Legio I Isaura Sagittaria
The Legio I Isaura Sagittaria ("1st Isaurian Archers Legion ") was a legion of the Roman army, which was set up by Diocletian (284-305) towards the end of his rule to protect the Roman province of Isauria in the Taurus Mountains of Asia Minor . The thesis advocated in older research, namely that Probus (see also Lydius ) raised to fight against predatory Isaurian mountain tribes in Asia Minor around 278/279, is considered to be refuted.
The name 'sagittaria' indicates an armament with a bow and arrow, which is unusual for legions. Originally, the Legion was under the Comes per Isauriam as Limitanei (border army). In the early 4th century it had a troop strength of about 6000 men, which was reduced to about 2000 men in the course of the century.
Ammianus Marcellinus describes in his historical work that the Isaurians left their country in the middle of the 4th century, probably in the 350s, and devastated the coastal region around Seleucia for several years as wandering robbers . In 354 the Legio I Isaura Sagittaria, Legio II Isaura and Legio III Isaura successfully defended the city of Seleucia under the command of Comes Castricius.
It was probably mobilized by Emperor Valens (364–378) around 365/366 and subordinated to the field army as pseudocomitatenses when the army was in Caesarea and Ankyra and needed troops against the usurper Procopius . In the year 368 there were again raids of the Isaurians. The vicarius Asiae Musonius was wiped out with his diogmites (police auxiliaries). Only the deployment of the border and field legions was able to end the unrest. In the early 5th century, the Legio I Isaura Sagittaria was subordinate to the Magister militum per Orientem as pseudocomitatenses .
literature
- Karl field: barbarian citizens. The Isaurians and the Roman Empire (Millennium Studies), de Gruyter, 2005, ISBN 978-311018899-8 ( excerpts ).
Web links
- Jona Lendering: Legio I Isaura Sagittaria . In: Livius.org (English)
- Legio I Isaura Sagittaria at imperiumromanum.com