truce with him not merely once but twice. And the
reason that peace was again granted them, in spite of their having broken
it so soon, was that the affairs of the Dalmatians and Pannonians, who
had begun a rebellion on a large scale, needed vigilant attention.

[-29-] The Dalmatians, smarting under the levies of tribute, had for some
time previous kept quiet even against their will. But, at the same time
that Tiberius made his second campaign against the Celtae, Valerius
Messalinus, the governor of Dalmatia and Pannonia, was himself despatched
to the front with Tiberius, taking most of his army; they, too, were
ordered to send a contingent and on coming together for this purpose had
a chance to see the flower of their fighting force. After that there was
no more delay, but urged on particularly by one Bato, a Daesidiatian, at
first a few revolted and worsted the Romans that came against them, and
this success then led others to rebel. Next, the Breuci, a Pannonian
tribe, put another leader named Bato at their head and marched against
Sirmium and the Romans in the town. This they did not capture: Caecina
Severus, the governor of Moesia close by, he heard of their uprising
marched rapidly upon them, and joining battle with them near the river
Dravus vanquished their army. Hoping to renew the struggle soon, since
many of the Romans also had fallen, they turned to summon their allies,
and collected as many as they could. Meanwhile the Dalmatian Bato had
made a descent upon Salonae, and being himself grievously wounded with a
stone accomplished nothing, but sent some others, who wrought havoc along
the whole sea-coast as far as Apollonia. There, in spite of his
defeat, his representatives won a slight battle against the Romans who
encountered them.

[-30-] Tiberius ascertaining this feared they might invade Italy and so
returned from Celtica: he sent Messalinus ahead and himself followed with
the rest of the army. Bato learned of their approach and though not yet
well went to meet Messalinus. He proved the latter's superior in open
conflict but was afterward conquered by an ambuscade. Thereupon he went
to Bato the Breucan, and making common cause with him in the war occupied
a mountain named Alma. Here they were defeated in a slight skirmish by
Rhoemetalces the Thracian, despatched in advance against them by Severus,
but resisted Severus himself vigorously. Later Severus withdrew to
Moesia because the Dacians and the Saurom