Satala gathering

[Kosmo]

In his biography of Trajan, Julian Bennet mentions that, at the begining of the parthian campaign the roman army was gathered at Satala (south of Trapezunt in Cappadocia)

The army was supposed of being made from some entire legions or parts of legions as follows:

-from Syria - III Galica, IV Scythica, VI Ferrata

- from Cappadocia - XII Fulminata, XVI Flavia Firma (the last was based in Satala)

- Judeea - X Fratensis

- Arabia - III Cyrenaica

From the Danube came, on land across the Balkans and Asia Minor, or on the Black Sea from Tomis to Trapezunt the following:

- in full - I Adiutrix, XV Apollinaris

- probably in part - VII Claudia, XI Claudia, XIII Gemina, II Traiana fortis, XII Primigenia, XXX Ulpia victris, I Italica, V Macedonica.

 

The total number it's hard to guess, but the author proposes that from this 17 legions were at least 8 full legions with at least as many auxilliaries for a total of some 80. 000 men.

 

A rather impressive army that explaines the parthian desire for peace and their reluctance to engage it in open combat. Also explaines the early sucees of the jewish rebelion in the East and of dacian and sarmatian attacks on Danube.

 

Do you think that this is the greatest and best army that the romans ever fielded?

[caldrail]

Marc Antony had thirty legions plus allies camped in turkey during the civil wars, plus a fleet of ships too. It may not have been the best roman army ever - it was the certainly the largest ever on campaign together.

[Diocles]

Marc Antony had thirty legions plus allies camped in turkey during the civil wars, plus a fleet of ships too. It may not have been the best roman army ever - it was the certainly the largest ever on campaign together.

 

Aye, I would say during the Late Republic Civil Wars would be when the largest Roman armies were assembled. At the conclusion of the Civil Wars there were over 60 legions in operation around the Roman world, one would have to assume that the majority of that would have been focused on the Antony/Octavian battles.

 

Possibly not the best army ever, but I would say one of the largest Roman armies would have been assembled during this period.

[Antiochus III]

30 legions? Wow. Were they all full, combat-ready, and not newly raised levies?

 

Antiochus III

[M. Porcius Cato]

The combined forces assembled at Philippi must have been the largest in Roman history. According to Appian, the Liberators had 19 incomplete legions to the 19 full legions commanded by Antony (and nominally by Octavian). Can anyone find 38+ full legions assembled for another battle?