Ballomar

Ballomar (AD 140 – AD 170-180) was a leader of the Marcomanni during the Marcomannic Wars.

Ballomar is first mentioned by Cassius Dio as conducting peace talks with the governor of Pannonia Superior, Marco Iallio Basso Fabio Valeriano, following the breakthrough of the limes by his allies the Germanic Lombards and Ubii. Ballomar led the great invasion of Italy by a coalition of Germanic tribes in 167-70 AD, which was the first time a hostile force had entered Italy since the Cimbri of Boiorix during the Cimbrian War. Ballomar defeated a force of 20,000 Roman soldiers near Carnontum, destroyed Opitergium (Oderzo) and besieged Aquilea.

Ballomar might be the character on episode XXV on the Column of Marcus Aurelius, who surrenders on behalf of the Marcomannic to Marcus Aurelius. The dating of this episode is around 172 AD.

In Fiction

Ballomar is a character in the 1964 film The Fall of the Roman Empire.

Sources

• Cassius Dio, Historia romana, Books LXXII & LXXIII
• The column of Marcus Aurelius in Rome, which depict Ballomar