Legio XXI Rapax

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The Legio XXI Rapax (21st Legion, the Predatory or Treacherous) was a legion of the Roman army. Her sign was the Capricornus ( Capricorn ).

Signum of the Legio XXI Rapax

Legion history

The Legio XXI Rapax was possibly already in the years 41/40 BC. BC, but probably after the year 31 BC. Established by Octavian from older units and northern Italian recruits. Possibly the XXI. first used in the Cantabrian War in Spain (Hispania Tarraconensis).

Raetia

Drusus occupied in 15 BC BC Raetia and deployed the Legions XXI Rapax and XIII Gemina as occupation troops. In the year 6 Tiberius armored against Marbod , the king of the Marcomanni . A total of twelve legions with auxiliary troops were set up, which represented half of the total military potential of the Romans at the time. Shortly after the campaign began in the spring of 6, Tiberius broke it off again and concluded a friendship treaty with Marbod when he received news of the Pannonian uprising . From 6 to 9 AD Tiberius put down the rebellion in Pannonia and Illyria with great effort, using an army of 15 legions , in whose overthrow the legion also participated.

Xanten

After the loss of three legions in the Varus Battle , the Legio XXI was sent to Lower Germany as a replacement and stationed together with the Legio V Alaudae in the double legion camp Vetera (near today's Xanten ).

In the year 14 AD she took part in the summer camp in finibus Ubiorum ("in the area of ​​the Ubier") in the mutiny after the death of Augustus, during which the legions wanted to proclaim Germanicus emperor. The warehouse C in Novaesium is considered to be the summer camp of the year 14 n. Chr., From Tacitus in the Annals reported. Accordingly, the Legio I Germanica (from Cologne ), the Legio V Alaudae (from Vetera / Xanten ), the Legio XX Valeria Victrix (from Cologne) and the Legio XXI Rapax (from Xanten ) would have been temporarily brought together in Neuss. The legions I Germanica , V Alaudae, XX Valeria Victrix and XXI Rapax took part in the Germanicus campaigns in Germania on the right bank of the Rhine in the years AD 14-16 and belonged to the army group of Aulus Caecina Severus . The legions suffered heavy losses in the battle of the Pontes longi in 15 AD .

The food supply, the tax burden as well as the arrogance and cruelty of the Roman governors caused unrest in Gaul in the year 21, which led to the uprising of the Häduers Iulius Sacrovir and the Treverians Iulius Florus . A vexillation of legionaries of the XXI Rapax and XX Valeria Victrix, under the command of an officer of the Legio I Germanica , fought against the Turons who had joined the uprising.

Around the year 40 the Legio XXI Rapax was involved in Caligula's German campaign.

Windisch

Brick stamp of Legio XXI Rapax from Rheinzabern in the Terra Sigillata Museum there .

After the conquest of Britain in 43, Claudius regrouped the Roman army . The Legio XXI was replaced in Vetera by the Legio XV Primigenia and moved to Vindonissa (Windisch) around 45/46 , where it replaced the Legio XIII Gemina . A vexillation may have been stationed in Hochstetten . In AD 47, Vindonissa was from the XXI. under her legate, Marcus Licinius Senecio, it was converted from a wood and earth warehouse to a brick castrum made of rubble and bricks. In the kilns near Rupperswil not only the required bricks but also ceramics were fired.

In the spring of 68 Gaius Iulius Vindex , governor of the province of Gallia Lugdunensis , rose against Emperor Nero . Several Gallic tribes joined him. Lucius Verginius Rufus , the legate of the province of Upper Germany , defeated the Vindex uprising in the battle of Vesontio ( Besançon ) with the legions IV Macedonica , XXI Rapax and XXII Primigenia .

The Helvetian uprising of 68/69 AD began with an armed clash between Helvetian groups and the Legio XXI Rapax . In response, the Roman general Aulus Caecina Alienus , who had just come to Helvetia with the Upper Germanic army, cracked down on it. The Swiss settlements in Aargau were looted and destroyed. As the Helvetii resisted, thousands of them were killed or sold as slaves under martial law. Eventually the Roman troops occupied the city of Aventicum, which had become the capital of the Helvetian civitas , which ended the uprising.

In the civil war of 69 (year of the four emperors ) the legion was part of Vitellius' armed forces . In the Battle of Bedriacum on April 14, 69 Vitellius won against Emperor Otho , but the XXI Rapax lost its legionary eagle in the fight against the Legio I Adiutrix . In the Battle of Bedriacum on October 24, 69 Vitellius was decisively defeated by Vespasian . The Legion 69/70 was used by Vespasian to suppress the Batavian revolt .

Bonn

After the end of the Batavian Uprising, the Legion was replaced by Legio XI Claudia in Vindonissa in 70 and relocated to Bonna ( Bonn ). Here the legion replaced the earth-wood fortification destroyed in the Batavian uprising with a stone legionary camp in nine years of construction. The stones for this construction work came from Norroy in the province of Belgica (north-east France) , among others .

Mainz

In 83 the Legio XXI Rapax was replaced by the Legio I Minervia and relocated to Mainz-Weisenau in Germania superior. Between 83 AD and 85 AD, the Legio XXI Rapax fought with eight other legions or vexillations under Emperor Domitian in the so-called Chat Wars against the Germanic Chattas who lived in the foothills of Mogontiacum in the Taunus and in the Giessen basin. The Romans succeeded in subjugating the Wetterau area , which was part of Domitian's German policy (reorganization of the border). As a result, the border fortifications of the Taunus and Wetterau limes were built . In Aquae Mattiacorum ( Wiesbaden ) the legions I Adiutrix , XIIII Gemina , XXI Rapax and XXII Primigenia expanded the thermal baths in Flavian times .

In the year 86 the XXI. Legio I Adiutrix in Mogontiacum (Mainz), assigned to Pannonia . Together with the Legio XIIII Gemina , which was also stationed in Mogontiacum, in 89 she followed the failed uprising of the governor of the province of Germania superior Lucius Antonius Saturninus against Domitian (81-96). But the uprising was put down after just 42 days by the troops of the governor of the province of Germania inferior , Aulus Bucius Lappius Maximus , even before Domitian had moved north with strong associations, including the Praetorians . Maximus burned Saturninus' letters to prevent others from being drawn into them. Domitian had the suppression of the revolt followed by the executions of most of the officers. Allegedly, Saturninus, who lost his life, wanted to come to the aid of Germanic tribes , but they could not cross the thawed Rhine . The clashes in connection with the putsch of Saturninus 89 AD against Domitian are sometimes referred to as Domitian's Second Chat War .

End of the legion

No information has been passed on about the end of the Legion, so different "end scenarios" were designed:

After the situation had calmed down, both "Mainz" legions were relocated to the Danube area and replaced in Mogontiacum by the Legio XXII Primigenia . The Legio XXI Rapax was stationed in the Pannonian legion camp Brigetio . There it was destroyed in 92 by Marcomanni , Quadi and the Sarmatian Jazygens , who had also defended themselves against their alliance obligations in 89 during the Dacian incursions into Moesia and had now become Rome's opponents.

According to a seldom represented opinion, the Legio XXI Rapax was dissolved after the failed Saturnine Uprising.

reception

In 1985 the Legio XXI Rapax served as the background for one of the most famous archaeological experiments in Germany, when Dr. On the occasion of the 2000 anniversary of Augsburg , Marcus Junkelmann, together with eight people in the equipment of this legion, retraced the route of the campaign in 15 AD.

Marcus Licinius Verecundus

M. Licinius Verecundus was a legionnaire of the Legio XXI Rapax and because of a vow he erected a consecration stone in Glanum in southern France near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence . The stone is dedicated to the god Glanis, the Glannicae, and the Fortuna Redux, a goddess. The latter stands for the happy return from distant regions. The inscription reads: Glani et Glanica / bus et Fortunae / Reduci M (arcus) Licinius / Claud (ia) Verecundu [s] / vet (eranus) leg (ionis) XXI Rapacis / v (otum) s (olvit) l (ibens ) m (erito) ("To the god Glanis and the Glanicae and to Fortuna Redux, Marcus Licinius Verecundus from the Gens Claudia, veteran of the XXI Legion Rapax. He performed his vows with gratitude and good faith.").

literature

Web links

Commons : Legio XXI Rapax  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Lesley Adkins: Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome , Sonlight Christian, 2004, ISBN 0-8160-5026-0 , p. 61.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Jona Lendering: Legio XXI Rapax . In: Livius.org (English)
  3. ^ Yann Le Bohec: The Roman Army of Augustus to Constantine the Great , Steiner, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-515-06300-5 , p. 192.
  4. ↑ Tacitus : Annals 2.46.
  5. ↑ Klaus-Peter Johne : The Romans on the Elbe. The Elbe river basin in the geographical world view and in the political consciousness of Greco-Roman antiquity , Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 2006, ISBN 978-3-05-003445-4 , p. 184
  6. ^ Tacitus , Annales I 31. Also in Wikisource , The Latin Library and Jürgen Franssen with English translation.
  7. ↑ AE 1905, 00142
  8. ↑ AE 2000, 01002
  9. ↑ CIL 13, 08553 , CIL 13, 08554 and CIL 13, 08555
  10. ↑ Christoph B. Rüger: A small garrison history of the Roman Neuss . In: Heinrich Chantraine u. a .: The Roman Neuss . Theiss, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-8062-0356-3 , pp. 21f .; Gustav Müller: The military installations and the settlements of Novaesium . In: Heinrich Chantraine u. a .: The Roman Neuss . Theiss, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-8062-0356-3 , p. 73; Jürgen Franssen: warehouse C .
  11. ^ Siegfried Schoppe : Varusschlacht Vol 2 , Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2009, ISBN 3-8391-1287-7 , p. 205.
  12. ↑ Tacitus , Annals 1.63-69
  13. ↑ Claude Lepelley: Rome and the Empire in the High Imperial Era. The regions of the empire , de Gruyter Saur, 2001, ISBN 978-3-598-77449-2 , p. 167
  14. ↑ Heinrich Beck , Dieter Geuenich , Heiko Steuer (Ed.): Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde . Volume 3: Bilro̜st - Brunichilde , de Gruyter, 1978, ISBN 978-3-11-006512-1 , p. 432.
  15. ↑ AE 1934, 17 , AE 1934, 18
  16. ^ Edward Togo Salmon: A history of the Roman world from 30 BC to AD 138 , Routledge 1990, ISBN 978-0-415-04504-9 , p. 188
  17. ↑ Tacitus , Historiae I, 67-68
  18. ↑ Tacitus : Historiae II, 39-49
  19. ^ Tacitus : Historiae II, 100
  20. ↑ Barbara Levick : Vespasian (Roman Imperial Biographies) , Routledge, London and New York 1999, ISBN 0-415-16618-7 , p. 108ff.
  21. ↑ a b Heinrich Beck , Dieter Geuenich , Heiko Steuer (Ed.): Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde . Volume 3: Bilro̜st - Brunichilde , de Gruyter, 1978, ISBN 978-3-11-006512-1 , p. 226
  22. ^ Alfred Michael Hirt: Imperial Mines and Quarries in the Roman World: Organizational Aspects 27 BC-Ad 235 (Oxford Classical Monographs), Oxford University Press, Oxford 2010, ISBN 978-0-19-957287-8 , pp. 70, 175 ; see: CIL 13, 4623
  23. ^ Hubert Cancik , Alfred Schäfer , Wolfgang Spickermann : Centrality and Religion. On the formation of urban centers in the Imperium Romanum , Mohr Siebeck, 2006, ISBN 978-3-16-149155-9 , p. 168.
  24. ↑ Marcus Nenninger: The Romans and the Forest: Investigations into dealing with a natural area using the example of the Roman north-west provinces , Franz Steiner Verlag, 2001, ISBN 3-515-07398-1 , p. 148
  25. ↑ Reinhard Wolters : The Romans in Germania . Munich, 2000. p. 66 ff.
  26. ↑ Gabriele Wesch-Klein : Social aspects of the Roman army in the imperial era , Steiner, Stuttgart 1998 (= Habil. Heidelberg 1995). ISBN 3-515-07300-0 , p. 86.
  27. ↑ a b Heinrich Beck , Dieter Geuenich , Heiko Steuer (Ed.): Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde . Volume 20: Metuonis - Natural Science Methods , de Gruyter, 2002, ISBN 978-3-11-017164-8 , p. 149
  28. ^ Cassius Dio 67 11 .
  29. ^ Suetonius: Domitian 6.2 .
  30. ^ Thomas Fischer : The Romans in Germany. Theiss, Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-8062-1325-9 .
  31. ↑ 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. 151.
  32. ↑ Karl Christ : History of the Roman Empire. CH Beck Verlag, Munich 1995. ISBN 3-406-36316-4 . P. 274.
  33. ↑ Marcelo Tilman Schmitt: The Roman Foreign Policy of the 2nd Century AD. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 1997. ISBN 3-515-07106-7 . Pp. 84-85 and 96.
  34. ↑ Claude Lepelley: Rome and the Empire in the High Imperial Era. The regions of the empire , de Gruyter Saur, 2001, ISBN 978-3-598-77449-2 , p. 169
  35. ↑ Marcus Junkelmann , Muli Mariani - March in Roman legionary equipment over the Alps, in: Limesmuseum Aalen 36, 1985. — The legions of Augustus, in: Kulturgeschichte der antiken Welt, Volume 33 (Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 1986). , Vol. 45 The Riders of Rome Part I; -Bd. 49 part 2; -Bd. 53 Part 3.Ders., Riders like statues made of ore (Mainz 1996)
  36. ↑ AE 1954, 00103