Legio VI Parthica

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shield painting of the Sexta Parthica

The Legio VI Parthica ( Sixth Parthian Legion ) was a legion of the late ancient Roman army, which was probably set up by Diocletian around the year 300 AD together with the Legio IIII Parthica and Legio V Parthica . In the course of the reorganization of the empire, additional troops had to be garrisoned in the newly formed provinces in the east. The name was anachronistic, however, since by that time the Parthian Empire had long since perished. The Sassanids had taken their place .

The Legion may have been stationed in Cepha ( Hasankeyf ) or in one of the provinces east of the Tigris.

During the 4th century the Legion lost its camp; be it through enemy conquest or reorganization of the province and became a legio pseudocomitatensis . Possibly this change was related to the failed Persian campaign of Emperor Julian in 363. The Pseudocomitatenses were in higher regard than the Limitanei , to which the Legio VI Parthica had previously belonged, even if they did not enjoy all the privileges of the Comitatenses .

In the early 5th century, the Sexta Parthica was named in the Notitia Dignitatum as legio pseudocomitatensis under the supreme command of the magister militum per Orientem .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Emil Ritterling: Legio VI Parthica. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XII, 2, Stuttgart 1925, Sp. 1598.
  2. ^ Paul Erdkamp (ed.): A companion to the Roman army , Wiley-Blackwell, 2007, ISBN 978-1-4051-2153-8 , p. 255.
  3. ^ Nigel Pollard: Soldiers, cities, and civilians in Roman Syria , University of Michigan Press, 2000, ISBN 978-0-472-11155-8 , p. 28.
  4. ^ Jona Lendering: Legio VI Parthica In: Livius.org (English).
  5. ^ Robert Grosse: Roman military history from Gallienus to the beginning of the Byzantine thematic constitution . Weidmann, Berlin 1920. Reprinted by Arno Press, New York 1975, ISBN 0-405-07083-7 , p. 91 ( Google books ).
  6. ↑ distress. Dig. Or. VII

literature

Web links

Commons : Legio VI Parthica  - Collection of images, videos and audio files