Legio VII Claudia

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Signum of Legio VII Claudia, simplified representation after a coin of Gallienus

The Legio VII Claudia (Latin "7th Claudian Legion") was a legion of the Roman army, which probably existed before the year 59 BC. Established and by Octavian in 44 BC. Was re-formed. It existed until the early 5th century.

Their emblem was the bull and in the 1st and 2nd centuries also the lion.

Late republic

Gallic War

Caesar's campaigns during the Gallic War

The Legio VII was founded in 59 BC. BC or earlier by Gaius Iulius Caesar for the first time for the Gallic War . Occasionally the opinion is also held that it was in the year 65 BC. BC was excavated by Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in Spain.

The Legion took 57 BC. In the battle against the Nervier . Then Caesar Publius made Licinius Crassus a legate of Legio VII , who operated with her on the north coast of Gaul (today Normandy and Brittany ) and subjugated the Venetians , Veneller (Uneller), Osismier , Coriosolites , Esuvier , Aulercer and Redonen . In the winter of 57/56 BC The unrest flared up again among the Celtic tribes of the Venetians, Osismer, Lexovians , Namneten , Ambiliaten , Moriner , Diablinthen and Menapier when the Legio VII requisitioned food. After taking several oppida (cities) and using the fleet, Caesar was able to end the uprising. In the years 55 and 54 BC The Legion took part in the invasions of Britain .

52 BC The Legio VII fought in the Battle of the Armançon against the Bellovacians and Haeduer and probably took part in the battles against Vercingetorix near Lutetia and the Battle of Alesia . In 51 BC The Legion was named again when Caesar with the VII., VIII. , VIIII. and XI. Legion opposed an uprising of the Bellovacians, Ambians , Aulercer, Caletes , Veliocasser and Atrebates under the leadership of Correus. Caesar set up a heavily fortified camp within sight of the enemy camp and summoned the allied Remer and Lingons and three other legions as reinforcements. After a decisive battle, the uprising was over.

Civil wars

Caesar moved the legion to Spain in 49 to fight the legions of his adversary Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus . She won in 49 BC. In the battle of Ilerda . Then the legion was moved to Greece and had to be 48 BC. To accept a defeat in the battle of Dyrrhachium . In August of the same year she fought successfully at the important battle of Pharsalus . After that, Caesar dissolved the Legion and sent the veterans to Italy. 46 BC The veterans were reactivated. Caesar used them in the African War on April 6, 46 BC. In the battle of Thapsus in the province of Africa against the republican senate troops under Metellus Scipio and Cato the Younger . The Legion was dissolved again and assigned to the veterans in Italy at Capua and Luca Land.

After Caesar's assassination, Octavian restored Legio VII Paterna (the paternal one) and Legio VIII to strengthen his influence. He set them in Italy on April 14 or 15, 43 BC. At the Battle of Forum Gallorum and on April 21, 43 BC. At the battle of Mutina . Then the Legion was moved to Macedonia, where it was held in October / November 42 BC. Fought in the battle of Philippi . Then Octavian moved the Legio VII back to Italy and continued it in the winter of 41/40 BC. In the Peruvian war against Marcus Antonius ' brother Lucius Antonius at the siege of Perugia . In 36 BC Octavian settled veterans in southern Gaul. Presumably the Legion also took part in the battles against Sextus Pompeius , who had occupied Sicily, and finally again against Mark Antony in the naval battle of Actium 31 BC. After the civil war, Legion veterans were settled in Mauretania.

Julian-Claudian dynasty

From about 30 to 20 BC The Legion was stationed in Galatia and then moved to the Balkans. It is uncertain whether the Legion named Macedonica as early as 42 BC. In connection with the battle of Philippi or only got here. In connection with the Pannonian uprising (6-9 AD) or the Varus Battle (9 AD) it was moved to the Dalmatian Tilurium ( Trilj ) around the year 9 AD . Under Tiberius (14–37) veterans were settled in the vicus Scunasticus near Narona near today's Metković .

During the revolt of the Dalmatian governor Lucius Arruntius Camillus Scribonianus in 42, the legions VII and XI held to Emperor Claudius (41-54) and received the nickname Claudia and the honorary title Pia Fidelis ("dutiful and loyal"). Around the middle of the 1st century, veterans of Legio VII Claudia and Legio XI Claudia were settled in Aequum ( Čitluk ).

Presumably Claudius already moved the legion to Moesia on the lower Danube in an unknown camp, possibly near Scupi ( Skopje ). According to another opinion, the transfer took place only around 57/58 under Nero (54-68) to Viminatium ( Kostolac / Serbia), where it replaced the Legio IIII Scythica or in 62 to the Legio V Macedonica in Oescus in the province of Moesia replace.

Four imperial year and Flavian dynasty

In 69, the year of the Four Emperors, the Legion, like the rest of the Danube Army, only stood behind Otho . A vexillation of Legio VII Claudia reached Italy too late to prevent Otho's defeat against Vitellius in the first battle of Bedriacum on April 14, 69 (near Cremona ). Vitellius sent the Legion back to Viminatium on the Danube, where they joined Vespasian . The Legion marched again to Italy and won the second battle of Bedriacum on October 24, 69 over Vitellius' troops. After the battle, the defeated Legio V Alaudae was assigned to reinforce the Legio VII to Moesia Superior to protect the border against Sarmatians and Dacians , which had been exposed in the civil war .

In Moesia in the winter of 69/70 under the governor Fonteius Agrippa, there were heavy fighting against the Scyths (collective term for the Eastern European barbarian peoples , meaning the Sarmatians). Fonteius Agrippa fell in battle, whereupon Vespasian Rubrius Gallus sent as the new governor to subjugate the Sarmatians, which he carried out in the course of 70 with the help of the Legions I Italica and VII Claudia .

Domitian (81-96) settled veterans of the legions I Italica , III Augusta , IV Macedonica , V Macedonica , V Alaudae , IIII Flavia and VII Claudia in the newly founded city of Scupi (Skopje) at the beginning of his rule . In the winter of 85/86 strong Dacian warriors of King Diupaneus penetrated from the north across the Danube into the Roman province of Moesia and met the Romans completely unexpectedly. Their governor, Gaius Oppius Sabinus , fell in battle and the attackers were able to pillage and pillage almost unrestrained. 86/87 Cornelius Fuscus commanded an army fighting the Dacians under their king Decebalus . He suffered a crushing defeat at the beginning of the Dacian Wars , in which the V Alaudae were probably wiped out. In 88 the Roman general Lucius Tettius Iulianus invaded Dacian territory. In the battle of Tapae , the Roman army, which also included the Legio VII , triumphed over Decebalus. Decebalus and Domitian negotiated a peace in 89 AD, in which Decebalus formally became a Roman client and the Romans paid him for it with money and weapons. After Domitian's campaign against the Dacians was IIII Flavia possibly for some time to Legio VII Claudia to Viminacium laid before the obermoesische Singidunum (Belgrade) stationed was.

Adoptive Emperor and Antonine Dynasty

From 98 to 101 the Legion was called in to prepare for the Dacer War of Trajan . B. the art road through the rocky shores of the Iron Gate . In the first war against the Dacians , the 101/102 Legion fought under their Legatus Lucius Minicius Natalis . She also fought actively in the subsequent Second Dacian War 105/106, parts of Legio VII were also involved in the construction of the Trajan Danube Bridge at the fortress of Drobeta Turnu Severin .

When the diaspora uprising broke out in the eastern provinces in 116 , the legion was moved to Cyprus , presumably from Mesopotamia, where Trajan fought against the Parthians . Emperor Lucius Verus relocated the entire legion again to the east for his campaign (161–166 AD) against the Parthians. When the Legion returned to the Danube, the Antonine plague ruled the empire (165–180). The Marcomanni , Sarmatians and Quads had become restless and Marcus Aurelius (161-180) put the Legion in the Marcomann Wars (166-180). The epidemic and the war resulted in high losses. About two thirds of the new recruits were recruited in Moesia Superior, mainly in the veteran colonies of Scupi (Skopje) and Ratiaria .

Second year of the four emperors and Severer

Soon after the murder of the emperor Pertinax , Septimius Severus (193-211) was proclaimed emperor in Carnuntum , the capital of Upper Pannonia, in April of the second year of the Four Emperors. Supported by Legio VII Claudia , he hurried to Italy and took Rome on June 9th without resistance. He prevailed against the competitors by first diplomatically appeasing Clodius Albinus , then eliminating Pescennius Niger in a bloody war. Around the year 200 veterans of the legions IIII Flavia Felix and VII Claudia were settled in Naissus (Niš).

Inscriptions from the 3rd century show participation in campaigns in the east. Presumably the Legion took part in Septimius' Parthian campaign which ended in 198 with the capture of the capital, Ctesiphon . But also Caracalla (211-217), Severus Alexander (222-235) and Gordian III. (238–244) undertook campaigns against the Parthians and Sassanids . In the early 3rd century the Legion was named Legio VII Claudia Pia Severiana . Caracalla (actually Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus) honored the Legion with the nickname Antoniniana , and Severus Alexander as Severiana Alexandriana .

Soldier emperor

In 245, the penetrated Karpen by Dacia and overcame the Limes Alutanus but could of Philip the Arab pushed back (244-249). The emperor then had the fortifications expanded. Around 248 a vexillation of the Legio VII Claudia Pia Fidelis Philippiana was used for construction work on the city wall and for the reconstruction of Romula (Dobrosloveni). What role the Legion played in the usurpation of Pacatianus in 248 is uncertain. In 248/249 Philip sent the general Decius to the Danube to end the usurpation and to drive out the invaded Goths . The role of the Legion in the power struggle between Philip Arabs and Decius 249 is controversial, but at least the IIII Flavia and VII Claudia were probably among Decius' early supporters.

Antoninian of the Emperor Gallienus
GALLIENVS AVGustus, LEGio VII CLAudia VI Pia VI Fidelis

The Legion probably took part in the wars of Emperor Gallienus (253-268), who had coins minted in honor of the Legion.

In the dispute between Gallienus and the usurper Postumus , the Legion stood on the side of Gallienus and was awarded the titles Pia VI Fidelis VI (six times dutiful and faithful) and Pia VII Fidelis VII . In 269 the legion belonged to the army of Emperor Claudius Gothicus , with whom he defeated the Goths in the battle of Naissus .

Late antiquity

Around the year 297, Diocletian's troops, which included vexillations of Legio XI Claudia , Legio VII Claudia , Legio IIII Flavia Felix, and I Italica , gathered to crush a revolt in Egypt . The leaders of this rebellion were Lucius Domitius Domitianus and Achilles . Diocletian was able to end this revolt in the spring of 298. Then he went back to the Persian border.

A vexillation of legionnaires of Legio XI Claudia , Legio VII Claudia , Legio IIII Flavia Felix and Legio I Italica and Legio I Illyricorum built under Diocletian in Arabia Petraea (Syria, Jordan) a road about 550 km long, which connects the castles Bostra , Basianis ( Qasr al-Azraq ), Amata and Dumata (Jawf) combined.

A vexillation of the Legio VII Claudia had joined Carausius (286 / 287-293), the counter-emperor in Britain and Northern Gaul, and his successor Allectus (293-296 / 297). After Constantius I had ended the usurpation, he took over the unit in his army.

In the early 5th century, the Praefectus legionis septimae Claudiae was stationed in Cuppae ( Golubac , Serbia) under the command of the Dux Moesiae primae .

literature

Web links

Commons : Legio VII Claudia  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Yann Le Bohec: The Roman Army of Augustus to Constantine the Great , Steiner, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-515-06300-5 , p. 287.
  2. a b c d e Lesley Adkins: Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome , Sonlight Christian, 2004, ISBN 0-8160-5026-0 , pp. 59-60.
  3. Stephen Dando-Collins: Caesar's Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar's Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome , Wiley, New York 2002, ISBN 978-0-471-09570-5 , p. 269.
  4. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Jona Lendering: Legio VII Claudia Pia Fidelis . In: Livius.org (English).
  5. ^ Gaius Iulius Caesar : De bello Gallico II, 34
  6. ^ Gaius Iulius Caesar : De bello Gallico III, 7-16
  7. ^ Gaius Iulius Caesar : De bello Gallico IV, 32 and V, 9
  8. ^ Gaius Iulius Caesar : De bello Gallico VII, 62
  9. Aulus Hirtius : De bello Gallico VIII, 6-10 ( online ).
  10. ^ A b Lawrence JF Keppie: Legions and veterans: Roman army papers 1971-2000 (Mavors. Roman Army Researches Volume 12) , Steiner, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 978-3-515-07744-6 , p. 304
  11. Lawrence JF Keppie: Legions and veterans: Roman army papers 1971-2000 (Mavors. Roman Army Researches Volume 12) , Steiner, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 978-3-515-07744-6 , pp. 54-55
  12. ^ András Mócsy : Pannonia and Upper Moesia. A history of the middle Danube provinces of the Roman empire , Routledge, 1974, ISBN 0-7100-7714-9 , p. 48.
  13. ^ Alan K. Bowman, Edward Champlin, Andrew Lintott (Eds.): The Augustan Empire, 43 BC – AD 69 ( The Cambridge Ancient History , 2nd Edition, Volume 10), Cambridge University Press, 1996, ISBN 9780521264303 , p. 453 .
  14. Erik Gren : Asia Minor and the Eastern Balkans in the Economic Development of the Roman Empire , Ayerpub, 1979 (reprint of the 1941 edition), ISBN 0-405-12365-5 , p. 93.
  15. Steve Mason, Honora Chapman: Flavius ​​Josephus: Translation and Commentary, Volume 1B - Judean War 2 , Brill, 2008, ISBN 978-90-04-16934-0 , p. 286.
  16. ^ András Mócsy: Pannonia and Upper Moesia: History of the Middle Danube Provinces of the Roman Empire , Routledge, 1974, ISBN 978-071007714-1 , p. 81f.
  17. Flavius ​​Josephus , Jewish War 7, 4, 3.
  18. Barbara Levick : Vespasian (Roman Imperial Biographies) , Routledge, London and New York 1999, ISBN 0-415-16618-7 , p. 115.
  19. Miroslava Mirkovic: Native Population and Roman Cities in the Province of Upper Moesia , in: Hildegard Temporini (Ed.): Rise and Decline of the Roman World (ANRW), Part II, Volume 6, Political History (Provinces and Fringe Peoples: Latin Danube-Balkan Area ) . Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin & New York 1977, ISBN 978-3-11-006735-4 , p. 831.
  20. ^ Brian W. Jones: The Emperor Domitian , Routledge, 1992, ISBN 0-415-04229-1 , p. 138.
  21. Miriam Griffin : The Flavians . In: Alan K. Bowman, Peter Garnsey, Dominic Rathbone (Eds.): The Cambridge Ancient History . Vol. 11: The High Empire, AD 70-192 . University Press, Cambridge 2000, ISBN 0-521-26335-2 , p. 73
  22. ^ András Mócsy: Pannonia and Upper Moesia. A history of the middle Danube provinces of the Roman empire , Routledge, 1974, ISBN 0-7100-7714-9 , p. 84.
  23. ^ András Mócsy: Pannonia and Upper Moesia. A history of the middle Danube provinces of the Roman empire , Routledge, 1974, ISBN 0-7100-7714-9 , p. 82.
  24. ^ Pat Southern: The Roman army. A social and institutional history , ABC-Clio, 2006, ISBN 978-1-85109-735-7 , p. 104.
  25. CIL 6, 31739
  26. ^ Franz Altheim : Decline of the Old World Volume 2: Imperium Romanum , Klostermann, 1952, ISBN 978-346500012-9 , p. 45.
  27. ^ Sven Günther , Kai Ruffing , Oliver Stoll (eds.): Pragmata: Contributions to the economic history of antiquity in memory of Harald Winkel (Philippika) , Harrassowitz, 2007, ISBN 978-3447055369 , p. 115.
  28. ^ Brian Campbell: Warfare and Society in Imperial Rome, C. 31 BC-AD 280 , Routledge, 2002, ISBN 978-0-415-27881-2 , p. 163.
  29. Miroslava Mirkovic: Native Population and Roman Cities in the Province of Upper Moesia , in: Hildegard Temporini (Ed.): Rise and Decline of the Roman World (ANRW), Part II, Volume 6, Political History (Provinces and Fringe Peoples: Latin Danube-Balkan Area ) . Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin & New York 1977, ISBN 978-3-11-006735-4 , p. 839.
  30. AE 1934, 181 , CIL 3, 1676
  31. CIL 3, 14509
  32. AE 1912, 53 , CIL 3, 8112
  33. a b Christian Körner: Philippus Arabs , de Gruyter, 2002, ISBN 978-3-11-017205-8 , pp. 152–155.
  34. CIL 3, 8047
  35. ^ Marietta Horster : Building inscriptions of the Roman Emperors , Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 978-3-515-07951-8 , p. 407; see: CIL 3, 8031
  36. Christian Körner: Philippus Arabs , de Gruyter, 2002, ISBN 978-3-11-017205-8 , pp. 292-293.
  37. ^ Yann Le Bohec: The Roman Army of Augustus to Constantine the Great , Steiner, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-515-06300-5 , p. 197.
  38. ^ Samuel Thomas Parker: The Roman Frontier in Central Jordan. Final Report on the Limes Arabicus Project, 1980-1989 Dumbarton Oaks Studies 40 , Harvard University Press, 2006, ISBN 9780884022985 , p. 544.
  39. AE 1987, 964 ; Gary Keith Young: Rome's eastern trade: international commerce and imperial policy, 31 BC-AD 305 , Routledge, 2001, ISBN 978-0-415-24219-6 , pp. 123-124.
  40. Oliver Schmitt: Constantin der Große (275-337): Leben und Herrschaft , Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-17-018307-0 , pp. 143 and 296
  41. Notitia Dignitatum Or. XLI.