RPC 1718; Youroukova 194-200.