Legio V Parthica

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The Legio V Parthica ( Fifth 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 VI 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 Sassanid Empire took its place . The legion emblem has not been handed down.

Amida City Walls

The Legio V Parthica protected the city of Amida (Diyarbakır) with a considerable number of local cavalry . In late antiquity , Amida was an important Roman fortress on the border with the Persian Sassanid Empire and was heavily fortified by Emperor Constantius II (324–361). In anticipation of an attack by the Sassanids, the garrison was reinforced by six more legions in 359. These were vexillations of the Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix and the Decumani Fortenses Legio X Fretensis as well as Praeventores , Superventores and the legions of the former usurpers Magnentius and Decentius Magnentiani and Decentiani .

Amida was besieged for 73 days by the Sassanid king Shapur II and finally stormed (see Siege of Amida ). The defenders suffered heavy losses. The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus , stationed there as a soldier at the time, later described how he escaped from the city with two comrades and finally reached Melitene . The Legio V Parthica was wiped out and not set up again.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Emil Ritterling : Legio VI Parthica. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XII, 2, Stuttgart 1925, Sp. 1598.
  2. ↑ Ammianus Marcellinus XVIII 9-10
  3. ^ Nigel Pollard: Soldiers, cities, and civilians in Roman Syria , University of Michigan Press, 2000, ISBN 978-0-472-11155-8 , p. 138
  4. ↑ Ammianus Marcellinus XIX 1-9
  5. ^ Paul Erdkamp (ed.): A companion to the Roman army , Wiley-Blackwell, 2007, ISBN 978-1-4051-2153-8 , p. 255.