05-19-2011, 01:57 AM
In his book Trajan: Optimus Princeps, Julian Bennett notes that Trajan's army assembled at Satala for the Parthian war in spring 114 was 'the greatest concentration of Roman legions ever known'. He then gives a list of seventeen legions 'almost certainly present', and estimates that, considering some would have been vexillations, and adding auxiliaries, the full army might have totalled 80,000 men (p192-193)
Unfortunately, Bennett doesn't provide a note for these estimates, so just out of interest I thought I'd see which legions are actually attested as taking part in the campaign. Here (for anyone interested
mile: ) is what I've discovered so far - does anyone have any further information?
Definite
VI Ferrata: AE 1950, 00066 - C Bruttius Fulvius Rusticus, legate of VI Ferratae decorated by Trajan for the 'bellum Parthicum'. There's also a fragment of Arrian's Parthica about Rusticus giving his men native snowshoes while marching in the highlands of Armenia.
XVI Flavia Firma: the legion was based at Satala, and CIL 10, 01202 gives us a centurion 'donis donato a divo Traiano bello Parthico'.
IIII Scythica: this legion erected a monument (AE 1968, 00510) at Artaxata in AD 116. They may have remained in Armenia as a garrison after the initial campaign there.
X Fretensis: CIL 06, 01838 - a military tribune of the Tenth Fretensis awarded dona 'a divo Traiano in expedition(e) Parthica'. (edited)
XXII Primigenia: AE 1962, 00311 - M Julius Maximus 'praefecto castrorum legionis XXII Primigeniae Piae Fidelis donis donato a divo Traiano ob bellum Armeniacum et Parthicum'. Maximus might have been leading a vexillation from the legion base far away at Mainz - but it could have been the full legion...
III Cyrenaica: CIL 03, 13587 is an altar to Serapis 'pro salute et victoria' set up in Jerusalem by 'vexillatio legionis III Cyrenaicae' and dated to 116-117. This is probably the same detachment who built a victory arch at Dura Europos the year before (AE 1933, 00225). A senatorial tribune, Voconius Saxa, was decorated for service in the Parthian war, which suggests they were not based in (non senatorial) Egypt at the time, but papyrus records relating to the Jewish uprising in Egypt mention (governor) Lupus’ other legion that has come to Memphis in c.116-117. A reference in the Sibylline Oracles dated to this period refers to 'the third great ram of Cyrene, which fled from the battle at the dikes of the Nile', which might relate to III Cyrenaica being defeated by the Jews, and suggest the main legion was in Egypt. They are attested there anyway, at Nicopolis, by 119.
Probable
III Gallica and XII Fulminata – based at Raphanae and Melitene respectively, these two would surely have been involved in the campaign, although not epigraphically attested as far as I know.
VII Claudia PF: AE 1912, 00179 - Valerius Rufus, military tribune of VII Claudia, sent by Trajan with a vexillation against the Jews on Cyprus in c.116-117. So the legion - or a detachment - were in the east, but might not have served in Parthia itself. There's also inscription CIL 10, 03733, for a centurion of VII Claudia and III Cyrenaica, later primus pilus of II Traiana, decorated by Trajan for the Parthian war and later Hadrian for the Jewish war. He also served in the praetorians, so could have been in Parthia with them, or with either of the legions.
Possible
II Traiana Fortis: Caius Iulius Fabiianus (CIL 03, 00151) was a soldier of this legion buried at Sidon c.117/118. This at least suggests they were in the region at the time, and could have been brought from the Danube for the Parthian war, before being moved on to Judea and Egypt under Hadrian.
I Italica: Cnaeus Iulius Rufus, primus pilus of I Italica, was decorated by Trajan for the Parthian war and died at Beirut (AE 1998, 01435). But he earlier served in XI CPF and VI Ferrata, and the latter are known to have been in the war, so he might have won his medals with them instead.
III Augusta: J.C. Mann, in Legionary Recruitment and Veteran Settlement during the Principiate (1983) cites inscription CIL 08, 18084, a list of recruits to III Aug mainly of Syrian origins, as evidence of a vexillation of the legion serving in the Parthian war. The inscription isn't dated, though, so as far as I can tell it might not relate to Trajan's conflict. Could it be that the legion served in Marcius Turbo's anti-Jewish expedition to Cyrene and Egypt, and then recruited losses from the Syrian fleet?
I Adiutrix: The legion was at one point commanded by Platorius Nepos (CIL 05, 00877), mentioned in the SHA as being in Syria in c.114 and friends with Hadrian. Whether he was commanding the legion at the time, or doing something else, is not mentioned though.
XV Apollinaris: a few bits of evidence suggest men of this legion in the east - a centurion in charge of the Egyptian marble quarries late in Trajan's reign (CIL 03,00025), another leading 3000 veteran settlers to Cyrene after the Jewish revolt there, a coin from Dura Europos marked LXV... but nothing all that definite.
IX Hispana: a centurion (CIL 06, 03584) served in the ninth between postings in XX Valeria Victrix and VII Claudia. XX VV were in Britain, VII C (or part of them) in the east - so the Hispana might have been there too, perhaps... never to be seen again... :-) Duncan B. Campbell's 'Backbone of the legions - Some centurions and their careers' in AW Special 2010 has details of this man (Vitalis), but I still haven't read it... (sorry Duncan! :-? )
Others
II Adiutrix: sometimes stated to have been in Parthia, but possibly just to cover their apparent absence elsewhere. Or is there other evidence?
IIII Flavia Felix (and others) – various tombstones from Zeugma (AE 2003, 01785+) list IV Flavia, VII Claudia, I and II Adiutrix, IV Scythica, XIII Gemina and III Augusta. But one of the VII Claudia and one II Adiutrix inscription has the formula ‘dis manibus’, suggesting a later 2nd century date, and Flavia's numeral is written IV and not IIII, which was more common in the Trajanic period I think. Could these men be casualties of the plague in Lucius Verus' army in AD 165, maybe?
That's six definites, three more probable and six possible - not far off Bennett's total! Although he adds XXX Ulpia Victrix and V Macedonia... :-?
*Edit - Lepper's Trajan's Parthian War covers the legions in detail, but I haven't got a copy - does anyone have one to check?
- Nathan
Unfortunately, Bennett doesn't provide a note for these estimates, so just out of interest I thought I'd see which legions are actually attested as taking part in the campaign. Here (for anyone interested
mile: ) is what I've discovered so far - does anyone have any further information?Definite
VI Ferrata: AE 1950, 00066 - C Bruttius Fulvius Rusticus, legate of VI Ferratae decorated by Trajan for the 'bellum Parthicum'. There's also a fragment of Arrian's Parthica about Rusticus giving his men native snowshoes while marching in the highlands of Armenia.
XVI Flavia Firma: the legion was based at Satala, and CIL 10, 01202 gives us a centurion 'donis donato a divo Traiano bello Parthico'.
IIII Scythica: this legion erected a monument (AE 1968, 00510) at Artaxata in AD 116. They may have remained in Armenia as a garrison after the initial campaign there.
X Fretensis: CIL 06, 01838 - a military tribune of the Tenth Fretensis awarded dona 'a divo Traiano in expedition(e) Parthica'. (edited)
XXII Primigenia: AE 1962, 00311 - M Julius Maximus 'praefecto castrorum legionis XXII Primigeniae Piae Fidelis donis donato a divo Traiano ob bellum Armeniacum et Parthicum'. Maximus might have been leading a vexillation from the legion base far away at Mainz - but it could have been the full legion...
III Cyrenaica: CIL 03, 13587 is an altar to Serapis 'pro salute et victoria' set up in Jerusalem by 'vexillatio legionis III Cyrenaicae' and dated to 116-117. This is probably the same detachment who built a victory arch at Dura Europos the year before (AE 1933, 00225). A senatorial tribune, Voconius Saxa, was decorated for service in the Parthian war, which suggests they were not based in (non senatorial) Egypt at the time, but papyrus records relating to the Jewish uprising in Egypt mention (governor) Lupus’ other legion that has come to Memphis in c.116-117. A reference in the Sibylline Oracles dated to this period refers to 'the third great ram of Cyrene, which fled from the battle at the dikes of the Nile', which might relate to III Cyrenaica being defeated by the Jews, and suggest the main legion was in Egypt. They are attested there anyway, at Nicopolis, by 119.
Probable
III Gallica and XII Fulminata – based at Raphanae and Melitene respectively, these two would surely have been involved in the campaign, although not epigraphically attested as far as I know.
VII Claudia PF: AE 1912, 00179 - Valerius Rufus, military tribune of VII Claudia, sent by Trajan with a vexillation against the Jews on Cyprus in c.116-117. So the legion - or a detachment - were in the east, but might not have served in Parthia itself. There's also inscription CIL 10, 03733, for a centurion of VII Claudia and III Cyrenaica, later primus pilus of II Traiana, decorated by Trajan for the Parthian war and later Hadrian for the Jewish war. He also served in the praetorians, so could have been in Parthia with them, or with either of the legions.
Possible
II Traiana Fortis: Caius Iulius Fabiianus (CIL 03, 00151) was a soldier of this legion buried at Sidon c.117/118. This at least suggests they were in the region at the time, and could have been brought from the Danube for the Parthian war, before being moved on to Judea and Egypt under Hadrian.
I Italica: Cnaeus Iulius Rufus, primus pilus of I Italica, was decorated by Trajan for the Parthian war and died at Beirut (AE 1998, 01435). But he earlier served in XI CPF and VI Ferrata, and the latter are known to have been in the war, so he might have won his medals with them instead.
III Augusta: J.C. Mann, in Legionary Recruitment and Veteran Settlement during the Principiate (1983) cites inscription CIL 08, 18084, a list of recruits to III Aug mainly of Syrian origins, as evidence of a vexillation of the legion serving in the Parthian war. The inscription isn't dated, though, so as far as I can tell it might not relate to Trajan's conflict. Could it be that the legion served in Marcius Turbo's anti-Jewish expedition to Cyrene and Egypt, and then recruited losses from the Syrian fleet?
I Adiutrix: The legion was at one point commanded by Platorius Nepos (CIL 05, 00877), mentioned in the SHA as being in Syria in c.114 and friends with Hadrian. Whether he was commanding the legion at the time, or doing something else, is not mentioned though.
XV Apollinaris: a few bits of evidence suggest men of this legion in the east - a centurion in charge of the Egyptian marble quarries late in Trajan's reign (CIL 03,00025), another leading 3000 veteran settlers to Cyrene after the Jewish revolt there, a coin from Dura Europos marked LXV... but nothing all that definite.
IX Hispana: a centurion (CIL 06, 03584) served in the ninth between postings in XX Valeria Victrix and VII Claudia. XX VV were in Britain, VII C (or part of them) in the east - so the Hispana might have been there too, perhaps... never to be seen again... :-) Duncan B. Campbell's 'Backbone of the legions - Some centurions and their careers' in AW Special 2010 has details of this man (Vitalis), but I still haven't read it... (sorry Duncan! :-? )
Others
II Adiutrix: sometimes stated to have been in Parthia, but possibly just to cover their apparent absence elsewhere. Or is there other evidence?
IIII Flavia Felix (and others) – various tombstones from Zeugma (AE 2003, 01785+) list IV Flavia, VII Claudia, I and II Adiutrix, IV Scythica, XIII Gemina and III Augusta. But one of the VII Claudia and one II Adiutrix inscription has the formula ‘dis manibus’, suggesting a later 2nd century date, and Flavia's numeral is written IV and not IIII, which was more common in the Trajanic period I think. Could these men be casualties of the plague in Lucius Verus' army in AD 165, maybe?
That's six definites, three more probable and six possible - not far off Bennett's total! Although he adds XXX Ulpia Victrix and V Macedonia... :-?
*Edit - Lepper's Trajan's Parthian War covers the legions in detail, but I haven't got a copy - does anyone have one to check?
- Nathan
Nathan Ross
