Legio I Martia

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The Legio prima Martia (" first legion consecrated to Mars ") was a formation of the late Roman army. The information from the sources known so far is insufficient to precisely classify the duration of its existence. The Legion was probably set up as part of the reorganization of the defense of the Rhine border under Diocletian (284–305). It is documented several times in the late 4th century in the Pannonian province of Valeria and is also mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum (troops in the early 5th century).

Brick stamp of the legion from Kaiseraugst / Liebrüti

development

After the Germanic invasions around the middle of the 3rd century, the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes was abandoned and the Rhine border and partly also the supply routes under Diocletian (284–305), Constantine I (306–337) and Valentinian I (364–375 ) newly fastened or secured.

The Legion was initially stationed by Diocletian in the newly established Roman province of Sequania . Vexillations of the Legio I Martia from the early 4th century on for Augusta Raurica ( Kaiseraugst and Augst ) are attested to by the late Roman border units on the Upper Rhine . Stamped bricks of the Legion were also found on the Münsterberg in Breisach am Rhein ( Mons Brisiacus ), which can be dated to the period before or around the middle of the 4th century. The building activity of the Legion in Brugg , Wyhlen , Horbourg-Wihr , Strasbourg , Argentovaria (Oedenburg near Biesheim ), Neuf-Brisach and Eguisheim can also be proven by stamped bricks. The wide distribution of these finds suggests that the Legion was split up into numerous sub-units ( vexillations ) after it was moved to the Rhine .

The Martienser were probably promoted under Constantine the Great (306–337) from the Limitanei (border army) to Comitatenses (field army). Then they were stationed in Castrum Rauracense / Kaiseraugst to secure a larger section of the imperial border . The fort, built around 300 on a heavily frequented Rhine crossing, now served as the headquarters of the legion. The fortress was of great importance in the 4th century because it was on an important road from Gaul to the Danube provinces. The emperors Constantius II (337–361) and Julian (360–363) led from here u. a. also campaigns against the Alemanni . The name cartouche LEGIMAR LEG (io) I [prima] MAR (tia) can be found again and again on bricks in Augst and especially in Kaiseraugst. This manufacturing stamp proves that the Legion operated a brick factory there in the 4th century AD. Two of their kilns were excavated on the edge of the Liebrüti settlement. The Romans probably also set up a watchtower here, and a roof tile discovered there - in 1900 - also bore a Prima Martia stamp. In addition to the bricks, the grave stele of a veteran of the Legion has also been preserved in Augst.

The Legio I Martia was probably moved to Pannonia by Valentinian I (364-375), who had the Rhine Limes expanded and stayed in Breisach for this purpose in 369. According to another opinion, it was worn out in defensive battles against Franks and Alemanni in the years 352 to 355 - with the exception of a vexillation previously sent to Pannonia .

Vexillations

The following units are believed to have emerged from the Legion:

unit comment Illustration
Legio Prima Martiorum Two Valentine Burgus foundations were uncovered southwest of Visegrád , on the Pannonian Danube Limes. The found building inscriptions from the years 371 and 372 prove the presence of a Legio Prima Martiorum under the Praepositus legionis Foscianus as a construction team in the province of Valeria (western Hungary). It is still unclear whether the Legio Prima Martiorum is actually to be regarded as a vexillation of the Legio I Martia moved here from the Rhine or whether it is a troop of the Comitatensischen Primi Martii .
Martii The troop was one of the Comitatenses who served under the Magister militum per Illyricum in the early 5th century . The Legion's reference to Pannonia suggests that this unit also emerged from the Legio I Martia .
Painted shield of the "Martii" in the early 5th century.
Martenses In the early 5th century this troop was under the command of Magister Peditum praesentalis .
  • A vexillation of the Martenses was one of the Pseudocomitatenses in the army of Magister Equitum Galliarum .
  • A Praefectus militum Martensium can be found on the Atlantic coast, among the troops of the Dux tractus Armoricani et Nervicani .
  • Another Praefectus militum Martensium is given in the list of Dux Mogontiacensis .

However, a connection between the Martenses and the Legio I Martia is still controversial.

Soldier of the Gallic Martenses in the 4th century AD

literature

Web links

Commons : Legio I Martia  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Roksanda M. Swoboda: brick temple of the Legio I Martia ; In Der Münsterberg in Breisach . Volume 1. Roman times and early Middle Ages, Carolingian-Pre-Staufer times . CH Beck, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-406-10756-7 ( Munich Contributions to Pre- and Early History 39), pp. 234–244.
  2. ↑ a b c d conference report (PDF; 362 kB) on the international colloquium “Roman legionary camps in the Rhine and Danube provinces - Nuclei of late antique and early medieval life?”, Bavarian Academy of Sciences, 2006, pp. 12-13.
  3. ↑ AE 1977, 592
  4. ↑ AE 1941, 32
  5. ↑ Heinrich Beck , Dieter Geuenich , Heiko Steuer (Ed.): Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde . Volume 3: Bilro̜st - Brunichilde , de Gruyter, 1978, ISBN 978-3-11-006512-1 , p. 433.
  6. ↑ Heinrich Beck , Dieter Geuenich , Heiko Steuer (Ed.): Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde . Volume 11: Germanen, Germania, Germanische Altertumskunde , de Gruyter, 1998, ISBN 978-3-11-016782-5 , p. 74.
  7. ↑ Heinrich Beck , Dieter Geuenich , Heiko Steuer (Ed.): Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde . Volume 16: Jadwingen - Kleindichtung , de Gruyter, 2000, ISBN 978-3-11-016383-4 , p. 165.
  8. ↑ CIL 13, 5270
  9. ^ Zsolt Visy : The Pannonian Limes in Hungary. Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 . P. 71.
  10. ↑ a b c Notitia Dignitatum Or. IX.
  11. ↑ a b Ralf Scharf: The Dux Mogontiacensis and the Notitia Dignitatum. A study on border defense in late antiquity , series: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (supplementary volumes), Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 2005, ISBN 3-11-018835-X , p. 251.
  12. ↑ Notitia Dignitatum Oc. V.
  13. ↑ Notitia Dignitatum Oc. VII.
  14. ↑ Notitia Dignitatum Oc. XXXVII.
  15. ↑ Notitia Dignitatum Oc. XLI; see: Jürgen Oldenstein : Fort Alzey. Archaeological investigations in the late Roman camp and studies on border defense in the Mainz ducat (habilitation thesis from the University of Mainz), 1992, PDF (14.5 MB) ( memento of October 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) p. 299