Legio II Italica ("Italian Second Legion") was a
legion
Legion may refer to:
Military
* Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army
* Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army
* Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...
of the
Imperial Roman army
The Imperial Roman army was the military land force of the Roman Empire from about 30 BC to 476 AD, and the final incarnation in the long history of the Roman army. This period is sometimes split into the Principate (30 BC – 284 AD) and the Do ...
.
Formation
Originally having the ''
cognomen
A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...
'' ''Pia'', the legion was raised alongside
III ''Italica'' by emperor
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Latin: áːɾkus̠ auɾέːli.us̠ antɔ́ːni.us̠ English: ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good ...
when legions sent from the Danube frontier to the East to take part in the
Parthian War could not be quickly recalled. There is good evidence to show both legions were raised in AD 165.
[H.M.D. Parker, ''The Roman Legions'' (1957), p. 116]
Unit history
The legion's main theatre of operations was the
Roman province
The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was rule ...
of
Noricum
Noricum () is the Latin name for the Celtic kingdom or federation of tribes that included most of modern Austria and part of Slovenia. In the first century AD, it became a province of the Roman Empire. Its borders were the Danube to the north, ...
, in the southern margin of the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
, where Germanic incursions were frequent.
In 180 II ''Italica'' was stationed in Lauriacum, modern
Lorch.
Year of the five emperors
In 193, II ''Italica'' marched into Rome with
Septimius Severus
Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa (Roman province), Africa. As a young man he advanced thro ...
, then fighting for power. The new emperor awarded them the title of ''Fidelis'' (loyal) to acknowledge their support. Later Septimius Severus would use II ''Italica'' against the rebellions of
Pescennius Niger and
Clodius Albinus
Decimus Clodius Albinus ( 150 – 19 February 197) was a Roman imperial pretender between 193 and 197. He was proclaimed emperor by the legions in Britain and Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula, comprising modern Spain and Portugal) after the murder ...
, as well as in his Parthian campaigns.
Under Gallienus
In the 3rd century, support of the
legions was of crucial importance to candidates for the throne. Well aware of this fact,
Gallienus
Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (; c. 218 – September 268) was Roman emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse of the empi ...
granted II ''Italica'' the
cognomina
A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...
''VII Pia VII Fidelis'' (seven times faithful, seven times loyal) to secure their continuing support.
Later service
There are still records of the II ''Italica'' in Noricum in the beginning of the 5th century.
Symbol
The legion symbol is a
she-wolf and the twins
Romulus and Remus, a reference to the rule of Marcus Aurelius and his colleague
Lucius Verus.
See also
*
List of Roman legions
*
Roman legion
The Roman legion ( la, legiō, ) was the largest military unit of the Roman army, composed of 5,200 infantry and 300 equites (cavalry) in the period of the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) and of 5,600 infantry and 200 auxilia in the period of ...
*
Saint Florian
Florian ( la, Florianus; 250 – 304 AD) was a Christian holy man, and the patron saint of Linz, Austria; chimney sweeps; soapmakers, and firefighters. His feast day is 4 May. Florian is also the patron saint of Upper Austria, jointly with Le ...
References
External links
livius.org account of Legio II Italica
{{Authority control
02 Italica
165 establishments
02 Italica
History of Upper Austria
Military units and formations established in the 2nd century