Legio V Alauda

[Geoffrey]

Suetonius makes a brief reference concerning the Gallic origin of Legio V Alauda. A footnote describes the Gallic word Alauda as meaning “crested larkâ€

[Graham Sumner]

Hello Geoffry.

Mike Bishop wrote a short piece on this subject in one of the JRMES and will doubtless give you further information.

So would it be safe to say that they wore a bronze Montefortino type helm, or even an early version of the imperial Gallic type helm

You could try the type in between, the Coolus!

Graham.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Did they have the coolus in Caesars time then? Now I am getting confused..... :? ? oops:

[Graham Sumner]

Hello Byron

See Bishop M.C. 'Legio V Alaudae and the Crested Lark'. JRMES 1. 11-13 1990

and Bishop.M.C. and Coulston. J.C.N. 'Roman Military Equipment'. 2006.
Pages. 65, 101.

Graham.

[mcbishop]

Mike Bishop wrote a short piece on this subject in one of the JRMES and will doubtless give you further information.

There is now a link to a PDF of it here.

Mike Bishop

[Geoffrey]

Thanks for the link. I wonder though, if the origin of the legion was of Gallic decent, what would the nationality of the replacements be as their numbers started to dwindle due to casualties or even as time progressed? Would fresh replacements be raised from Italy or would new recruits be taken in from the local provinces that the legion was currently serving in?

[Tarbicus]

Was this a period where a legion continued with only its original recruits? Once it was down to an unacceptable number it was disbanded and merged with another depleted legion to form an entirely new one? The VI Ferrata might have been an exception.

[L C Cinna]

I think they were NOT replaced at all. It seems it was not common practice during Caesar's time to refill legions but rather use them and then disband or merge with other units or recall them as evocati in another legion.

Caesar's legions during the civil war are all much below full strenght and it doesn't look like he refilled them. To me it seems this only bacame practice after the Augustan reforms, where the standing army appears with "fixed" legions which stay permanently and are refilled.

This was not practice in the Republic. A commander raised the troops he needed and disbanded them after the campaign and it was HIM who had to take care they were settled, which caused quite some problems (Marius, Sulla, Pompeius, Caesar all had this problem).

After the Augustan period legions were refilled with citizen volunteers from all over the empire, sometimes using personal connections to get to a certain legion. After some time most of the recruits came from the areas where the legions were stationed because many ex-legionaries or former auxiliary soldiers who's sons now had citizenship settled there.

About V Alaudae: It was raised in Narbonensis IRC. An area whcih had been under Roman control for quite a while, Caesar wanted citizenship expanded in this area and I think several veterans where settled in the "gallic" areas in Northern Italy and in the provincia. So there would be citizens around as well. Anyway, I don't think V Alaudae was refilled during Caesar's campaigns only under Augustus which would mean it was either refilled with new recruits with citizenship AND/OR with remnants of other legions (remember there were over 50 "legions" after the civil war most of them probably at very very low strenght)

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Hello Byron

See Bishop M.C. 'Legio V Alaudae and the Crested Lark'. JRMES 1. 11-13 1990

and Bishop.M.C. and Coulston. J.C.N. 'Roman Military Equipment'. 2006.
Pages. 65, 101.

Graham.

Are they still in print?

I have heard of this legion before, referenced in relation to Caesars Gaulic war.... sometimes refered to as 'the Larks'?

[L C Cinna]

Gaius Marcus follow the link Mr. Bishop posted. There you'll find the 1st article as a pdf.

The 2nd edition of Bishop and Coulston 'Roman Military Equipment' is available at Oxbow books or Amazon or any other good bookstore of your choice I guess :wink:

[Geoffrey]

Just read it, thanks!