Early Legions in Gaul and Germany

[gilius]

...by filling in any gaps!

 

BEFORE AUGUSTUS (Who were the Legions?)

 

125 BC: Massalia needed Rome

Edited August 4, 2010 by gilius

[Pompieus]

Several passages in Livy show that republican legions did have numerals but they were not apparently permanent prior the long commands of Pompey and Caesar in the 60's and 50's BC. Before the mid 1st century BC the legions were ceremonially reconstituted each winter and probably re-numbered. No one has proposed a satisfactory explanation of the method for the numbering, but the legions commanded by the consuls of the year were always numbered I - IV and other commanders avoided using these numbers. SO:

 

Flaccus was consul of 125 BC so he commanded either I & III or II & IV.

 

In 105 there were 2 Legions in Africa (they had been fighting Jugurtha since 112), regular garrisons of probably 2 in Spain and 1 in Macedonia. Mallius was consul of 105 so he had either #s I & III or II & IV while the other 2 consular units probably went to Cisalpine Gaul. Servilius had raised his legions as consul the prior year. So if the system (if there even was a system) worked by seniority, the African units were probably V & VI (Sallust doesn't say), and the garrisons of Spain and Macedonia could have been VII, VIII and IX leaving X & XI for Servilius. Or Servilius could have had VII & VIII leaving IX, X, and XI for Spain and Macedonia. However, this is all highly speculative.

 

In 58 BC Caesar took command as proconsul of Cisalpine Gaul and Illyria with 3 legions, Transapline Gaul was added when it's prospective governor suddenly died with a fourth legion. Caesar's Commentaries don't say which was in the Transalpina, but it was possibly X, with VII, VIII and IX in Cisalpina.

 

In 58 Caesar says he had legions VII, VIII, IX, X, XI and XII in Transapline Gaul and brought the newly raised XIII and XIV from Cisalpina in spring of 57.

 

Threre is no clear evidence of which legions were in Gaul and Germany in riegn of Augustus, and there was much movement of units from Gaul to Spain, Noricum and back. probably V, XVII, XVIII and XIX were there most of the time. In 6 AD the planned campaign to conquer Germany probably involved Tiberius marching from Carnutum in Pannonia with VIII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XX and XXII and Sentius Saturninus from Mainz with XVII, XVIII, XIX, I and V. This campaign was interrupted by the Pannonian revolt.

 

In 14AD Upper Germany was held by V Alaudae & XXI Rapax at Vetera and I Germanica & XX at Colonia Agrippina. Lower Gemany had XIV Gemina & XVI at Moguntiacum and II Augusta at Argentorate(?) and XIII Gemina at Vindonissa.

 

Caligula raise XV and XXII Primigenia

 

Vespasian had in the Upper Province: I Adiutrix, XIV Gemina, VIII Augusta and XI Claudia. The Lower: II Adiutrix, VI Victrix, XIII Gemina, XXI Rapax and X Gemina. II Adiutrix soon left for Britain and XIII Gemina swapped with XXII Primigenia in Pannonia.

 

All this can be found in P.A. Brunt "Italian Manpower", H.M.D. Parker "The Roman Legions" and L Keppie "Making of the Roman Army".

[gilius]

Many thanks for your comprehensive reply! The only book I have is The Complete Roman Army, but the info you provided is completely lacking in that publication, so hardly "complete"! Thanks again, and for the cited sources.

[Pompieus]

You're welcome.

 

One sometimes hesitates to make a lengthy reply for fear of seeming pedantic.

 

Check out the sources mentioned. Parker is dated (1928 I believe) but is the classic work, a good grounding and still the best modern work on the distribution of the legions in the first century AD. Keppie is recent and very good on the transition from republic to empire. Brunt can be hard to find sometimes but is the best (only?) source for the army of the republic. Livy, Caesar and Tacitus are the primary sources and along with inscriptions are the basis of all these works.

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Hey gilius,

 

This website should be of interest to you, it gives you alphabetical and chronological lists of all the Legions..........

 

The Roman Legions

Edited August 28, 2010 by Gaius Paulinus Maximus

[Maty]

Under Vespasian I believe the two legions at Mainz (Mogontiacum)were XIV Gemina and I Adiutrix. The other details seem to have been comprehensively filled in!

Edited August 30, 2010 by Maty