Bato belonged to the indigenous Daesitiates tribe,[3] whose homeland was in what is today central Bosnia, and at a critical point in time he chose to lead his people in their struggle against their Roman occupiers.The civitas of the Daesitiates was part of provincia Illyricum with its capital in Salona on the Adriatic coast.Bato was probably a member of a distinguished indigenous family, and as an adult he was probably a political and military official of the Daesitiates.These two centres of resistance united in the autumn of 6 AD, and the two Batos became war-leaders of an allied rebel army.[5] Rome sent 10 legions and the same number of auxiliaries, allies, and mercenary forces to crush the uprising.