- Legio I Italica
Legio I "Italica" (Latin pronuciation: "prima itálica", the "Italian First") was a
Roman legion levied by emperorNero onSeptember 22 ,66 (the date is attested by an inscription). There are still records of the I "Italica" in theDanube border in the beginning of the5th century . The emblem of the legion was aboar .History
In the aftermath of the
Roman–Parthian War of 58–63 , Emperor Nero levied the I "Italica", with the name "phalanx Alexandri Magni" ("phalanx ofAlexander the Great "), for a campaign inArmenia , "ad portas Caspias" - to the pass ofChawar . The sources mention the peculiar fact that the original legionaries were Italics, all over six feet tall. However, since the Jewish Revolt broke out a few weeks later, the projected Armenian campaign never took place. Also, the governor of Gaul,Gaius Julius Vindex ,rose in revolt in early68 , and I "Italica" was redirected there, arriving there just in time to see the end of the revolt. In theYear of the Four Emperors (69 ) after the death of Nero, the legion received the name I "Italica", and fought forVitellius at the secondBattle of Bedriacum , where the Vitellians were defeated by forces supportingVespasian . The new emperor sent I "Italica" to the province ofMoesia in70 . They encamped at Novae (modernSvishtov ), and remained there for centuries.During the Dacian wars of
Trajan , the legion was responsible for bridge construction in theDanube . Building activities seem an expertise of the legion. Around140 acenturion from I "Italica" is responsible for the construction of a section of theAntonine Wall .During the reign of
Marcus Aurelius , I "Italica" was surely involved in the wars against the Germanic tribes that threatened to cross the Danube. After a long war, the Romans had conquered much territory on the left side of the Danube, and Marcus Aurelius had the intention to form a new province under governorAulus Julius Pompilius Piso , commander of I "Italica" and IV "Flavia Felix", but the revolt ofAvidius Cassius in the East prevented the formation of the new province.In 193, the Governor of
Pannonia Superior ,Septimus Severus claimed the purple, and moved to Italia. I "Italica" supported Severus, but did not move to Italy. The legion fought against Severus' rival,Pescennius Niger , besieging Byzantium together with XI "Claudia", fighting at Issus. The First possibly took part in theParthia n campaign of Severus (198).Under
Caracalla , gain, in the3rd century the legion took part in the construction of the "Limes Transalutanus ", a defensive wall along the Danube, which began near Novae. UnderAlexander Severus , somevexillatio nes of the I "Italica" moved toSalonae , guarding the Dalmatian coast.ee also
*
List of Roman legions References
* [http://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/i_italica.html livius.org account of Legio I "Italica"]
External links
* [http://www.legio-i-italica.it/ Legio I Italica - reenactment group]
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