Legio X Equestris

Infobox Military Unit


caption =Denarius issued by Mark Antony celebrating Legio X
unit_name=Legio X "Equestris"
dates =61 BC to after 31 BC
country =Roman Republic
type =Roman legion (Marian)
role =Infantry assault (some cavalry support)
size =Varied over unit lifetime. Approx. 6,000 men + support at the time of creation.
ceremonial_chief=
nickname = "Equestris", "mounted" "Veneria", "devoted to Venus"
patron =
motto =
colors =
march =
mascot =Bull
battles =Gallic Wars (58-51 BC) Battle against the Nervians (57 BC) Battle of Gergovia (52 BC) Battle of Ilerda (49 BC) Battle of Dyrrhachium (48 BC) Battle of Pharsalus (48 BC) Battle of Munda (45 BC) Mark Antony Parthian campaign Battle of Actium (31 BC)
notable_commanders= Julius Caesar Mark Antony
anniversaries =

Legio X "Equestris" (Latin: "Tenth legion 'mounted'" - "Equestris" was the legions name, not a type of unit) was a Roman legion, levied by Julius Caesar. Legio X fought for Caesar in many of his major battles, and Caesar used the legionaries as bodyguards.Julius Caesar, I.42.] Its soldiers were discharged in 45 BC. Its remnants were reconstituted, fought for Mark Antony and Octavian, disbanded, and later merged into X "Gemina".See, for example, Kreppie.]

History

Founding

The Tenth was founded in Spain by Gaius Julius Caesar in 61 BC. It joined the Pompey-raised 8th and 9th legions serving at the time under Caesar and soon began campaigning with them. It chose the bull as its emblem, because of the month the Tenth was mustered. For its first action, Caesar would send them to western Spain to help subdue hostile tribes.

Gallic Wars

The Tenth played a crucial part in the Gallic Wars, fighting under Caesar in virtually every battle.

There is a possibility that the Tenth already gained its name "Equestris" during the Gallic War, when Caesar mounted the Tenth temporarily so that he could have his favored troops as a bodyguard, yet still conform to an agreement made between him and the German leader Ariovistus. One of the soldiers jokingly said that Caesar was better than his word: he had promised to make them footguards, but now they appeared as knights.

Legio X saved the day in the Battle against the Nervians in 57 BC. Together with the IXth, the Xth defeated the Atrebates, moved against the Belgians on the other side of the river and captured the enemy camp. From that position, the Tenth could see how desperate the situation was for the XII "Victrix" as well as the VII. So, it quickly charged downhill, crossed the river, and attacked the Nervii from the rear, trapping them so that there was little hope of survival.

End of the legion

In 45 BC the legion was disbanded, and the veterans obtained lands in Narbonne, southern Gaul.

During the civil war that followed Caesar's assassination, the Legio X was reconstituted by Lepidus (winter 44/43), and fought for the triumvirs until the final Battle of Philippi. The veterans obtained lands near Cremona, and an inscription reports that the name of the legion at the time was "Veneria", "devoted to Venus", the mythical mother of gens Julia. [CIL V 4191, "C. Lanius C. f(ilius) Ani(ensis) de leg(ione) X Vener(ia)", cited in Ritterling.]

The Tenth later followed Mark Antony in Armenia, during his Parthian campaign. During Antony's civil war, the legion fought for Mark Antony until the defeat in the Battle of Actium, after which the legion moved into Octavian's army. The veterans settled in Patras. When the legion rebelled under Augustus, it was disbanded, [Suetonius, "De Vita Caesarum — Divus Augustus", [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-augustus-rolfe.html xxiv] .] stripped of its "Equestris" title, and, being populated with soldiers from other legions, renamed X "Gemina".

ee also

* List of Roman legions

Notes

References

Primary sources

*Julius Caesar, "De Bello Gallico"

econdary sources

* Keppie, Lawrence, "The Making of the Roman Army. From Republic to Empire", University of Oklaoma Press, 1984, pp. 132-149.
* Lendering, Jona, [http://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/x_gemina.html "Legio X Gemina", livius.org]
* [http://www.romanarmy.com/cms/content/view/23/114/ Ritterling's "Legio", "Legio X Veneria"]