- Legio XV Primigenia
Legio XV "Primigenia" (The fifteenth legion, "Firstborn" - a name of the goddess
Fortuna ) was a legion of the Roman army.It was originally levied by the emperor
Caligula in39 , to aid in the Germanic campaigns and was stationed in theRhine frontier until70 , when it was destroyed during theBatavian rebellion with the V "Alaude". The "cognomen" "Primigenia" is derived from the goddess Fortuna.Deployment
After the first campaigns, XV "Primigenia" was stationed in Moguntiacum (
Mainz ). In43 , the redeployment of units following theRoman invasion of Britain leads the XV "Primigenia" to Xanten, in a camp shared with the V "Alaudae". In47 both legions were involved in the war against theFrisia ns and in the construction of Corbulo’s canal in the Rhine.During the
Year of the Four Emperors (68-69) XV "Primigenia" and the other German border legions supported the claim ofVitellius to the throne, first againstGalba and afterwards againstOtho . WhenVespasian was finally acclaimed undisputed emperor, the legions XV "Primigenia" and V "Alaudae" returned to Castra Vetera (Xanten camp), where theBatavian rebellion was already in progress.Defeat
Both legions were besieged in their winter camp in
69 by a rebel army commanded byCivilis . They finally surrendered in 70 due to hunger and left the camp in orderly fashion under promises of safe conduct. However, the rebels chased the legions and killed the surviving legionaries. Neither the XV "Primigenia" or the V "Alaudae" were ever reconstituted after this disaster.ee also
*
List of Roman legions ,Roman legion External links
* [http://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/xv_primigenia.html livius.org account]
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