Legions of Rome (29 page)

CONQUERORS OF BRITAIN, NERO’S MOST VALUABLE

The most famous legion of the first century, invading Britain for Claudius and defeating Boudicca and her 230,000 British rebels in
AD
60. Its name alone enough to unnerve opponents, it went on to fight in Dacia and defend the Danube line
.

“Close up the ranks, and having discharged
your javelins, then with shields and swords
continue the work of bloodshed and destruction.”

(S
UETONIUS
P
AULINUS TO 14TH
G
EMINA PRIOR TO THE AD
60
BATTLE WITH
B
OUDICCA’S
B
RITONS
. T
ACITUS
,
Annals
,
XIV
, 36)

In the second half of the first century, the 14th Gemina Martia Victrix Legion had such a formidable reputation that even the suggestion that it was about to engage in a conflict was enough to cause the opposition to panic. [Tac.,
H
,
II
, 68]

In 30
BC
, Caesar’s original 14th Legion was combined by Octavian with another, creating the 14th Gemina. Some modern-day authors believe that the 14th was later granted its additional “Martia Victrix” titles by Nero for its defeat of Boudicca’s army of rebel Britons in
AD
60–61. There is no proof of this. In fact, it is possible that the Victrix title was granted before
AD
49, the year the first Roman military colony in Britain was established by the emperor Claudius at Colchester (Roman Camulodunum) in the east of England.

Military colonies traditionally included the name of the legion settling it, as part of their titles. Arelate, today’s Arles in the south of France, for instance, was set up for men of the 6th Legion, and this was reflected in the colony’s official name: Colonia Julia Paterna Arelatensum Sextanorum, or Julius’ Paternal Colony of the Sixth at Arelate. Camulodunum was named Colonia Claudia Victricensis: Claudius’ Colony of the Victors. This did not refer to the legion that had previously occupied the city, the 20th Valeria Victrix, because, as Dr. R. S. O. Tomlin has pointed out, the use by the 20th Legion of the Valeria Victrix title is not recorded before
AD
90. [Tom.,
DRA
, DRAC] This suggests that “the Victors” refers to settlers from the 14th Gemina Martia Victrix, a legion which would have retired a number of its veterans around
AD
50 after they had completed their twenty-year enlistments.

The legion was indeed rewarded by Nero after defeating Boudicca’s rebels against odds of up to twenty-three to one; he declared the men of the 14th his “most valuable troops.” And it is likely that the legion was also given the right to assume the thunderbolt and eagle’s wings emblem of the Praetorian Guard. Additionally, Roman general Petilius Cerialis called the men of the 14th Gemina Martia Victrix “Conquerors of Britain.” [Tac.,
H
,
V
, 16]

That
AD
60 victory over Boudicca represented a spectacular career turnaround. In 54
BC
, the four-year-old legion was wiped out by the Eburone tribe of Belgium. The following year, the reformed legion lost 2,000 men in a battle with mounted German tribesmen. Following Caesar’s death, both Octavian and Antony had 14th legions, and it is possible the two were combined to create the new 14th Gemina of 30
BC
.

The legion fought in the Pannonian War, and stoutly served Germanicus in Germany in
AD
14–16. By
AD
43, its reputation had been rehabilitated to the point that it was one of four legions chosen to invade Britain for Claudius. It was stationed in Britain thereafter.

In the spring of
AD
60 the legion conquered the Welsh island of Anglesey, only to be recalled to confront the rampaging rebel Celts, and to deliver Boudicca her famous defeat on Watling Street. By
AD
67 Nero had transferred the 14th Gemina Martia Victrix to Carnuntum in Pannonia as part of the build-up for his planned offensive against the Parthians. Two years later, the legion’s veteran cohorts marched down from Pannonia to fight for Otho at the First Battle of Bedriacum. Although Otho’s army surrendered, the 14th Gemina stubbornly declared itself undefeated. Vitellius sent the unit back to its old base at Viroconium, today’s village of Wroxeter, in Britain. The following year, the new emperor Vespasian ordered the legion to the Rhine to join Cerialis’ operations against Civilis and the Germans on the Rhine, and the legion played a critical role in Cerialis’ victory at Old Camp.

The 14th Gemina Martia Victrix was subsequently stationed at Mainz on the Rhine. By
AD
92 the legion had built a new base at Mursia in Pannonia. Between
AD
100 and 114 it was based at Vindobonna before spending several years in Dacia. By
AD
117 the legion was back at Carnuntum, where it remained for the remainder of its career. By
AD
230 the Martia Victrix portion of the legion’s title had fallen into disuse.

In the fourth century, the men of the once famous 14th Gemina Legion had been relegated to the role of marines on the Danube. Serving on light liburnian galleys, one element was still stationed at Carnuntum; the other came under the Master of the Military for the Dacia region. It was a sad end for a once famous legion. [Not. Dig.]

15TH APOLLINARIS LEGION

LEGIO XV APOLLINARIS

Apollo’s 15th Legion

ORIGIN OF TITLE:

Possibly because Apollo was the patron deity of Emperor Augustus.

EMBLEM:

Originally, possibly a griffin. By the third century a palm branch, the symbol of victory.

BIRTH SIGN:

Capricorn (probably).

FOUNDATION:

53 BC, by Julius Caesar.

RECRUITMENT AREA:

Originally Cisalpine Gaul.

POSTINGS:

Illyricum, Emonia, Carnuntum, Syria, Judea, Carnuntum, Dacia, Carnuntum, Parthia, Satala.

BATTLE HONORS:

Pannonian War, AD 6-9.
Corbulo’s Second Armenian campaign, AD 62.
First Jewish Revolt, AD 67-71.
Siege of Jerusalem, AD 70.
Trajan’s Dacian Wars, AD 101-106.
Trajan’s Parthian campaign, AD 114-116.
Arrian’s Defeat of the Alans, AD 135.

THE TRAVELING FIFTEENTH

A veteran of the Pannonian War, mediator in the Illyricum Mutiny of
AD
14, victorious in Armenia under Corbulo, in Judea under Vespasian and Titus, in Dacia under Trajan, and against the Alans in the East under Arrian, this was a legion which made history
.

Both Antony and Octavian employed 15th legions, but the fact that the imperial 15th incorporated Apollo, favorite deity of Octavian, into its title, suggests that it was his legion which he retained in his new standing army.

The 15th Apollinaris was one of fifteen legions that served in the Pannonian War. It was stationed in Pannonia following the war, initially at Emonia, and by
AD
14 at Carnuntum, where it remained for many years, undertaking major building activity in
AD
50. In
AD
62 the legion was transferred by Nero to the East for operations in Armenia, after which it was stationed in Egypt. Titus then led the 15th Apollinaris
from Egypt to Judea for his father’s operations against the Jewish rebels, where it was one of the four legions that conducted Titus’ siege of Jerusalem in
AD
70.

The 15th Apollinaris was then sent back to Europe and its old base at Carnuntum, from where it took part in Trajan’s Dacian Wars. When Trajan went east for his
AD
114–116 Parthian operations, the 15th Apollinaris went too. In
AD
117 the legion took over the 16th Flavia’s base at Satala in northern Cappadocia, today’s Sadak in Turkey, which became its home for decades thereafter. In
AD
135 the legion joined the 12th Fulminata in ejecting the Alans from Lesser Armenia for Arrian, the palm branch emblem shown on coins of the legion in the East possibly being a reflection of that victory.

The legion would have been deeply involved in the Persian Wars of the fourth century, but, unlike many Roman units destroyed by the Persians, the 15th Apollinaris Legion survived, intact, and was still at its Satala base at the end of that century. [Not. Dig.]

15TH PRIMIGENEIA LEGION

LEGIO XV PRIMIGENEIA

15th First-born Legion

ORIGIN OF TITLE:

Named for the goddess Fortuna Primigeneia.

EMBLEM:

Wheel of Fortune (probably).

BIRTH SIGN:

Capricorn (probably). The 22nd Primigeneia, raised at the same time, used Capricorn.

FOUNDATION:

AD 39, by Caligula.

RECRUITMENT AREA:

Probably the traditional recruiting grounds of the existing 15th Apollinaris.

IMPERIAL POSTINGS:

Mogontiacum, Vetera.

NOT FORTUNE’S FAVORITE

Founded by Caligula for his farcical invasion of Britain, when he had his troops fire into the English Channel and collect seashells as war trophies, this legion was renamed by Claudius and abolished by Vespasian
.