The Revolt
Classicus was specifically the commander of the Treviran cavalry regiment and exchanged many letters with Civilis. In these letters Classicus was an accomplice in rebellion with Civilis against Rome, and boasted that he had more ancestors who had been enemies of Rome than friends.
Classicus, along with Sabinus and Tutor, were leaders of the Treviri and Lingones, both Gallic tribes, and had separate ideals from Civilis and his Batavian revolt. The Batavians were seeking little more than tribal independence, while Sabinus and his allies were looking to start a new Roman Empire in Gaul, an Imperium Galliarum. After killing a deserter named Vocula, who had tried to escape after seeing the treachery of Classicus and the rest, Julius Classicus read an oath of allegiance (dressed as a Roman general) to the 1st and 16th legions of Germany, commanding them to swear allegiance to their new emperor, Julius Sabinus (who would have been the 5th Emperor in just a little over a year).
After this oath, Classicus tried to lure Munius Lupercus and his garrison at Xanten into surrender by offering them quarter, but Lupercus declined. Soon after, the army left for Trier and Sabinus went on to lose a battle to the Sequani after squandering his troop resources, mainly because he didn't trust his new legions. According to Tacitus, Classicus spent the critical juncture after this defeat in idleness. After Tutor was defeated in a further battle, Classicus and Civilis fell back in panic.
Read more about this topic: Julius Classicus
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