Third Legion Cyrenaica | |
---|---|
Legio III Cyrenaica Legio Tertia Cyrenaica | |
Active | 35(?) BC until as late as 430 AD |
Country | Roman Republic (closing years) and Roman Empire (nearly all existence) |
Type | Roman legion |
Legio III Cyrenaica, ( lit. Third Legion " Cyrenean") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. The legion had its origins among the forces of Mark Antony during the civil wars of late first century BC. In the Imperial period it was stationed in Egypt, where it played a key role in campaigns against the Nubians and Jews. In the first century AD, it was usually located in Arabia Petraea. There are still records of the legion in Syria at the beginning of the 5th century. The legion symbol is unknown.
The origins of the legion are unclear, but it is first attested as part of Mark Antony's forces during the period of the Second Triumvirate (43-33 BC). Cyrenaica was under the control of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus before 36 BC and of Mark Antony after that date; either of them might have established the Legio III. [1] Pollard and Berry suggest that the legion was established by Lucius Pinarius Scarpus, an ally of Mark Antony who was his governor of Cyrenaica in the 30s BC. [2] The legio III is one of the many legions that appear in Mark Antony's Legionary denarii produced in 32-31 BC.
After Augustus defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium in 30 BC and annexed Egypt, he used the legion to occupy Thebes, the main centre in Upper Egypt. [1] The soldiers of this legion are attested worshipping the Egyptian god Ammon. [1] In either 7 AD or 9 AD the legion was transferred to Alexandria. [1]
In 26-25 BC a vexillatio of III Cyrenaica took part in a disastrous Roman attack on Arabia Felix. [1] The campaign was commanded Aelius Gallus, the prefect of Egypt. [1] This caused the province of Egypt to be unprotected, as the legions were off fighting. [1] Because of this the Nubian kingdom of Meroë attacked Upper Egypt. [1] In 24 BC a Roman governor named Gaius Petronius took the legions, one of which was III Cyrenaica, and marched upstream along the Nile and reached Napata, the capital of Nubia. [1] After this, the Nubians attacked the Romans a lot less. [1]
On other occasions, vexillationes were sent abroad. [1] It is possible that one of them was sent to Tongeren in Gallia Belgica during the reign of Caligula, which may have been part of the army he wanted to use to invade Britain in 40 AD. [1] Another vexillatio took part Domitius Corbulo's campaign against the Parthian Empire in 63 AD. [1] During the First Romano-Jewish war, the Third and Twenty-Second legions fought against the Jews of Alexandria. [1]
In the civil war of the Year of the Four Emperors (69 AD), the III Cyrenaica were among the first supporters of the new emperor Vespasian. [1] This could be because a subunit of the III Cyrenaica took part in the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
In 106 AD the legion was transferred to the province of Arabia Petraea. [1] Its base was at Bosra. [1] It subsequently returned to Egypt, perhaps in connection with the emperor Trajan's war against the Parthians, and/or the rebellion of the Jews of Alexandria in the Kitos War (115-117 AD). [1] The legion returned to Arabia once more after 125 AD. [1] Between 132 AD and 136 AD, subunits of this legion fought against the Jews in the Bar Kokhba revolt. During the reign of Antoninus Pius, they were stationed in Hegra in Arabia, but subunits fought in Mauretania against the Mauri. [1] Later, subunits of the III Cyrenica took part in the Parthian War of Lucius Verus from 162 to 166 AD. [1] In 175 AD, the legion sided with Avidius Cassius, a Roman general who revolted against Marcus Aurelius, but was killed by his own officers. [1]
During the civil war following the death of the emperor Commodus in 192 AD the Legio III Cyrenaica sided with the eastern pretender Pescennius Niger. [1] Niger was defeated by Septimius Severus. [1] Subsequently, Severus invaded Mesopotamia to fight against the Parthians and it is possible that the Legio III took part in these campaigns. [1] It certainly participated in the Parthian war launched by Severus' son Caracalla in 216 AD. [1] The legion may also have taken part in Severus Alexander's war against the Sasanian Empire from 231 to 233 [1] In 260 AD, the Sasanians took the Roman emperor Valerian captive, and several Roman provinces in the east became independent under Odaenathus of Palmyra. [1] Odaenathus led Roman units against the Persians, one of which was the III Cyrenica. In 273 AD the legion helped build roads in Jordan. [1] The later history of this unit is unclear, but the third Cyrenaican legion was still at Bosra at the beginning of the fifth century. [1]
This section needs additional citations for
verification. (May 2021) |
This section possibly contains
original research. (May 2021) |
The following is a list of campaigns and actions thought to have been seen by Legion III Cyrenaica during much of its existence:
Osprey books:
Third Legion Cyrenaica | |
---|---|
Legio III Cyrenaica Legio Tertia Cyrenaica | |
Active | 35(?) BC until as late as 430 AD |
Country | Roman Republic (closing years) and Roman Empire (nearly all existence) |
Type | Roman legion |
Legio III Cyrenaica, ( lit. Third Legion " Cyrenean") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. The legion had its origins among the forces of Mark Antony during the civil wars of late first century BC. In the Imperial period it was stationed in Egypt, where it played a key role in campaigns against the Nubians and Jews. In the first century AD, it was usually located in Arabia Petraea. There are still records of the legion in Syria at the beginning of the 5th century. The legion symbol is unknown.
The origins of the legion are unclear, but it is first attested as part of Mark Antony's forces during the period of the Second Triumvirate (43-33 BC). Cyrenaica was under the control of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus before 36 BC and of Mark Antony after that date; either of them might have established the Legio III. [1] Pollard and Berry suggest that the legion was established by Lucius Pinarius Scarpus, an ally of Mark Antony who was his governor of Cyrenaica in the 30s BC. [2] The legio III is one of the many legions that appear in Mark Antony's Legionary denarii produced in 32-31 BC.
After Augustus defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium in 30 BC and annexed Egypt, he used the legion to occupy Thebes, the main centre in Upper Egypt. [1] The soldiers of this legion are attested worshipping the Egyptian god Ammon. [1] In either 7 AD or 9 AD the legion was transferred to Alexandria. [1]
In 26-25 BC a vexillatio of III Cyrenaica took part in a disastrous Roman attack on Arabia Felix. [1] The campaign was commanded Aelius Gallus, the prefect of Egypt. [1] This caused the province of Egypt to be unprotected, as the legions were off fighting. [1] Because of this the Nubian kingdom of Meroë attacked Upper Egypt. [1] In 24 BC a Roman governor named Gaius Petronius took the legions, one of which was III Cyrenaica, and marched upstream along the Nile and reached Napata, the capital of Nubia. [1] After this, the Nubians attacked the Romans a lot less. [1]
On other occasions, vexillationes were sent abroad. [1] It is possible that one of them was sent to Tongeren in Gallia Belgica during the reign of Caligula, which may have been part of the army he wanted to use to invade Britain in 40 AD. [1] Another vexillatio took part Domitius Corbulo's campaign against the Parthian Empire in 63 AD. [1] During the First Romano-Jewish war, the Third and Twenty-Second legions fought against the Jews of Alexandria. [1]
In the civil war of the Year of the Four Emperors (69 AD), the III Cyrenaica were among the first supporters of the new emperor Vespasian. [1] This could be because a subunit of the III Cyrenaica took part in the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
In 106 AD the legion was transferred to the province of Arabia Petraea. [1] Its base was at Bosra. [1] It subsequently returned to Egypt, perhaps in connection with the emperor Trajan's war against the Parthians, and/or the rebellion of the Jews of Alexandria in the Kitos War (115-117 AD). [1] The legion returned to Arabia once more after 125 AD. [1] Between 132 AD and 136 AD, subunits of this legion fought against the Jews in the Bar Kokhba revolt. During the reign of Antoninus Pius, they were stationed in Hegra in Arabia, but subunits fought in Mauretania against the Mauri. [1] Later, subunits of the III Cyrenica took part in the Parthian War of Lucius Verus from 162 to 166 AD. [1] In 175 AD, the legion sided with Avidius Cassius, a Roman general who revolted against Marcus Aurelius, but was killed by his own officers. [1]
During the civil war following the death of the emperor Commodus in 192 AD the Legio III Cyrenaica sided with the eastern pretender Pescennius Niger. [1] Niger was defeated by Septimius Severus. [1] Subsequently, Severus invaded Mesopotamia to fight against the Parthians and it is possible that the Legio III took part in these campaigns. [1] It certainly participated in the Parthian war launched by Severus' son Caracalla in 216 AD. [1] The legion may also have taken part in Severus Alexander's war against the Sasanian Empire from 231 to 233 [1] In 260 AD, the Sasanians took the Roman emperor Valerian captive, and several Roman provinces in the east became independent under Odaenathus of Palmyra. [1] Odaenathus led Roman units against the Persians, one of which was the III Cyrenica. In 273 AD the legion helped build roads in Jordan. [1] The later history of this unit is unclear, but the third Cyrenaican legion was still at Bosra at the beginning of the fifth century. [1]
This section needs additional citations for
verification. (May 2021) |
This section possibly contains
original research. (May 2021) |
The following is a list of campaigns and actions thought to have been seen by Legion III Cyrenaica during much of its existence:
Osprey books: