Julius Classicus

Julius Classicus was a Gaulish aristocrat and military leader who belonged to the Treviri tribe in the first century AD. He led the Roman auxiliaries as a commander. He joined the insurrection of Gaius Julius Civilis during the unrest of the Year of the Four Emperors, along with Julius Tutor, another Treviran Roman auxiliary leader, and Julius Sabinus, who claimed ancestry from Gaius Julius Caesar (69 AD).

Civilis and Classicus frequently corresponded by letter while Classicus oversaw the Treviran cavalry regiment. Classicus claimed that he had more ancestors who were enemies of Rome than allies in these letters. Classicus was an accomplice in the rebellion against Rome together with Civilis. Classicus, along with leaders of the Treviri and Lingones, Sabinus, and Tutor had different beliefs from Civilis and his Batavian insurrection. While Classicus and his allies sought to establish a new Roman Empire in Gaul, the Batavians were just interested in achieving tribal freedom. Julius Classicus recited an oath of allegiance to the Legion I Germanica and the encamped Legion XVI Gallica in Germany, ordering them to swear allegiance to their new emperor, Julius Sabinus. He did this after killing a deserter named Vocula who tried to flee after witnessing the betrayal of Classicus and the others.