The 13 Most Formidable Enemies The Roman Empire Ever Faced

Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh of Egypt's Ptolemaic Dynasty, had a complex tie with Rome. Her father, Ptolemy XII, lost power, but Roman allies restored him.Roman allies restored him to power.Cleopatra sought power. When Cleo took the throne, she courted the Mediterranean's most powerful empire.

First, she made Julius Caesar fall for her. Or she convinced him to have sex with her, since they had a baby boy.Caesar killed.Cleopatra helped her brother-husband and secured her power. Cleo later followed him to Rome due to peer pressure. After his death, she partnered with his top supporter, Mark Antony, who gave her three children.

Cleopatra and Mark Antony opposed Caesar's heir, Octavian, who took control of Rome. The clash peaked at the Battle of Actium.Battle of ActiumOn September 2, 31 BCE, Octavian took over Rome. He became the first emperor, Augustus.

In the third century BCE, Rome and Carthage, the two top powers in the Mediterranean, fought in three Punic Wars. Hannibal, the brilliant general leading Carthage's soldiers in North Africa, led the charge.HannibalAfter Rome won the First Punic War, Hannibal controlled Carthage's colonies in Iberia. He attacked a Spanish town, starting the Second Punic War.

Hannibal gathered a huge force, including nearly 40 war elephants. He marched the elephants across the Alps into Italy. He eventually won.Hannibal won a huge battle at Cannae against Roman legions, but the Romans invaded Carthage, forcing him to leave.Hannibal won a stunning victory at Cannae against Roman legions. However, the Romans invaded Carthage, forcing him to leave. Roman general Scipio won another major battle near Carthage, leaving the Carthaginians with only their North African lands.

Hannibal did not want to stay, but he was forced into exile.He went into exile.Hannibal stayed with the Syrians, then the people of Pergamum in Asia Minor. He threw buckets of snakes at his enemies.He stayed with the people of Pergamum in Asia Minor.Hannibal threw snakes at enemies in Pergamum, Asia Minor. Hannibal became paranoid. Afraid of enemies, he poisoned himself while hanging out in Turkey.

Palmyra, a major ancient Syrian trade center, suffered.Palmyra was destroyed in large part by ISIS.ISIS took large parts of Palmyra.Zenobia was the great Arab queen.Zenobia rebelled against Roman rule. First, she acted as regent for her child in the third century CE. Zenobia eventually took power herself. Although her husband was a Roman client king, Zenobia struck out on her own and opposed the Romans. She claimed descent from Cleopatra VII, a political lightning rod.Zenobia struck out on her own and opposed the Romans. She claimed descent from Cleopatra VII, a political lightning rod.Zenobia struck out on her own and opposed the Romans. She claimed descent from Cleopatra VII, a political lightning rod.

Zenobia conquered Egypt in 269. She moved into Asia Minor.Zenobia moved into Asia Minor.Aurelian blocked Zenobia's move into Asia Minor. Two years later, Aurelian took control of key cities like Ankara and Emesa in Syria. Aurelian and Zenobia fought, with Zenobia leading her troops into battle.they exchangedShe remained defiant, declaring herself empress. Palmyra fell, and Aurelian captured Zenobia in 274 in Rome, or she starved herself to death.

Attila, leader of the Hun confederation of nomadic tribes in Eastern Europe-Asia, became "the Scourge of Rome" for the destruction he caused the late Roman Empire. The tribes moved westward into the Roman Empire in the mid-fifth century CE.The tribes forced Rome to pay them in gold to stop attacks. Rome increased the money needed to keep the tribes away each year. Attila eventually broke a treaty, invading and sacking Roman lands in the 450s.Rome needed gold to bribe tribes and stop attacks. The money needed to keep tribes away grew yearly. Attila broke a treaty, invading and sacking Roman lands in the 450s.

Attila sought ambition. He killed his brother for the throne. Attila went to Gaul to marry an imperial princess, but he remained humble. His men gathered wealth while he destroyed lands Rome conquered centuries earlier; Attila took many women... leading to his end. Attila died from a bad nosebleed in 453 after one incident.Boudica was the wife of King Prasutagus, who allied with the Romans when they invaded in 43 CE.Attila sought ambition. He killed his brother for the throne. Attila went to Gaul to marry an imperial princess, but he remained humble. His men gathered wealth while he destroyed lands Rome conquered centuries earlier; Attila took many women... leading to his end. Attila died from a bad nosebleed in 453 after one incident.Boudica and the Iceni revolted against the Romans in 60-61. They fought the Roman Ninth Legion and destroyed Colchester, London, and St. Albans before a Roman army defeated them. Boudica may have poisoned herself or died in battle as the Romans took back control of Britain.Meet Viriatus. A Spaniard, he led a rebellion against invading Romans who conquered parts of Iberia in the second century BCE. In 151 BCE, people in the Lusitania region tried to talk to Rome during constant attacks; the regional Roman leader killed the Lusitanians instead. Legend says a survivor named Viriatus wanted revenge.

A few years later, Viriatus led the surviving Lusitanian forces against the Romans, killing their leader and thousands of men in one fight. Over nearly a decade, Viriatus and his men became the scourge of the Romans in Spain, especially when they pretendedViriatus led the surviving Lusitanian forces against the Romans, killing their leader and thousands of men in one fight. Over nearly a decade, Viriatus and his men became the scourge of the Romans in Spain, especially when they pretendedQueen Boudica stands near the Houses of Parliament. She destroyed London during her revolt against Rome. Boudica was the queen of the Iceni.Boudica ruled the Iceni tribe in southeastern Britain.Boudica was the wife of King Prasutagus, who allied with the Romans when they invaded in 43 CE.Boudica was the wife of King Prasutagus.When Prasutagus died, the Romans decided Boudica should not rule. The Romans took his kingdom and his daughters.

The Romans entered Iceni land. One account says they raped Boudica and her daughters. They then stole Iceni noblemen's land and made the tribesmen servants.Boudica and the Iceni rebelled against the Romans in 60-61. They fought the Roman Ninth Legion and destroyed Colchester, London, and St. Albans before a Roman army won.Boudica may have poisoned herself or died in battle as the Romans regained control of Britain.

Viriatus, a Spaniard, led a rebellion against Romans who conquered parts of Iberia in the second century BCE. In 151 BCE, the people of Lusitania tried to bargain with Rome during constant attacks. The regional Roman leader killed the Lusitanians instead.One survivor of that conflict was a man named Viriatus (a nickname) who sought revenge.A few years later, Viriatus led the surviving Lusitanian forces against the Romans. He killed their leader and thousands of men in one fight. Over almost ten years, Viriatus and his men became a menace to the Romans in Spain, especially when they pretendedrevolted against the Romans in 60-61. They thrashed the Roman Ninth Legion and destroyed the ancient cities of Colchester, London, and St. Albans before a Roman army finally defeated them. Boudica may have poisoned herself or died in battle as the Romans reestablished dominion over Britain.

Meet Viriatus. A Spaniard, he led a rebellion against invading Romans, who conquered parts of Iberia throughout the second century BCE. In 151 BCE, the people of the Lusitania region tried to negotiate with Rome during endless attacks; the regional Roman leader mercilessly slaughtered the Lusitanians instead. According to legend, one of the survivors was a dude named Viriatus (a nickname), who wanted revenge.

A few years later, Viriatus led the surviving Lusitanian forces against the Romans, butchering their leader and thousands of men in one battle. Over the course of nearly a decade, Viriatus and his men became the scourge of the Romans in Spain, especially when they pretendedViriatus ran away, then launched a surprise counterattack. Local guerrilla tactics and knowledge of Iberian terrain helped against the Romans. But Viriatus could not maintain this. He made a treaty with Rome, and three of his own men betrayed him and killed him.

Eunus, a Syrian slave who became a rebel, was a rebel for ages. Rome enslaved him in Sicily during the second century BCE, but he did not stay down long.He organized 70,000 other slaves into an army with fellow slave-rebel Cleon.Seven thousand other slaves joined the army.He claimed he was a magician or prophet. He took the city of Enna and became king Antiochus. A few years later, a Roman consul crushed his rebellion in 132 BCE and imprisoned Eunus.Slave-rebel Cleon had a way with Eunus; his charisma drew people to him.Rome did not fully win. The two lands made a treaty, but it ended soon after Jugurtha killed another rival to his throne. Marius, a seven-time Roman consul and Caesar's uncle by marriage, invaded Numidia and eventually beat Jugurtha.Eunus was a magician or prophet. He took Enna and became king Antiochus. A Roman consul ended his rebellion in 132 BCE, putting Eunus in prison.

JugurthaJugurtha, the prince of Numidia in North Africa, was the son of a king who worked with Rome. Jugurtha slowly eliminated rivals for his throne. He supported Rome against the Carthaginians, learned Latin, and befriended senators. Relations soured, though, when Jugurtha killed Italian merchants.Jugurtha killed some Italian merchants.The Romans went to war.The Romans went to war against him around 111 BCE.Around 111 BCE, the Romans went to war against him.

Rome did not fully win. The two lands made a treaty, but it ended soon after Jugurtha eliminated another rival. Marius, a seven-time Roman consul and Caesar's uncle by marriage, invaded Numidia and eventually beat him.Marius beat Jugurtha.With help from the king of nearby Mauretania, Jugurtha fought Marius. In 105 BCE, Marius brought Jugurtha home and paraded him through Rome in a military triumph; Jugurtha died shortly after.

Julius Caesar nearly met his match in Vercingetorix of Gaul. Caesar invaded what is now France/Germany in 58 BCE, chronicling it in his memoir.The Gallic Wars.The Celtic tribes did not take his land.The tribes did not take his genocide lightly.Rebellions grew for years. Gallic tribes united and made Vercingetorix of the Arverni their leader. This military action made Caesar cross the Cisalpine Alps to stop the Celts.Vercingetorix became the head warrior.This organized military action made Caesar cross the Cisalpine Alps to head off the Celts.

Raids and minor battles ended in late 52 BCE when Caesar and the Gauls met at Alesia. The Romans besieged the fortifications around this fortress.The Romans besieged the epic fortifications surrounding this fortress.Three weeks later, Vercingetorix and his supporters ran out of food and supplies. Caesar broke the Gallic forces and took Vercingetorix back to Rome in chains; the Gallic chieftain died there years later.Caesar took Vercingetorix back to Rome with him in chains.Vercingetorix died in Rome years later.

Best knownKing Mithridates VI of Pontus created poisons and antidotes in his Black Sea kingdom. He fought Rome for control of most of Asia Minor. He was Rome's last main challenger in the East for centuries, but the conflict intensified: He killed over 80,000 Romans in Asia Minor. The Romans waged three Mithridatic Wars against this monarch.The Romans waged three Mithridatic Wars against this monarch.The Romans waged three Mithridatic Wars against this monarch, partly sparked by Mithridates's slow conquest of lands making up modern Turkey.

The First Mithridatic War (89-85 BCE) ended.endedSulla defeated Mithridates. Romans then raided his lands to start the Second Mithridatic War (83-81 BCE). The third war lasted longest (73-63 BCE), starting after Romans took Bithynia, which Mithridates claimed. He fled, and Romans found him. He could not poison himself due to toxins and antidotes, so his guards killed him with a sword.

Romania and Rome might havesimilaretymologies, but people in those areas were not friends in ancient times. MeetDecebalus, king of the Dacians (who live in modern Romania) in the first century CE. Like many who opposed Rome, Decebalus united tribes into one power to fight their strong enemy.

With his men behind him, Decebalusattackedthe Roman province of Moesia and angered the Parthians. Decebalus had beaten the Romans decades earlier under Domitian, but now he faced a new foe: Emperor Trajan, who went to Dacia in 101 to stop Decebalus. Things went badly. Decebalus tried to negotiate in 102, but Trajan won and made Decebalus a client king, a ruler by Rome's favor.

A few years later, Trajangotfed up and attacked Decebalus again (but who started it?). Decebalus lost again and took his own life in 106, a year before Dacia became Roman. Modern Romanians see him as a national hero; one person even built acolossalhead of Decebalus for everyone to see.

One of Rome's worst lossesevercame from German leader Arminius in 9 CE. During the Battle of the Teutoberg Forest, the Germans defeated the Romans so thoroughly they stopped Roman expansion westward anddestroyed10% of the imperial forces. How did this happen? Arminius led the Romans into a huge forest with false information, thenambushed them.

How didArminiusget the better of the Romans throughout his career? He started by climbing the ranks of Roman society. After Teutoberg, he survived General Germanicus capturing his wifeandanother Roman attack. German tribes murdered Arminius in 17 CE, not the Romans.

A "Pyrrhic victory"meansa battle won at such a high cost that the winner suffers more than the loser. Where did this come from? A king namedPyrrhus of Epirus, a northern Greek area ruled in the late fourth century and late third century BCE. He was one of Rome's first major enemies.

Problems began when the Italian city-state Tarentum asked Pyrrhus for help against Rome. Pyrrhus arrived in 280 BCE, using foot soldiers and elephants to kick people out; hehelpedTarentum win the battle, but lost so many of his own soldiers that the victory was not much.

Pyrrhus fought Rome again at Ausculum, won, and still suffered```Pyrrhus of Epirus suffered many casualties. Rome defeated him badly in 275 BCE, and he returned to Greece.