Petilius Cerialis

Also known as: Cerialis · Family: Flavian · Role: soldier · First appears: Histories III.57-60

At the Apennines, Petilius Cerialis escaped Vitellius’ outposts disguised as a peasant. As a near relative of Vespasian and a distinguished soldier, he received a place on his staff. Near the city, Vitellius’ forces defeated him in a cavalry engagement, while his soldiers rejected peace terms and attacked the envoys. At Rome, Mucianus appointed him and Annius Gallus to the chief command.

At Rigodulum, Cerialis routed Valentinus and captured him, while Civilis, Classicus, and Tutor were thrown into panic. At Trier he restrained his troops from destroying the city, then soothed the disgraced legions, treating their earlier failures as “acts of destiny” and renewing their service and allegiance. He rejected the imperial offer from Civilis and Classicus, sending their letter to Domitian. After a surprise attack forced his camp and seized the bridge over the Moselle, Cerialis retook it without armour and captured and destroyed the enemy camp before nightfall, though Classicus later defeated an advance-guard sent toward Novaesium. At Lugdunum, he rejected Domitian’s proposal to transfer his army and allegiance, treating it as “a boy's day-dream.”

When reinforcements doubled his forces, Cerialis fought Civilis in the Batavian war. His troops were first defeated in the flooded marshes at Vetera, then drove the Germans to the Rhine; he later routed them again, sending Civilis and Verax swimming across the river while Tutor and Classicus were fetched by boat. German raiders subsequently surprised his camp and captured Roman vessels, including his flag-ship. After an inconclusive naval encounter at the mouth of the Maas, Cerialis laid waste the island of the Batavi while sparing Civilis’ houses and fields, then secretly offered the Batavians peace and Civilis pardon. Their loyalty weakened, and Civilis eventually demanded an interview across the broken bridge at Nabalia. During this period, Cerialis was also believed to be carrying on an intrigue with the Ubian woman Claudia Sacrata. In Britain, at A.D. 72, he entrusted Agricola with increasingly large forces and shared military glory with him, and he attacked the Brigantes; Julius Frontinus later undertook the task after Cerialis’ exploits.