Legio III Parthica

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The Legio III Parthica was a legion of the Roman army that was raised in 197. Their presence in the Middle East is documented until the early 5th century. The legion symbol was the centaur .

Legion history

The Legio III Parthica, like the I and II Parthica , was raised in 197 by the Emperor Septimius Severus for a campaign against the Parthians . Possibly the legions were recruited from the remnants of the army of the usurper Pescennius Niger . The campaign was very successful and ended with the conquest of the Parthian capital, Ctesiphon . The I Parthica and III Parthica stayed in the region to prevent subsequent rebellions and attacks from the Parthian Empire. The newly established province of Mesopotamia was administered as an exception to the rule of equestrian men, not senators . The III Parthica also had an Eques as a legate.

Their legionary camp was Rhesaena (Syr .: Raʾs al-ʿAin , Turkish: Ceylanpınar ) on Chaboras ( Chabur ). The Legion monitored the road from Edessa to Nisibis in the hinterland far away from the border and represented an early approach to spatial defense . The Legio III Parthica took part in the Parthian campaign of Caracalla (216/217) and his successor Macrinus .

At the latest by Severus Alexander , the Legio III Parthica was given the nickname Severiana . The Sassanids invaded the Roman province of Mesopotamia in 230 or 231 and besieged Nisibis. The Roman counter-offensive was brought forward in three columns by Severus Alexander in 232. Apparently both sides suffered very heavy casualties and thereby lost the ability to continue to be offensive. As a result, this came down to a Roman victory, as the Persian attack was repulsed and no territorial losses had to be accepted.

In 243 the III Partica under the Praetorian prefect Timesitheus defeated the Sassanids under Shapur I in the battle of Rhesaena. Coin finds with the legend L III PIA show the nickname Pia (dutifully) given for this victory, but it is possible that the coins were only minted under Decius (249-251) for a different occasion. Legion veterans were settled in Sidon. The Romans suffered defeats in 244 in the Battle of Mesiche and the Persian Wars of Emperor Valerian (253-260), before the fortunes of war turned under Odaenathus of Palmyra (261-267) and Diocletian (284-305). In 298 peace was made. The Legion was likely involved in these wars, but its role in them has not been established. Under Diocletian the legion was moved to Apatna.

In the early 5th century the Legion was subordinate to the Dux Osrhoena and was stationed in Apatna, at the confluence of the Chabur and Euphrates. At some unknown point during the next two centuries it was disbanded.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ For the legion symbol see: Paul Erdkamp (Ed.): A companion to the Roman army. Wiley-Blackwell, Malden MA et al. 2007, ISBN 978-1-4051-2153-8 , p. 461.
  2. ↑ a b c d e Jona Lendering: Legio I Parthica In: Livius.org (English).
  3. ^ Ross Cowan: Imperial Roman Legionary AD 161-284. Osprey Publishing, Oxford 2003, ISBN 1-84176-601-1 , p. 6.
  4. ^ Paul Erdkamp: A companion to the Roman army. P. 272.
  5. ↑ See Paul Erdkamp: A companion to the Roman army , p. 250: Rhesaena and Nisibis are named as possible locations.
  6. ↑ CIL 6, 36775 .
  7. ^ Paul Erdkamp: A companion to the Roman army. P. 255.
  8. ↑ Notitia Dignitatum Or. 35; The legion's name is not mentioned, but most historians agree with Otto Seeck that it must be the III Partica .

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