Percentage of Provinicials in Roman Legions

[LonginusXXI]

What would be the percentage of provincials in the legions who were Roman citizens?

[Robert Vermaat]

How do you mean 'provincials'? Citizens served in the legions, but provincials vs what exactly?

[LonginusXXI]

How do you mean 'provincials'? Citizens served in the legions, but provincials vs what exactly?

People who were Roman citizens but not from Italy.

[Robert Vermaat]

Right! Well, then my next question would be what period you are looking at, because that number would be liable to change the longer the Empire existed.

According to one study, by the reign of Trajan, there were 4-5 legionaries originating from the provinces for every legionary originating from Italy.
From: A companion to the Roman Empire. Potter, D. S. (David Stone), Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. 2006.

[LonginusXXI]

Right! Well, then my next question would be what period you are looking at, because that number would be liable to change the longer the Empire existed.

According to one study, by the reign of Trajan, there were 4-5 legionaries originating from the provinces for every legionary originating from Italy.
From: A companion to the Roman Empire. Potter, D. S. (David Stone), Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. 2006.

First century, either early or mid.

[Praefectusclassis]

Early or mid first century, the legionaries - as far as known - come mostly from Italy (Augustus- Caligula), about 2/3rds, the other 1/3rd is from Spain, Macedonia and Gallia Narbonensis. That changes very quickly. Under Claudius and Nero, the share of especially the Gallic provinces grows, so that only about half is Italian. By the second half of the century, 3/4ths comes from the provinces. Much of it still Spain and what’s now France, but also the German provinces and the Balkans. See Le Bohec, The Roman Imperial Army.

[Hanny]

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/classics/...sity/army/