Veleda, Bructerian Seeress, Deity and Nemesis Of The Romans

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Batavians defeating Romans on the Rhine by Otto van Veen (1612)

Veleda, Bructerian Seeress, Deity and Nemesis Of The Romans

The Revolt of the Batavi which occurred between 69 and 70 AD was an uprising against the Roman Empire led by the Batavi, a small but powerful Germanic population of Batavia on the Rhine delta. This small group expanded rapidly as other Germanic tribes and Celtic tribes from Gallia Belgica joined their forces. The Batavi’s leader, the Romanized Gaius Julius Civilis, whose skills were honed in Roman warfare as an auxiliary officer, enlisted the aid of a powerful seeress Veleda and together the allies humiliated the Roman army with a series of crushing defeats, including the annihilation of two Roman legions.

Civilis inciting the Batavians to rebel by Barend Wijnveld (1835) (Public Domain)

Civilis inciting the Batavians to rebel by Barend Wijnveld (1835) (Public Domain)

The annihilation of the two Roman legions was a low point in Roman history. But things took a turn in 77 AD when, following some initial victories, a massive Roman army eventually defeated the insurgents. Following peace talks, the Batavi surrendered and once again submitted to Roman rule. However, this time they were forced to accept humiliating terms and endure a legion being stationed permanently on their territory, at Noviomagus (modern day Nijmegen, The Netherlands).


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