07-22-2012, 07:25 PM
Grant specifically refers to the Syrian legions when he writes this. Remember the location of these changed over time, for most of their existence they were away from the eastern frontiers at cities, apoarently housed within those cities and not in separate legionary forts. This was even more the case when Septimius Severus conquered and created Mesopotamia, which shielded Syria from Parthia/Sassanid Persia andvwhich interestingly he garrisons wih two new legions, I & III Parthica, instead of any of the older more experienced long service eastern legions.
