Legio VI Herculia
The Legio VI Herculia was a legion of the late ancient Roman army. It was probably set up together with the Legio V Iovia of Diocletian (284-305) at the beginning of his reign. The name of the legion refers to the co-emperor Maximian , who was nicknamed Herculius . The Legion's emblem has not survived.
Both legions were stationed in the new province of Pannonia secunda , which was created by the division of Pannonia inferior . From the garrison location Teutoburgium (near Vukovar ) the Legio VI Herculia secured the area around the provincial capital Sirmium ( Sremska Mitrovica ). The Legion is represented by numerous brick temples in the province, such as B. in Mursa ( Osijek ), Bononia (Banoštor in Serbia), Cerevic and Ad Militare ( Batina ).
The most important early epigraphic testimony of the Legion, which is very rare due to its exact datability, is a building inscription from the year 307 AD that was found in Ad Militare . The Hungarian historian Péter Kovács suggested that based on this inscription, the Ad Militare fort might be the first May have been the Legion garrison location.
In the early 5th century, the Sexta Herculea was under the command of the Dux Pannoniae secundae ripariensis et Saviae . Five cohorts , the main power of the Legion, were stationed under a Praefectus in Aureo monte ("Golden Mountain", today Smederevo in Serbia). Another Praefectus commanded another part of the Legion in Teutiburgium , while in the Onagrinum Fort a third Praefectus commanded a unit made up of Quinta Iovia and Sexta Herculea . The Legion was probably one of the border troops ( Limitanei ) that did not give up any vexillations to the field army ( Comitatenses ).
Web links
- Jonah Lendering: Legio VI Herculia . In: Livius.org (English)
- Legio VI Herculia at imperiumromanum.com