3RD CYRENAICA LEGION
LEGIO III CYRENAICA
3rd Cyrenaican Legion
EMBLEM:
Ammon/Jupiter (probably).
BIRTH SIGN:
Capricorn (possibly).
FOUNDATION:
Probably by Mark Anthony, c. 36 BC.
RECRUITMENT AREA:
Originally, province of Cyrenaica.
POSTINGS:
Egypt, Judea, Bostra, Judea, Bostra.
BATTLE HONORS:
Siege of Jerusalem, AD 70.
Trajan’s Parthian campaign, AD 114–116.
Second Jewish Revolt, AD 132–135.
FROM EGYPT’S QUIET TO THE THICK OF CONFLICT
A resident legion of Egypt for many years, it occupied and created the new province of Arabia, then slugged through the Second Jewish War, which resulted in all Jews being banned from within sight of Jerusalem.
The 3rd Cyrenaica Legion is known to have fought for Mark Antony, who, as its title implies, probably raised it in Cyrenaica in North Africa, which came under Antony’s control during the Second Triumvirate. It surrendered to Octavian at Actium in 31 BC, and the following year became one of Augustus’ twenty-eight standing legions, posted to Egypt.
Neither the emblem nor the birth sign of the 3rd Cyrenaica is recorded, but the men of the legion were known to venerate the Cyrenaican god known in Egypt as Ammon, and which the Romans depicted as Jupiter with horns; it is possible that the 3rd Cyrenaica Legion bore this officially recognized manifestation as its emblem.
Based at Alexandria, the legion put down Jewish rioting in that city in the first century and contributed cohorts to Titus’ AD 70 Siege of Jerusalem. In AD 106 the legion departed its longtime base at Alexandria, joined a task force led by Aulus Cornelius Palma, governor of Syria, and invaded the old kingdom of Nabataea. On the orders of the emperor Trajan, Palma carved out the new Roman province Arabia Petraea. At Bostra, the 3rd Cyrenaica built itself a new base.
Between AD 114 and 116, the legion took part in Trajan’s campaign in Mesopotamia and Parthia, before returning to its Bostra base. Between AD 132 and 135 it took part in Julius Severus’ grinding operations in Judea that put down the Second Jewish Revolt. The legion continued to be based at Bostra for the next few hundred years, regularly fighting the Persians, with mixed fortunes.
By the end of the fourth century, the 3rd Cyrenaica was still in Arabia, accompanied by the 4th Martia Legion, a relatively new creation, plus twelve mounted units and five auxiliary cohorts.
3RD GALLICA LEGION
LEGIO III GALLICA
3rd Gallic Legion
EMBLEM:
Three bulls.
BIRTH SIGN:
Capricorn
FOUNDATION:
Reformed by Julius Caesar in Gaul in 49 BC; based on Pompey’s 3rd Legion.
RECRUITMENT AREA:
Originally, Gaul. Under Mark Anthony, changed to Syria.
POSTINGS:
Emesa, Apamea, Cappadocia, Armenia, Judea, Moesia, Rome/Capua, Raphanaea, Judea, Danaba.
BATTLE HONORS:
Corbulo’s First Armenian Campaign, AD 58–60.
Corbulo’s Second Armenian Campaign, AD 62.
First Jewish Revolt, AD 66–67.
Defeat of the Roxolani Sarmatians, AD 68.
Second Battle of Bedriacum, AD 69.
Battle of Cremona, AD 69.
Battle of Rome, AD 69.
Second Jewish Revolt, AD 132–135.
VESPASIAN’S TERRORS
One of Mark Antony’s legions, it was subsequently badly mauled in the First Jewish Revolt before single-handedly crushing 9,000 Sarmatian cavalry in Moesia, this feared legion led the way into Italy to defeat Vitellius and make its former general Vespasian emperor.
“Under Marcus Antonius they had defeated the
Parthians, under Corbulo the Armenians, and
had lately discomforted the Sarmatians.”
(TACITUS, Histories, III, 24)
The emblem of three bulls depicted on the coins of the 3rd Gallica Legion reflects the fact that this was the second 3rd Legion in existence at or shortly after the time that it was reformed by Caesar in 49 BC. As Caesar himself wrote, the other 3rd Legion was marching for Pompey the Great in Greece at the time, and it fought against Caesar at Pharsalus. [Caes., CW, III, 88] This legion’s Gallica title may have been given to it by Caesar to differentiate it from Pompey’s 3rd and also to reflect the fact that it had been raised in Gaul. The original 3rd, having served Pompey in Spain, almost certainly carried the bull emblem.
The 3rd Gallica was one of the Caesarian legions that Mark Antony took to the East during the Second Triumvirate. There, it distinguished itself in Antony’s army during his disastrous 36 BC campaign in Media. Prior to this campaign Antony filled several of his legions with Syrian recruits, and for at least the next hundred years the ranks of 3rd Gallica Legion were occupied by Syrians, most of whom, if not all, were followers of the eastern sun god Baal, or Elagabalus.
Once Octavian absorbed the 3rd Gallica into his new standing army in 30 BC, the legion was made part of the Syria station. The coins of its wages were minted alternatively at Emesa, home of the shrine of Baal, and Apamea.
There was then a convention that legions were not stationed where they were recruited, and later indications put the legion in Judea, a sub-province of Syria. In Judea, the legion was not permitted to circulate coins bearing images of the emperor, nor raise their standards, because of the Jewish prohibition of graven images. And because the governor of Judea was only of Equestrian status, the legion was commanded by their tribune, an Equestrian, in the same way that only Equestrian officers were permitted in Egypt. At one time the 3rd Gallica’s senior tribune was an officer named Celer, who was put to death for defrauding the Jews of Judea. [Jos., JA, 20, 6, 2–3]
By the spring of AD 58, a six-cohort 3rd Gallica vexillation had marched up to Cappadocia under the legion’s camp-prefect, Capito, and took part in Corbulo’s lightning campaign in Armenia. In AD 62, another vexillation participated in Corbulo’s second Armenian campaign.
When the Jewish Revolt erupted in Judea in AD 66, three of the 3rd Gallica’s cohorts were surprised at the outset and were wiped out. The legion’s remaining cohorts took part in Vespasian’s AD 67 counter-offensive in Galilee. But, despite the enthusiasm of its vengeful legionaries, the legion suffered so many losses by the end of the summer that the Palatium transferred it across the Roman world to Moesia, on the Danube, where it arrived in AD 68.
In early AD 69, just as the winter in Moesia was coming to an end, the depleted legion was called out to counter an invasion of the province by 9,000 heavily armored Sarmatian cavalrymen from the Roxolani tribe. In a surprise attack on an icy day, the men of the 3rd Gallica killed the Roxolani to a man, with minimal casualties of their own. For their victory, the legion’s legate was awarded Triumphal Decorations by the emperor Otho.
In the late summer of AD 69, the men of the 3rd Gallica learned that their former commander-in-chief in Judea, Vespasian, had been hailed emperor by the legions of the East. This was in opposition to the incumbent, Vitellius, who had overthrown Otho. The legion then swore for Vespasian and convinced the other legions of Moesia, Pannonia and Dalmatia to do the same. In September, a delegation from the legion, led by it chief centurion, Attius Varus, attended a war conference held at Poetovio, the headquarters of the 13th Gemina Legion, in Pannonia.
The legate of the 7th Galbiana Legion, Marcus Antonius Primus, then declared that he would march on Italy to dethrone Vitellius with just the few auxiliaries he had with him. When the other generals at the meeting failed to support Primus, Centurion Varus and the men of the 3rd Gallica with him immediately gave him their allegiance and support.
With Centurion Varus as his deputy and just Varus’ men of the 3rd Gallica and his auxiliaries, Primus marched into Italy where they were soon joined by the remainder of the 3rd Gallica and the other legions of Moesia and Pannonia
. Primus’ army defeated the forces of Vitellius, first at Bedriacum and then at Cremona, with the 3rd Gallica at the forefront. At Cremona, “the 3rd broke down the gate with axes and swords. All authors agree that Gaius Volusius, a soldier of the 3rd Legion, entered first. Beating down all who opposed him, he mounted the rampart, waved his hand, and shouted aloud that the camp was taken.” [Tac., H, III, 29]
The 3rd Gallica then marched on Rome and stormed into the city. After helping to bring down Vitellius, they then set about looting the homes of his supporters. When Vespasian’s deputy Mucianus arrived at Rome, he ordered the rapacious 3rd Gallica to spend the winter at Capua, to remove them from the capital. Capua was not only wealthy, but had supported Vitellius to the end, so the men of the 3rd Gallica had no reservations about systematically looting the town over the winter.
Varus, the legion’s chief centurion, was rewarded for his part in the defeat of Vitellius with a praetorship, but he was soon sidelined, and in the spring of AD 70 his former legion was sent back to the East, where it could no longer influence events. The legion’s new station was remote Raphanaea, on the Euphrates river, in southern Syria.
The 3rd Gallica took part in the Roman counter-offensive in Judea during the Second Jewish Revolt of AD 132–135. It was back at Raphanaea during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. During the reign of Septimius Severus the legion’s province was Syria Phoenicia, and the legion would have taken part in Aurelian’s AD 273 campaign to take back the East from the rebel queen of Palmyra, Zenobia.
By the reign of Diocletian, the 3rd Gallica’s base was at Danaba, between Damascus and Palmyra. In the reign of Theodosius I, the legion was still at Danaba, along with the 1st Illyricorum Legion, a unit which dated from the late third century.
During the legion’s heyday, in that short period between AD 67 and AD 70, few legionaries were more feared, by both friend and foe, than the wild, sun-worshipping Syrians of the 3rd Gallica.
3RD ITALICA LEGION
LEGIO III ITALICA
3rd Italian Legion
EMBLEM:
Stork.
BIRTH SIGN:
Capricorn (probably).
FOUNDATION:
AD 165, by Marcus Aurelius, for the Marcomani Wars.
RECRUITMENT AREA:
Originally Italy.
POSTINGS:
Aquileia, Eining, Castra Regina.
BATTLE HONORS:
Marcus Aurelius’ Marcomani Wars, AD 165–175.
MARCUS AURELIUS’ STORKS
The second of two legions raised in Italy in AD 165 by Marcus Aurelius for his Danube wars, it was in action immediately.
Marcus Aurelius’ newly raised 3rd Italica Legion was fighting the Alemanni and Quadi Germans from the moment it reached the battlefront. Its first enlistment was enrolled in Italy in AD 165 along with that of the 2nd Italica.
The 3rd Italica’s emblem of a stork, unique among legion emblems, may have referred to its new birth, but it could also have referred to the region in Italy where it was born. Puglia, for instance, was a famous nesting place of the stork in ancient times; the commune of Cerignola still uses the stork as its emblem to this day.
The 3rd Italica was initially stationed at Aquileia in northeast Italy with the 2nd Italica. It was at Eining in Austria by AD 172, then moved to Castra Regina in Raetia, today’s Bavarian city of Regensburg. Construction of the Castra Regina legion camp began beside the Danube in AD 179, when numismatic evidence puts the 3rd Italica Legion in residence.
By the end of the fourth century the unit was a comitatense legion under the command of the Master of Foot.
3RD PARTHICA LEGION
LEGIO III PARTHICA
3rd Parthian Legion
EMBLEM:
Centaur.
BIRTH SIGN:
Capricorn (probably).
FOUNDATION:
c. AD 197, by Septimus Severus, for his Parthian campaign.
RECRUITMENT AREA:
Originally Thrace/Macedonia.
POSTINGS:
Parthia, Rhesana.
BATTLE HONORS:
Septimus Severus’ Parthian campaign, AD 197–201.
FODDER FOR THE PERSIANS
Raised by Septimius Severus for service against the Parthians, and by AD 197 based in newly occupied Mesopotamia, where it would spend its later career fighting the Persians.
Together with the 1st and 2nd Parthica legions, the 3rd Parthica was raised in Thrace and Macedonia by Septimius Severus for his Parthian campaigns of AD 197–201. After overcoming Parthian resistance and taking Edessa, capital of the kingdom of Osroene, a Parthian ally, and capturing the king, Abgar, Severus’ legions marched down the Tigris and stormed and looted the Parthian capital, Ctesiphon.
During these operations, the European recruits of the three Parthica legions regularly outperformed the men of the legions based in the East. But after a prolonged, bloody, and ultimately unsuccessful siege of the rich desert city of Hatra, even they had reached their limit and were on the point of mutiny. Severus gave up the siege and withdrew, leaving the 1st Parthica and 3rd Parthica legions to garrison Mesopotamia.
The 3rd Parthica Legion made its base at Rhesana, today’s Ra’s al-Ayn in Syria, midway between Nisibis and Carrhae. During the fourth-century campaigns of Persia’s conquering king Shapur II, the 3rd Parthica’s Rhesana base fell to the Persians. The 3rd Parthica Legion disappeared, apparently destroyed during the fall of Rhesana.
By the end of the fourth century, a 4th Parthica Legion was in existence. Raised during the third century, it was stationed at Circesio, today’s Aba Serae in Iraq, under the command of the Duke of Osroene. Based at Beroea (Aleppo), in Syria, this unit later probably formed part of the Byzantine army.
4TH MACEDONICA LEGION
LEGIO IIII MACEDONICA
4th Legion of Macedonia
EMBLEM:
Bull.
BIRTH SIGN:
Capricorn
FOUNDATION:
By Pompey the Great (probably).
RECRUITMENT AREA:
Originally Spain or Italy.
POSTINGS:
Juliobriga, Mogontiacum.
FROM FAME AT PHILIPPI TO IGNOMINY ON THE RHINE
The 4th Macedonica survived the Battle of Philippi, spent time in Spain before transfer to the Rhine, valiantly fought Arminius under Germanicus, only to disgrace itself in the Civilis Revolt and be disbanded by Vespasian and reformed as the 4th Flavia.
The 4th Legion was carrying the “Macedonica” title very early in the imperial era; “4th Macedonica” appears on the tombstones of centurion Lucius Blattius and another, unnamed soldier, who settled at Este in Italy some time before 14 BC. [Kepp., CVSI, Syl. 24 and 25] It is probable that the legion appropriated its title following the first Battle of Philippi, in Macedonia, in 42 BC, where it fought on the left wing of Mark Antony’s army and took very heavy casualties. Opposing general Marcus Brutus congratulated his troops for having “completely destroyed their famed 4th Legion” in the battle. [App., IV, 117] But the unit survived to be rebuilt.
Under Octavian/Augustus, the legion was posted to Nearer Spain. Its base was at Juliobriga, modern Retorillo, where it remained until AD 43, when Claudius transferred it to Mogontiacum on the Upper Rhine, replacing the 14th Gemina, which was assigned to the invasion of Britain.
In January AD 69, the 4th Macedonica led the movement which resulted in the legions of the army of the Upper Rhine declaring their general Vitellius emperor, in opposition to Galba and then Otho. [Tac., H, I, 55] The legion subsequently sent several cohorts to Italy, which fought for Vitellius at the Second Battle of Bedriacum and Battle of Cremona against Vespasian’s troops. They lost, and surrendered. The 4th Macedonica cohorts remaining on the Rhine became embroiled in the Civilis Revolt later that year, and surrendered to the rebels early in AD 70.
Vespasian, the new emperor, was so disgusted with the 4th Macedonica’s involvement with Civilis and his rebels that he abolished the legion.
LEGIO IIII FLAVIA-F
4th Fortunate Flavian Legion
EMBLEM:
Lion.
BIRTH SIGN:
Capricorn (probably).
FOUNDATION:
Founded by Vespasian in AD 70 to replace the abolished 4th Macedonica.
RECRUITMENT AREA:
Originally, probably Dalmatia.
POSTINGS:
Burnum, Singidunum, Dacia, Singidunum.
BATTLE HONORS:
Trajan’s Dacian Wars, AD 101–106.
BECOMING VESPASIAN’S LIONS
Fighting stoutly under Germanicus only to disgrace itself in the Civilis Revolt, a legion that was disbanded by Vespasian, who reformed it as the 16th Flavia, and sent it to the East.
After the disbanding of the disgraced 4th Macedonica Legion in AD 70, Vespasian reformed the unit as the 4th Flavia Felix Legion, giving the unit his family name of Flavia and the emblem of a lion, a symbol associated with Vespasian’s favorite deity, Hercules. The “Felix” title, denoting imperial favor, was also applied by emperors to various military colonies founded by them.
With much to prove in the wake of the shaming performance of the 4th Macedonica during the Civilis Revolt, the new 4th Flavia Felix Legion marched to Burnum, capital of the province of Dalmatia, where it had taken up residence by the end of AD 70.
By AD 85 the legion had been transferred to Moesia. Its base was at Singidunum, modern Belgrade in Serbia, at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. The 4th Flavia would have been involved in the fighting with the Alemanni Germans and Dacians in Moesia and Pannonia during the reign of Domitian, and during the reign of Trajan it took part in his invasions of Dacia which ultimately made the kingdom a province of Rome.
The legion continued to be based at Singidunum for the next 200 years, after which it disappeared from history.
Legions of Rome Page 12