Legio VI Ferrata

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The Legio VI Ferrata (German "die Eiserne") was an extremely traditional legion of the Roman army. Existed until around 260. Like almost all Caesarian legions, the VI Ferrata also had a bull as an emblem . Sometimes the well-known motif of the Capitoline Wolf with the twins Romulus and Remus was used.

Building inscription of a vexillation of the Legio VI Ferrata from Bet Guwrin

Legion history

republic

The beginnings of this legion can be found in the Gallic War . Gaius Iulius Caesar raised them in the province of Gallia Cisalpina and first used them in the battle for Alesia against Vercingetorix . 51 BC It was sent out to fight the rebellious Carnutes on the lower Loire . Then she secured the area around Orléans .

During the civil war between Caesar and Pompey , the ferrata was one of the main pillars of Caesar's struggle for power; she was extremely mobile and present in almost all important battles: in the summer of 49 BC. BC she defeated supporters of Pompey in Spain at the battle of Ilerda . In the spring of 48 BC She was stationed in northern Greece and fought in the Battle of Dyrrhachium . In August of the same year she fought at the important battle of Pharsalus , moved to Alexandria with Caesar and decided the battle for Zela in Pontos (47 BC). Then Caesar moved the Legion to Italy and settled the veterans in Colonia Iulia Paterna Arelatensium Sextanorum ("the venerable Julian colony of Arles of the soldiers of the Sixth Legion", today Arles ). However, the Legion continued to serve and was u. a. at the battle of Munda in 45 BC Chr. Present. The Legion was given the name Ferrata in the Civil War, possibly under Caesar. The name indicates a special iron protective clothing.

After Caesar's death, the legion was restored by the high military officer Lepidus and placed under the command of Mark Antony . After they were in 42 BC At Philippi the troops of the Caesar murderers Brutus and Cassius had defeated, veterans were settled in Benevento. The Legion was moved to Judea , where it brought King Herod the Great to power (37 BC). The following year she took part in a campaign against the Parthians , which ended in disaster. The legionaries of the Sixth could be glad to reach the allied Armenia alive . When Antonius was in civil war with Octavian , the ferrata was sent to Greece , where it had little to do. The Legion fought in 31 BC. In the sea ​​battle at Actium against Octavian.

Julian-Claudian dynasty

After Octavian's victory she was moved to Laodicea ad Mare ( Latakia ) in the province of Syria , where she secured the region together with the Legio III Gallica , the Legio X Fretensis and the Legio XII Fulminata . These four legions took part in the Tiberius campaign in 20 BC. By which the Roman military returned to the 53 BC. After the battle of Carrhae from the Parthians captured legionary standards. The Syrian governor Publius Quinctilius Varus used the ferrata to defend the Jewish uprising of 4 BC. To knock down. In the 1920s Pacuvius, the legate of the Legio VI Ferrata , served as the governor of Syria for several years on behalf of Lucius Aelius Lamia . Claudius (41-54) had the Colonia Claudii Cæsaris at Ptolemais ( Akkon ) put on in AD 45 for the veterans of the four Syrian legions (Legio III Gallica, Legio VI Ferrata , Legio X Fretensis and Legio XII Fulminata) .

In 54 Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo moved the Legions III Gallica and VI Ferrata from Syria to Cappadocia on the Armenian border. The legions were replenished through recruiting in the region. The III Gallica , VI Ferrata and X Fretensis were used by Corbulo in 58 during his campaign against the Parthians for control of Armenia. The cities of Artaxata (58) and Tigranocerta (59) were conquered and King Trdat I (Tiridates) was conquered by the Roman-friendly Tigranes VI. replaced. Legion veterans were settled near Taranto by Nero in 1960 . In 62 the legions III Gallica , VI Ferrata and X Fretensis Corbulo followed to the Euphrates, probably to Zeugma. In 63 Corbulo led the Legion on another campaign in Armenia. She then stayed there for some time before returning to Syria . In the year 66 Gaius Cestius Gallus , the governor of Syria, set out with the Legio XII Fulminata , vexillations of the VI Ferrata and IIII Scythica as well as numerous auxiliary troops from Antioch to fight the Judean uprising . First of all, some villages were sacked, the residents of which had fled from him. Then Cestius Gallus attacked Jerusalem , but was forced to break off the siege and suffered great losses in his hasty retreat.

Four imperial year and Flavian dynasty

In the civil war of 69 (year of the four emperors ) the Ferrata sided with the winner Vespasian , but did not really take part in the fight, although they marched towards Rome with the other legions of the east . It is certain that at least one vexillation reached Italy . A large part of the legion was used by Gaius Licinius Mucianus in Moesia on the Danube against a Dacian invasion .

The Legio VI Ferrata replaced the Legio XII Fulminata in Raphaneia around the year 70 . Around 72/73 AD the legion was used by the Syrian governor Lucius Junius Caesennius Paetus to occupy Commagenes and moved to the newly established province of Samosata (Samsat) on the Euphrates to secure the province. Around 75 AD, vexillations of the Legio XVI Flavia Company , Legio IIII Scythica , Legio III Gallica and Legio VI Ferrata were used to build canals and bridges near Antioch .

Adoptive Emperor and Antonine Dynasty

Under Trajan (98–117) a vexillation took part in the first Dacian war and set up a camp near Sarmizegetusa around 102 AD . The legions VI Ferrata and III Cyrenaica took part in the annexation of the Nabatean empire in 106 , whose already Romanized population offered little resistance. The Legion had its main camp in the provincial capital Bosra , while detachments were stationed in Gerasa and Gadara (Umm Qais) and secured the newly founded province of Arabia Petraea . The Legion took part in Trajan's Parthian War in Armenia (114), Mesopotamia (115) and Babylonia (116) under its legate Gaius Bruttius Praesens . However, Trajan's successor Hadrian (117-138) recognized that these areas could not be held and withdrew 118 all military forces.

Architectural inscription of the aqueduct of Caesaraea built by Hadrian through a vexillation of the Legio VI Ferrata
IMP (erator) CAES [AR] TRA (ianus) HAD (rianus) AVG (ustus) PER VEXIL (lationem) LEG (ionis) VI FE [R (ratae )]

Around 123 the VI Ferrata was replaced by the III Cyrenaica in Bosra and returned to Iudaea. It replaced the Legio II Traiana fortis in Caparcotna (Kefar 'Otnay) in Galilee . She stayed there for a long time and was immortalized by the fact that her camp was soon only called legio and is still known today as "el-Lejjun". Vexillations were stationed at Tiberias , Mount Hazon, Tel Shalem , Kefar Hananyah and more. Under Emperor Hadrian, vexillations of the X Fretensis , II Traiana , III Cyrenaica and the Legio VI Ferrata were busy building the aqueduct of the Colonia Prima Flavia Augusta Caesariensis near Caesarea Maritima .

The Legion's next mission was to put down the Jewish revolt under Bar Kochba (132-136). Presumably Hadrian settled veterans of the Legio VI Ferrata in the Colonia Aelia Capitolina ( Jerusalem ). Under Antoninus Pius (138-161), a vexillation of the ferrata built a road in 145 in Numidia (Algeria and Tunisia). Around 150 the name of the Caparcotna camp had become the legion name of the Legio VI Ferrata Caparcotna . In the Parthian War of Lucius Verus (162-165) she fought again against the Parthian Empire and was perhaps involved in the conquest of the Parthian capital, Ctesiphon . Lucius Artorius Castus , whom some identify with King Arthur , was around 170 centurion of Legio VI Ferrata .

Second year of the four emperors and Severer

In the second year of the four emperors , the Ferrata stood behind Septimius Severus (193-211) after the murder of Pertinax (193 ) and fought against his rival Pescennius Niger (193-194). The exact background for the award of the honorary title Fidelis Constans (loyal and steadfast) is not known; one interpretation would be that the conflict between Jews and Samaritans (195) was actually a variant of the civil war. The title suggests a siege; possibly the ferrata was temporarily enclosed by the Legio X Fretensis . According to another opinion, the Legion received the title because it defected from Pescennius Niger to Septimius Severus before the decisive battle of Issus in 194 or because it distinguished itself in Septimius' Parthian War of 198/199. At an unknown date, the Legion was given the additional title Felix (the lucky one).

Under the emperors Caracalla (211-217) and / or Elagabal (218-222) the legion was named Legio VI Ferrata Fidelis Constans Antoniniana . After Elagabals damnatio memoriae , the nickname Antoniniana was no longer used. In 215 the Legion was still safely in Syria Palestine . Perhaps Severus Alexander (222–235) moved them to Syria Phoenice .

Soldiers emperors and late antiquity

Philip Arabs (244–249) had coins minted in honor of the Legion. The Legion was probably smashed in 260 during Valerian's disastrous campaign against the Sassanids at the Battle of Edessa . The numerous captured legionaries had to do forced labor for the Sassanids until the end of their lives. B. build the bridges at Shushtar ( Band-e Kaisar ) and Bischapur .

According to another opinion, the Legion persisted and was possibly stationed in the Adrou (Udruh) camp, built around 300 in the 4th century . In any case, around the year 400 the Legion was no longer mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum .

literature

Web links

Commons : Legio VI Ferrata  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Jona Lendering: Legio VI Ferrata . In: Livius.org (English)
  2. ^ AE 1933, 158
  3. ^ Lawrence Keppie: The making of the Roman Army. From Republic to Empire , University of Oklahoma Press, Oklahoma 1998, ISBN 978-080613014-9 , p. 138.
  4. ^ Lesley Adkins: Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome , Sonlight Christian, 2004, ISBN 0-8160-5026-0 , p. 59.
  5. ^ A b Maurice Sartre: The Middle East under the Romans , Harvard University Press, 2005, ISBN 0-674-01683-1 , p. 60.
  6. ↑ Axel Gebhardt: Imperial Politics and Provincial Development , Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-05-003680-X , p. 142
  7. ↑ Colonia Claudii Cæsaris. Archived from the original on August 22, 2006 ; accessed on March 13, 2018 .
  8. ^ Emil Ritterling : Legio (X Fretensis). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XII, 2, Stuttgart 1925, Sp. 1671-1678.
  9. ↑ Stephen Mitchell: Anatolia: Land, Men, and Gods in Asia Minor Vol. I , Oxford University Press, 1995, ISBN 978-019815029-9 , p. 140.
  10. ↑ Miriam Griffin : Seneca: a philosopher in politics , Oxford University Press, 1992, ISBN 978-0-19-814774-9 , p. 291.
  11. ^ Tacitus : Annales XV 6-9
  12. ^ Emil Ritterling : Legio (IIII Scythica). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XII, 2, Stuttgart 1925, Sp. 1556-1564.
  13. ↑ Flavius ​​Josephus , Jüdischer Krieg 2,18, 9-11
  14. ↑ Flavius ​​Josephus , Jewish War 2.19, 1-9
  15. ^ Tacitus : Historiae III, 46
  16. ↑ Stephen Mitchell: Anatolia: Land, Men, and Gods in Asia Minor Vol. I , Oxford University Press, 1995, ISBN 978-019815029-9 , p. 119.
  17. ↑ AE 1983, 927 ; Oliver Stoll : Roman Army and Society , Steiner, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-515-07817-7 , p. 237f; see: Axel Gebhardt: Imperial Politics and Provincial Development , Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-05-003680-X , p. 42
  18. ↑ AE 1983, 825
  19. ↑ Mark A. Chancey: Greco-Roman culture and the Galilee of Jesus , Cambridge University Press, 2005, ISBN 9780521846479 , pp. 62-63
  20. ^ Benjamin H. Isaac: The Near East under Roman Rule , series: Mnemosyne, bibliotheca classica Batava: Supplementum, Volume 177 , Brill, 1997, ISBN 90-04-10736-3 , p. 196.
  21. ↑ Glen Bowersock : Roman Arabia , Harvard University Press, 1998, ISBN 9780674777569 , p. 106; Hans-Peter Kuhnen : Palestine in Greco-Roman times , Beck, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-406-32876-8 , p. 120.
  22. ^ AE 1950, 66
  23. ^ Maurice Sartre: The Middle East under the Romans , Harvard University Press, 2005, ISBN 0-674-01683-1 , pp. 136-137.
  24. ↑ Edward Dabrowa: Legio X Fretensis. A Prosopographical Study of its Officers (I-III c. AD) , Steiner, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 978-3-515-05809-4 , p. 15.
  25. ^ Hans-Peter Kuhnen: Palestine in Greco-Roman times , Beck, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-406-32876-8 , p. 360
  26. ^ Mark A. Chancey: The myth of a Gentile Galilee , Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN 9780521814874 , p. 59.
  27. ^ Werner Eck : Rome's water management in the east. (PDF; 3.2 MB) In: Kasseler Universitätsreden 17th kassel university press, 2008, pp. 25-26 , archived from the original on January 31, 2012 ; accessed on March 13, 2018 .
  28. ^ Hans-Peter Kuhnen: Palestine in Greco-Roman times , Beck, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-406-32876-8 , p. 121
  29. ↑ Edward Dabrowa: Legio X Fretensis. A Prosopographical Study of its Officers (I-III c. AD) , Steiner, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 978-3-515-05809-4 , p. 21.
  30. ^ AE 1951, 278
  31. ↑ AE 1888, 174 , CIL 3, 6814 , CIL 3, 6815 , CIL 3, 6816
  32. ^ Benjamin H. Isaac: The Near East under Roman Rule , series: Mnemosyne, bibliotheca classica Batava: Supplementum, Volume 177 , Brill, 1997, ISBN 90-04-10736-3 , p. 434.
  33. ↑ CIL 3, 1919 .
  34. ↑ CIL 10, 532 , AE 1911, 107
  35. ^ E. Mary Smallwood: The Jews under Roman rule. From Pompey to Diocletian. A study in political relations 2nd ed., Brill, Leiden 2001, ISBN 978-0391041554 , pp. 487 and 498.
  36. ↑ AE 1910, 68
  37. ↑ AE 2001, 1968 ; see: E. Mary Smallwood: The Jews under Roman rule. From Pompey to Diocletian. A study in political relations 2nd ed., Brill, Leiden 2001, ISBN 978-0391041554 , p. 553.
  38. ^ Paul Erdkamp (ed.): A companion to the Roman army , Wiley-Blackwell, 2007, ISBN 978-1-4051-2153-8 , p. 263; see: Samuel Thomas Parker: The Roman Frontier in Central Jordan. Final Report on the Limes Arabicus Project, 1980-1989 , Series: Dumbarton Oaks Studies 40, Harvard University Press, 2006, ISBN 9780884022985 , p. 543.