Legio V Alaudae ("Fifth Legion of the Lark"), sometimes also known as ''Gallica'', was a
legion of the
Roman army
The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 500 BC) to the Roman Republic (500–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–395 AD), and its medieval contin ...
founded in 52 BC by the general
Gaius Julius Caesar (
dictator
A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in ti ...
of Rome 49-44 BC). It was levied in
Transalpine Gaul to fight the armies of
Vercingetorix, and was the first Roman legion to comprise non-citizens. Historians disagree whether the legion was destroyed during the
Batavian rebellion in AD 70, or during the
First Battle of Tapae (AD 86).
[Jones (1992), pp. 138-139.]
History
Origin and early history
The legion was founded in
Transalpine Gaul in
52 BC by
Julius Caesar.
Caesar paid the soldiers from his private purse. Only later was it recognized by the Senate.
It is possible the legion was originally named Legio ''V Gallica''. The unusual, Gaulish surname must refer to the Gallic custom to wear lark's wings on their helmets.
The new legion saw its first action during the campaign against the Gallic leader
Vercingetorix and the
siege of Alesia.
During the civil war between Caesar and Pompey, the V Alaudae took part in Caesar's invasion of Italy and stayed in
Apulia for some time.
It also fought at
Dyrrhachium. The legion did take part in the African campaign against
Cato, which culminated in the
Battle of Thapsus. Here, the legion heroically fought against the elephants used by Caesar's republican enemies. This made a great impression, and V Alaudae became the only Caesarian legion known not to have used the bull as its emblem, instead choosing the elephant. This emblem was awarded in 46 BC for this action.
The last war of the Republic
After a
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...
broke out between Mark Antony and
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
, the legion sided with Antony and fought for him in the lost
Battle of Mutina. When the two men later decided to cooperate, they defeated the murderers of Caesar in the
Battle of Philippi
The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian (of the Second Triumvirate) and the leaders of Julius Caesar's assassination, Brutus and Cassius in 42 BC, at ...
. The V Alaudae was there. The legion participated in
Antony's war against the Parthian empire. Antony employed the legion also during his campaign against Octavian, which culminated in the naval
Battle of Actium, where Antony was defeated.
Augustus transferred the V Alaudae to
Mérida in
Lusitania after 30 BC, where it took part in the
campaigns against the Cantabrians.
Service in Germania
After a few years, V Alaudae was moved to
Gallia Belgica
Gallia Belgica ("Belgic Gaul") was a province of the Roman Empire located in the north-eastern part of Roman Gaul, in what is today primarily northern France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, along with parts of the Netherlands and Germany.
In 5 ...
. While in Gaul the legion may have temporary lost its standard when its commander Marcus Lollius was defeated by the Germanic
Sugambri. The battle probably took place in the valley of the
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a ...
. Although we cannot be precise, it is likely that the transfer from
Hispania Ulterior to
Belgica
Gallia Belgica ("Belgic Gaul") was a province of the Roman Empire located in the north-eastern part of Roman Gaul, in what is today primarily northern France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, along with parts of the Netherlands and Germany.
In 50 BC, af ...
had taken place in 19 BC, when Augustus' friend
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (; BC – 12 BC) was a Roman general, statesman, and architect who was a close friend, son-in-law, and lieutenant to the Roman emperor Augustus. He was responsible for the construction of some of the most notable build ...
invaded Germania. The legion was transferred to or
Xanten
Xanten (, Low Rhenish: ''Santen'') is a town in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the district of Wesel.
Xanten is known for the Archaeological Park, one of the largest archaeological open air museums in the worl ...
by Augustus' stepson
Drusus and it took part in his Germanic campaigns. The soldiers of V Alaudae crossed the
Weser
The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...
and reached the
Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Rep ...
in 9 BCE. For some time, they may have lived at
Oberaden
Bergkamen (; Westphalian: ''Biärgkoamen'') is a town in the district of Unna, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated south of the river Lippe, approx. north-east of Dortmund and south-west of Hamm.
Bergkamen, a fairly new town in ...
or
Haltern on the east bank of the
Rhine
The Rhine ; french: Rhin ; nl, Rijn ; wa, Rén ; li, Rien; rm, label=Sursilvan, Rein, rm, label=Sutsilvan and Surmiran, Ragn, rm, label=Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader and Puter, Rain; it, Reno ; gsw, Rhi(n), including in Alsatian dialect, Al ...
. In 6 CE, several legions marched against king
Maroboduus of the
Marcomanni
The Marcomanni were a Germanic people
*
*
*
that established a powerful kingdom north of the Danube, somewhere near modern Bohemia, during the peak of power of the nearby Roman Empire. According to Tacitus and Strabo, they were Suebian.
Origi ...
in
Czechia; at the same time, the V Alaudae were to attack the Marcomanni along the Elbe. It was to be the most grandiose operation that was ever conducted by a Roman army, but a rebellion in
Pannonia
Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now wes ...
obstructed its execution.
Not much later, the
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, described as the Varian Disaster () by Roman historians, took place at modern Kalkriese in AD 9, when an alliance of Germanic peoples ambushed Roman legions and their auxiliaries, led by Publius Quinctil ...
put an end to Roman ambition to conquer Germania.
Commander
Lucius Nonius Asprenas used the
First legion Germanica and the Fifth legion Alaudae to occupy the fortresses of Germania Inferior and prevent a Germanic raid on Belgica After the disaster, V Alaudae was stationed at Xanten, together with
XXI Rapax, keeping an eye on the nearby tribe of the
Cugerni
The Cugerni (or Cuberni or Guberni) were a Germanic tribal grouping with a particular territory within the Roman province of Germania Inferior, which later became Germania Secunda. More precisely they lived near modern Xanten, and the old Castra V ...
and guarding the confluence of the Rhine and Lippe. Both units took part in the Germanic campaigns of Germanicus in the first years of the reign of Tiberius. In 43 AD, the twenty-first was replaced by XV Primigenia. At the same time, Xanten was rebuilt. We know that the Fifteenth occupied the eastern half of the base, and the Fifth the western.
In 28 CE, the fifth legion suppressed a Frisian revolt, but the emperor Tiberius nonetheless allowed the Frisians to be independent. Twelve years later, V Alaudae joined the emperor
Caligula
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germanic ...
when he visited the delta of the Rhine. The famous anecdote, told by Suetonius, about the emperor commanding soldiers to collect shells on the beach, refers to the visit of the fifth to
Lugdunum. The V Alaudae and XV Primigenia are thought to have been part of the expeditionary force that was led against the
Frisians
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal regions of the Netherlands and northwestern Germany. They inhabit an area known as Frisia and are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany ...
and Chauci by the Roman general
Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo in 47 AD.
The operation was very successful, but the emperor Claudius ordered the Romans to keep the Rhine as the empire's frontier. The soldiers were now ordered to build fortifications along the Rhine and dig a canal from
Matilo to the capital of the
Cananefates,
Voorburg; this canal still exists. Another non-military activity was the production of tiles. Every legion owned and operated a tilery. It is odd to notice that V Alaudae made these objects at Feldkassel, more than 90 kilometers away.
Year of Four Emperors
In 67 AD, many senators hated Nero. And several governors discussed his removal. Among these were
Lucius Clodius Macer
Lucius Clodius Macer was a ''legatus'' of the Roman Empire in Africa in the time of Nero. He revolted in May 68, cutting off the food supply of Rome, possibly at the instigation of Calvia Crispinilla. Although encouraged by Galba, Macer raised ...
of Africa and
Gaius Julius Vindex of one of the provinces in Gaul, who supported the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis,
Servius Sulpicius Galba Servius Sulpicius Galba may refer to:
* Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 144 BC)
* Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 108 BC)
* Servius Sulpicius Galba (praetor 54 BC), assassin of Julius Caesar
* Galba
Galba (; born Servius Sulpicius Galba; 2 ...
, when he proclaimed that he wanted to dethrone Nero. The army of Germania Inferior, which included the Legio V Alaudae marched to the south and defeated Gaius Julius Vindex.
Therefore, the army of Germania Inferior acclaimed their own commander,
Vitellius
Aulus Vitellius (; ; 24 September 1520 December 69) was Roman emperor for eight months, from 19 April to 20 December AD 69. Vitellius was proclaimed emperor following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of c ...
, as emperor, and marched on Rome. They were successful, and Vitellius started his reign. However, in the east, general
Vespasian
Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Em ...
had also decided to make a bid for power; the two armies clashed near
Cremona in northern Italy, and the Rhine army turned out to be no match for the soldiers of Vespasian.
Revolt of the Batavi
Meanwhile, in Germania Inferior the
Batavians revolted. A Roman expeditionary force, consisting of the remains of V Alaudae and XV Primigenia, was defeated near Nijmegen, and not much later, these two legions found themselves besieged at Xanten. Although I Germanica, XVI Gallica and a legion from Germania Superior, XXII Primigenia, tried to rescue them, the two legions at Xanten were forced to surrender in March 70 AD. Not much later, I Germanica and XVI Gallica surrendered as well. It took several months before the new emperor Vespasian could send a strong Roman army to recover the Rhineland and suppress the Batavian revolt, commanded by his relative
Quintus Petillius Cerialis. The legions XVI Gallica and IIII Macedonica, which had guarded Mainz, were renamed XVI Flavia Firma and IIII Flavia Felix; the remains of I Germanica were added with Galba's Seventh legion and became known as VII Gemina. XV Primigenia and V Alaudae were never reconstituted.
Attested members
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 t ...
Notes
References
Primary sources
* Tacitus, ''Annales''
Secondary sources
*
*
External links
Lendering article on Legio V AlaudaeLegio V Living History Group
{{Authority control
50s BC establishments
52 BC
1st-century BC establishments in the Roman Republic
1st-century disestablishments in the Roman Empire
05 Alaudae
Military units and formations established in the 1st century BC
Gallia Narbonensis
Julius Caesar