Napoli and the Legion

[petrinus]

for sometime i have been patronizing the LEGIIAPF which i initially and perhaps incorrectly learned was started by nero late in his reign to suppress a revolt, and later it was recognized by vespasian after they aided him in his victory over vitelis, it was orginally said he formed the LEGIOII Adiutrix at misenum, when infact the personnel were later stated to be drawn fro ravenna, LegioI Adiutrix was the legion formed at misenum. i also read that II fought with I as augmentees of sorts though a seperate war band, given status fater the fact since some policy in place forbid them enetering the first legion proper? my plight,... napoli is surrounded by misenum to the south across the bay and ravenna to the north across the country on the eastern coast, napoli smack in the middle, more or less, so if which legion would citizens of napoli have joined, LegioI from misenum being closer(on the same coast) or LegioII what with all its campaigning and perssonel requiremnts, and if I fought with II and went to misenum would it have passed through napoli? where any other legions in the viccinity of napoli, or owing to the city in origin? the thing is i have ancestry that goes way back in napoli and from initial and perhaps premature conclusions, i championed LEGIIAPF as the logical choice, and now ive learned A LOT about it and its seeming more removed from my ancestry and area. im not trying to force a false history but if there is a likelyhood or possibility that LEGIIAPF could have drawn troops from naples/napoli im wanting to know and validate that, either way.

[Praefectusclassis]

Hi Jason,
One of the problems here is that Napoli is certainly not smack in the middle between Ravenna and Miseno. The latter is maybe 10 miles distant, while the other is some 350 miles distant. As you said elsewhere, yes, sea travel makes all of that a lot easier, but you also need to consider when these legions were founded.
I Adiutrix, or rather a legio classicorum (legion of naval personnel) was raised by Nero and Galba made it a full legal legion at the latest on December 22nd 68AD. It fought for Otho against Vitellius, but the latter won and redeployed it to Spain.
II Adiutrix has its origins in the naval base at Ravenna, in north-eastern Italy, on the route into the country from the Balkans. Vespasian's army came that way and the fact that the fleet transferred its allegiance to Vespasian probably made the entry a lot easier. To reinforce the army, Tacitus says the best naval troops were gathered up and entered into some legionary structure. That's the core of II Adiutrix. At this time the rest of Italy was still occupied by Vespasian's forces.
An entirely different problem is that of the citizenry of Naples. As I said in a previous post, the children of naval soldiers - their parents probably 'immigrants' from Egypt, Syria or the Balkans, might take up service in the fleets. However, naval soldiers received citizenship upon completion of their service, which qualified them for legionary service with better pay and conditions. Sons following their fathers did occur, but it's not a given.
Residents of Napels without this heritage could have joined any legion, assuming they were Roman citizens, but the proportion of Italian recruits to the legions was decreasing heavily by the 60s AD. Most legionaries came from Gaul, Spain and Germania. It is therefore unlikely that any citizens from Napels joined either I Adiutrix or II Adiutrix. Moreover, they did not stay in Italy. As I stated, I Adiutrix was moved to Spain by Vitellius and then to Germania Superior by Vespasian, while II Adiutrix went to Germania Inferior, occupying the Batavians for a while, and then on to Britain.

[petrinus]

well my grandfather was a sailor...good enough? lol

so misenum then is not he misena on the world map then eh, i didnt htink so because i read it was 20 k from vesuvius and misena is closer i say to sicily, i wish a better map with the smaller port ccities and such was available, know of one?

also know any legionsd specificaly that recruited out of napoli, i mean would there be a recruit office there in napoli and then they would be sent off to train and be placed after or how did all that work?

thanks again jasper

[Praefectusclassis]

No, misenum is the modern miseno, on the northern tip of the bay of Naples. You're probably thinking of the ancient city of Messene? That would be a bit further off. :wink:

[petrinus]

YEAH MODERN CAPO MISSENO, I NOW KNOW! hmmmmmm, caps? yeah missena/messene is all the way across the bay nearer sicily.
still intersted in the "pre legion II " history and doings of the ravenna marines etc, and what legions most likely napoli's citizens may have joined and at what times in history? thanks jasper

[Praefectusclassis]

Neapolis/Naples was an allied city until the so-called Social War of 90-88BC. After that time, citizens of the city were Roman citizens and therefore eligible for service in the legions. However, as I said before in another thread, the share of Italian citizens in Rome's legions decreased rapidly until they were almost gone by the early 2nd century AD.
Also, legions were normally not raised in any city - apart from Rome itself of course, so it's hard to say where Napolitans would've ended up.
I executed a search for legionaries who indicate their heritage as from Naples. The result is very meager:
Belegstelle: AE 1991, 01628
Provinz: Africa proconsularis Ort: Haidra / Ammaedara
M(arcus) Cornelius M(arci) f(ilius) / Mae(cia) Longus Nea(poli) / mil(es) leg(ionis) III Aug(ustae) / |(centuria) Sextili vix(it) ann(os) / LIX mil(itavit) ann(os) XXV / h(ic) s(itus) e(st) / hered[e]s posuerunt

[petrinus]

jasper, i read something somewhere, i shall have to go back and source it-and i will, that the classis ravenna reinforced the classis misenum(LEGIO I ADIUTRIX) during the jewish revolt? and that after the fact many tried to join LEG I but there was some edict implace preventing it?
also, once legio II apf became a legion, how much of their former marine function did they maintain? any? did they as former sailors operate differently, being auxillary in origin did they hold to any unconventional or specilaized training? thanks.