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Legio I Minervia

Roman legion

Legio I Minervia
Summary

Roman legion

Map of the Roman empire in AD 125, under emperor [[Hadrian]], showing the Legio I Minervia, stationed on the river [[Rhine]] at [[Bonn]]a (Bonn, Germany), in [[Germania Inferior]] province, between AD 82 until the 4th century
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Legio I Minervia ( First Legion "Minervan", i.e., "devoted to the goddess Minerva") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in AD 82 by emperor Domitian ( 81–96), for his campaign against the Germanic tribe of the Chatti. Its cognomen refers to the goddess Minerva, the legion's protector. There are still records of the I Minervia in the Rhine border region in the middle of the 4th century. The legion's emblem is an image of goddess Minerva.

Legio I Minervia first, and main, camp was in the city of Bonna (modern Bonn), in the province of Germania Inferior. In 89, they suppressed a revolt of the governor of Germania Superior. Due to this, Domitian gave them the cognomen Pia Fidelis Domitiana (loyal and faithful to Domitian) to acknowledge their support.

History

Between 101 and 106, the legion fought the Dacian Wars of emperor Trajan, commanded by Hadrian, the future emperor. The emblem with Minerva figure appears on the column of Trajan in Rome, along with symbols of other legions. After this war, I Minervia returned to its home city of Bonna. Together with XXX Ulpia Victrix, stationed close by in Castra Vetera II (modern Xanten), they worked in numerous military and building activities, even extracting stone from quarries.

Although it belonged to the Germanic army and Bonn was its camp, vexillationes (subunits) of the legion were allocated in different parts of the Empire:

  • 162–166 war against the Parthian Empire, commanded by emperor Lucius Verus
  • 166–175 and 178–180 war against the Marcomanni, commanded by emperor Marcus Aurelius
  • 173 campaign against the Chauci of Gallia Belgica, commanded by governor Didius Julianus
  • 198–211 garrison of the city of Lugdunum, capital of Gallia

During the civil wars of the late 2nd and 3rd century, I Minervia supported the following emperors (each of them gave them the indicated titles, dropped out after their fall):

  • Septimius Severus
  • Elagabalus (Antoniniana)
  • Alexander Severus (Severiana Alexandriana)
  • The Gallic Empire, that existed between 260 and 274

Around 353, Bonna was destroyed by the Franks. Although Legio I Minervia disappears from recorded history, there is no account of its end, whether destroyed in battle or simply disbanded.

Attested members

NameRankTime frameProvinceSource
Quintus Sosius Seneciolegatus legionisc. 93
Publius Aelius Hadrianuslegatus legionisc. 103-106Germania InferiorHistoria Augusta, "Hadrian", 3
Marcus Pontius Laelianuslegatus legionisc. 138-c. 141Germania Inferior
Lucius Pullaienus Gargilius Antiquuslegatus legionisc. 155-c. 158Germania Inferior
Marcus Claudius Frontolegatus legionis162-c. 165Germania Inferior
Gaius Scribonius Genialislegatus legionis166/169 or 177/180Germania Inferior
Lucius Calpurnius Proculuslegatus legionis?180/185Germania Inferior
Claudius Stratonicuslegatus legionis?184-?186Germania InferiorIGRR IV.570
Claudius Apollinarislegatus legionis?187-?189Germania Inferior
[...] Plotinuslegatus legionisbetween 190 and 192Germania Inferior
Quintus Venidius Rufus Marius Maximus Lucius Calvinianuslegatus legionisc. 193Germania Inferior
Titus Flavius Secundus Phillipianuslegatus legionisc. 194-195/196?Germania Inferior
Gaius Julius Septimius Castinuslegatus legionisc. 205 or c. 208= ILS 2549
Gaius Fabius Agrippinuslegatus legionisc. 211
Aufidius Coresinius Marcelluslegatus legionis222-224
Marcus Marius Titius Rufinuslegatus legionis231,
Marcus Petronius Honoratustribunus angusticlaviusBefore 138Germania Inferior, = ILS 1340
Gaius Bruttius Praesenstribunus laticlaviusc. 90Dacia
Decimus Terentius Gentianustribunus laticlaviusbefore 106DaciaTLMN4, 4
Lucius Aninius Sextius Florentinustribunus laticlaviusc.110Germania Inferior
Lucius Antonius Albustribunus laticlaviusc. 115Germania Inferior
Marcus Servilius Fabianus Maximustribunus laticlaviusc. 140Germania Inferior
Quintus Antistius Adventustribunus laticlaviusc. 153Germania Inferior
Lucius Aurelius Commodus Pompeianustribunus laticlaviusc. 190Germania Inferior
Quintus Petronius Meliortribunus laticlavius3rd century

Notes

References

Primary sources

(none yet)

Secondary sources

(none yet)

References

References

  1. C. P. Jones, [https://www.jstor.org/stable/299416 "Sura and Senecio"], ''[[Journal of Roman Studies]]'', 60 (1970), pp. 98-104
  2. Géza Alföldy, ''Konsulat und Senatorenstand unter der Antoninen'' (Bonn: Rudolf Habelt Verlag 1977), p. 297
  3. Paul M. M. Leunissen, ''Konsuln und Konsulare in der Zeit von Commodus bis Severus Alexander'' (1989), p. 336
  4. Leunissen, ''Konsuln und Konsulare'', p. 337
  5. Leunissen, ''Konsuln und Konsulare'', p. 338
  6. Nicolay Sharankov, [https://www.academia.edu/76038632/Five_official_inscriptions_from_Heraclea_Sintica_including_a_record_of_the_complete_cursus_honorum_of_D_Terentius_Gentianus "Five Official Inscriptions from ''Heracles Sintica'' Including a Record of the Complete ''cursus honorum'' of D. Terentius Gentianus"], ''Archaeologia Bulgaria '', 25 (2021) pp. 12-26
  7. Anthony R. Birley, ''The Fasti of Roman Britain'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981), p. 238
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