07-24-2008, 12:23 AM
Maarten wrote:
Maarten is correct that Dando-Collins is hopelessly confused and wrong about Legio X, however the weight of evidence is against him regarding its founding.
Firstly, Caesar is most unlikely to have founded LegioX at all. In 59 BC, he was senior Consul, and in 58 BC he takes over Cis-Alpine Gaul ( in Northern Italy) as his province, where the Tenth form part of his command. Clearly they were raised previously in Italy, but may include Latin colonists in Cis-Alpine Gaul. All seem to have been Roman citizens by birth, (all Italians were since the citizenship was extended in 90 BC), as is evident from epigraphical evidence that some veterans ended up in Italy ( non Italian units, rare at this time in the legions, were not settled in Italy). Evidence for their Italian origin also comes from epigraphic tombstone evidence from veterans of the Tenth who have Italian/Roman names.The subsequent history of the Tenth is set out at http://Livius.orgas posted earlier.The Tenth's first epithet seems to have been Venere - from the goddess Venus, associated with the gens Julii.It is likely that the Tenth acquired the title Equestris some time after the exploit Caesar recounts whereby he mounts them to form ex-tempore cavalry. Caesar's Tenth were due for discharge in 48 BC, ( possibly implying they were raised in 64BC or thereabouts) but this kept getting put off until 45-44 BC after the battle of Munda when the surviving veterans were settled at Narbo (modern Narbonne). In less than a year, they were re-raised by Plancus and ended up, along with the vast majority of Caesar's veterans, in Antony's armies headed east.( All Caesars veteran legions were due for retirement, and often overdue, by 45-44 BC, the year of his assassination, with the exception of V Alaudae)
Seutonius famously refers to the 'disbandment' by Augustus of a Tenth Legion, and this may be a reference to the amalgamation of the Tenth with another unit to form X Gemina, where it is finally recorded around 20 BC taking part in the final conquest of Spain by Augustus, along with many other Legions ( see Livius.org ante).
The Tenth veterans ended up being settled in several places - briefly Narbo in Gaul, and finally of course at Augusta Emerita ( Merida in Spain) from 25 BC, and Caesarea Augusta after 19 BC, but these would not have included any of J.Caesar's original veterans, who would be in their mid-sixties at this time. Veterans from the time the Legion served Antony in the East are found at Patrae (Macedonia) who pointedly used the pre-Augustan epithet Equestris ( settled post Actium) In between,some of those settled at Narbo, were retired at Cremona in northern Italy after 43 BC. IIRC, some were also found at Rome itself and Pompeii.......
Quote:It is generally accepted that legio X was founded by Caesar in around 60 BC in Spain. In Spain several early Legio X inscriptions were found. Caesars Legio X is the same legion as Legio X Equestris and Legio X Gemina. Dando is unfortunately completely wrong.I'm afraid I would have to agree with Jona on this subject !
If anyone wants to read a good book about Caesar, I recomment Adrian Goldsworthy Caesar. extreemly good!!
Maarten is correct that Dando-Collins is hopelessly confused and wrong about Legio X, however the weight of evidence is against him regarding its founding.Firstly, Caesar is most unlikely to have founded LegioX at all. In 59 BC, he was senior Consul, and in 58 BC he takes over Cis-Alpine Gaul ( in Northern Italy) as his province, where the Tenth form part of his command. Clearly they were raised previously in Italy, but may include Latin colonists in Cis-Alpine Gaul. All seem to have been Roman citizens by birth, (all Italians were since the citizenship was extended in 90 BC), as is evident from epigraphical evidence that some veterans ended up in Italy ( non Italian units, rare at this time in the legions, were not settled in Italy). Evidence for their Italian origin also comes from epigraphic tombstone evidence from veterans of the Tenth who have Italian/Roman names.The subsequent history of the Tenth is set out at http://Livius.orgas posted earlier.The Tenth's first epithet seems to have been Venere - from the goddess Venus, associated with the gens Julii.It is likely that the Tenth acquired the title Equestris some time after the exploit Caesar recounts whereby he mounts them to form ex-tempore cavalry. Caesar's Tenth were due for discharge in 48 BC, ( possibly implying they were raised in 64BC or thereabouts) but this kept getting put off until 45-44 BC after the battle of Munda when the surviving veterans were settled at Narbo (modern Narbonne). In less than a year, they were re-raised by Plancus and ended up, along with the vast majority of Caesar's veterans, in Antony's armies headed east.( All Caesars veteran legions were due for retirement, and often overdue, by 45-44 BC, the year of his assassination, with the exception of V Alaudae)
Seutonius famously refers to the 'disbandment' by Augustus of a Tenth Legion, and this may be a reference to the amalgamation of the Tenth with another unit to form X Gemina, where it is finally recorded around 20 BC taking part in the final conquest of Spain by Augustus, along with many other Legions ( see Livius.org ante).
The Tenth veterans ended up being settled in several places - briefly Narbo in Gaul, and finally of course at Augusta Emerita ( Merida in Spain) from 25 BC, and Caesarea Augusta after 19 BC, but these would not have included any of J.Caesar's original veterans, who would be in their mid-sixties at this time. Veterans from the time the Legion served Antony in the East are found at Patrae (Macedonia) who pointedly used the pre-Augustan epithet Equestris ( settled post Actium) In between,some of those settled at Narbo, were retired at Cremona in northern Italy after 43 BC. IIRC, some were also found at Rome itself and Pompeii.......
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" -Â George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" -Â George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
