Legio III Cyrenaica, ( Third Legion " Cyrenean") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. The legion had its origins among the forces of

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the au ...

during the civil wars of late first century BC. In the Imperial period it was stationed in Egypt, where it played a key role in campaigns against the Nubians and Jews. In the first century AD, it was usually located in

Arabia Petraea Arabia Petraea or Petrea, also known as Rome's Arabian Province ( la, Provincia Arabia; ar, العربية البترائية; grc, Ἐπαρχία Πετραίας Ἀραβίας) or simply Arabia, was a frontier province of the Roman Emp ...

. There are still records of the legion in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

at the beginning of the 5th century. The legion symbol is unknown.

History

Origins and service in Egypt

The origins of the legion are unclear, but it is first attested as part of

's forces during the period of the Second Triumvirate (43-33 BC). Cyrenaica was under the control of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus before 36 BC and of Mark Antony after that date; either of them might have established the Legio III. Pollard and Berry suggest that the legion was established by Lucius Pinarius Scarpus, an ally of Mark Antony who was his governor of Cyrenaica in the 30s BC.Pollard N. & Berry J., ''The Complete Roman Legions'', p. 156 The legio III is one of the many legions that appear in Mark Antony's Legionary denarii produced in 32-31 BC. After

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 ...

defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium in 30 BC and annexed

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

, he used the legion to occupy Thebes, the main centre in

Upper Egypt Upper Egypt ( ar, صعيد مصر ', shortened to , , locally: ; ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the lands on both sides of the Nile that extend upriver from Lower Egypt in the north to Nubia in the south. In ancient E ...

. The soldiers of this legion are attested worshipping the Egyptian god

Ammon Ammon (Ammonite: 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''ʻAmān''; he, עַמּוֹן ''ʻAmmōn''; ar, عمّون, ʻAmmūn) was an ancient Semitic-speaking nation occupying the east of the Jordan River, between the torrent valleys of Arnon and Jabbok, in ...

. In either 7 AD or 9 AD the legion was transferred to

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

. In 26-25 BC a vexillatio of III Cyrenaica took part in a disastrous Roman attack on Arabia Felix. The campaign was commanded

Aelius Gallus Gaius Aelius Gallus was a Roman prefect of Egypt from 26 to 24 BC. He is primarily known for a disastrous expedition he undertook to Arabia Felix (modern day Yemen) under orders of Augustus. Life Aelius Gallus was the 2nd ''praefect'' of Roman Eg ...

, the

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

of Egypt. This caused the province of Egypt to be unprotected, as the legions were off fighting. Because of this the

Nubia Nubia () ( Nobiin: Nobīn, ) is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the first cataract of the Nile (just south of Aswan in southern Egypt) and the confluence of the Blue and White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sud ...

n kingdom of Meroë attacked

. In 24 AD a Roman governor named Gaius Petronius took the legions, one of which was III Cyrenaica, and marched upstream along the

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest riv ...

and reached Napata, the capital of Nubia. After this, the Nubians attacked the Romans a lot less.

Service beyond Egypt

On other occasions, vexillationes were sent abroad. It is possible that one of them was sent to Tongeren in Gallia Belgica during the reign of

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 Germani ...

, which may have been part of the army he wanted to use to invade Britain in 40 AD. Another vexillatio took part Domitius Corbulo's campaign against the

Parthian Empire The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe in conqu ...

in 63 AD. During the First Romano-Jewish war, the Third and Twenty-Second legions fought against the

Jews of Alexandria The history of the Jews in Alexandria, Egypt, dates back to the founding of the city by Alexander the Great in 332 BCE. Jews in Alexandria played a crucial role in the political, economic, and religious life of Hellenistic and Roman Alexandria, wi ...

. In the civil war of the Year of the Four Emperors (69 AD), the III Cyrenaica were among the first supporters of the new emperor

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 Emp ...

. This could be because a subunit of the III Cyrenaica took part in the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Second century AD

In 106 AD the legion was transferred to the province of

. Its base was at Bosra. It subsequently returned to Egypt, perhaps in connection with the emperor Trajan's war against the Parthians, and/or the rebellion of the Jews of Alexandria in the Kitos War (115-117 AD). The legion returned to Arabia once more after 125 AD. Between 132 AD and 136 AD, subunits of this legion fought against the Jews in the

Bar Kokhba revolt The Bar Kokhba revolt ( he, , links=yes, ''Mereḏ Bar Kōḵḇāʾ‎''), or the 'Jewish Expedition' as the Romans named it ( la, Expeditio Judaica), was a rebellion by the Jews of the Roman province of Judea, led by Simon bar Kokhba, ag ...

. During the reign of Antoninus Pius, they were stationed in

Hegra HEGRA, which stands for ''High-Energy-Gamma-Ray Astronomy'', was an atmospheric Cherenkov telescope for Gamma-ray astronomy. With its various types of detectors, HEGRA took data between 1987 and 2002, at which point it was dismantled in order ...

in Arabia, but subunits fought in

Mauretania Mauretania (; ) is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It stretched from central present-day Algeria westwards to the Atlantic, covering northern present-day Morocco, and southward to the Atlas Mountains. Its native inhabitants ...

against the Mauri. Later, subunits of the III Cyrenica took part in the Parthian War of Lucius Verus from 162 to 166 AD. In 175 AD, the legion sided with

Avidius Cassius Gaius Avidius Cassius ( 130 – July 175 AD) was a Syrian Roman general and usurper. He was born in Cyrrhus, and was the son of Gaius Avidius Heliodorus, who served as '' praefectus'' or governor of Roman Egypt, and Julia Cassia Alexandra, wh ...

, a Roman general who revolted against

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 E ...

, but was killed by his own officers.

Later history

During the

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 polici ...

following the death of the emperor

Commodus Commodus (; 31 August 161 – 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. He served jointly with his father Marcus Aurelius from 176 until the latter's death in 180, and thereafter he reigned alone until his assassination. ...

in 192 AD the Legio III Cyrenaica sided with the eastern pretender Pescennius Niger. Niger was defeated by

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. As a young man he advanced through the customary suc ...

. Subsequently, Severus invaded

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the ...

to fight against the Parthians and it is possible that the Legio III took part in these campaigns. It certainly participated in the Parthian war launched by Severus' son

Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname "Caracalla" () was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor ...

in 216 AD. The legion may also have taken part in Severus Alexander's war against the

Sasanian Empire The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...

from 231 to 233 In 260 AD, the Sasanians took the Roman emperor Valerian captive, and several Roman provinces in the east became independent under Odaenathus of Palmyra. Odaenathus led Roman units against the Persians, one of which was the III Cyrenica. In 273 AD the legion helped build roads in Jordan. The later history of this unit is unclear, but the third Cyrenaican legion was still at Bosra at the beginning of the fifth century.

Timeline

The following is a list of campaigns and actions thought to have been seen by Legion III Cyrenaica during much of its existence: *35(?) BC - Leg. III is formed, likely by

or Lepidus in Cyrene. At this time, Legions still likely hold to the Republic tradition of being numbered in order of their creation, so this may have been the third Legion that nthonyhad established and had under his direct command and loyalty. *31 BC – ( Battle of Actium) – Either before or after Anthony and Cleopatra are defeated by Octavian (later Augustus), it is thought soldiers of Leg. III Cyrenaica defect from Anthony and claim allegiance to Octavian - who spares the Legion from being disbanded. *26 – 25 BC – Action in Arabia Felix (

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast and ...

), commanded by

, Prefect of Egypt. *23 BC – Action against

n invaders, Elements of III likely stationed in Thebes, Egypt. *23(?) BC (AD?) - Roman military presence in Egypt is reduced to 2 Legions: III Cyrenaica and XXII Deiotariana. Which other Legions, or how many there were, is not known. *AD 7 – 11 – Suggested time period that the double-fortress at Nikopolis is established. *AD 11 – Elements of Leg III under command of Publius Juventius Rufus, stationed in

Berenike Berenice ( grc, Βερενίκη, ''Bereníkē'') is the Ancient Macedonian form of the Attic Greek name ''Pherenikē'', which means "bearer of victory" . Berenika, priestess of Demeter in Lete ca. 350 BC, is the oldest epigraphical evidence. Th ...

. *AD 39 / 40 – A detachment (vexillation) of Leg III was sent up to the northern coast of Gaul (France) to assist Emperor

's legions with his rather unimpressive invasion of Britain. III was apparently used as a logistics and supplies organizer for the invasion / landing force. *AD 58 – 63 – Under the command of Gn. Domitius Corbulo, elements of III saw action in the Parthian frontier. *AD 66 – 70 – The

First Jewish–Roman War The First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), sometimes called the Great Jewish Revolt ( he, המרד הגדול '), or The Jewish War, was the first of three major rebellions by the Jews against the Roman Empire, fought in Roman-controlled ...

. An uprising of Jews starts in Alexandria, and spreads to

Judea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous so ...

. Elements of III and XXII fought their way to Jerusalem, and with the assistance of several other legion, auxiliary and allied forces (around 60,000 troops) surrounded and besieged the city, led by

, Proconsul of Africa. *AD 69 – " Year of the Four Emperors". Factions led by Galba, Otho, and then Vitellius all tried to seize control of Rome after the death of Nero. These factions, who had no aristocratic claim to the throne, (and hardly any support of the legions nor the Senate) all tried to take control one after another by force. **July 1 – With support of Gaius Licinius Mucianus, Governor of Syria and

Tiberius Alexander Tiberius Julius Alexander (fl. 1st century) was an equestrian governor and general in the Roman Empire. Born into a wealthy Jewish family of Alexandria but abandoning or neglecting the Jewish religion, he rose to become the 2nd procurator of Jude ...

, Prefect of Egypt, Vespasian is urged to revolt and take the throne. The legions in Alexandria, two days later those of Judea, and then in August those of Syria and the Danube region declare Vespasian Emperor. Vespasian sends Mucianus to march on Rome with 20,000 troops while Vespasian heads to Alexandria to control the grain supply and starve Rome into submission. **December 22 Vespasian is sworn in as emperor while still in Egypt. *AD 70 – A vexillation of Leg III, along with X Fretensis, completes the siege of Jerusalem under the command of Vespasian's son,

Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death. Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mili ...

. *AD 84 – 88 – It is believed a detachment of Leg III is sent to help repair a footbridge along the Danube River, with legions VII Claudia, IV Flavia Felix, and either I or II Adiutrix. A stone engraving commemorating the bridge mentions "The Legion from Egypt". III appears to have been sent out abroad more often than XXII, so it is possible this is referring to III. *AD 90 – Soldiers of III construct a bridge in Koptos (likely to improve or support roads to ports in Berenike and Quseir). *AD 107 – 109 – Previously suggested date when Leg III departs Egypt - May instead be elements of III on expeditionary missions into Syria. *AD 116 – Elements of III (or XXII?) are sent back to Judea to suppress another revolt, known as the Kitos War *AD 120 or 127 – III makes its departure from Egypt, being relocated to Bosra (aka Bostra, Syria / Jordan), where the capital was renamed from Petra to Nova Trajana Basra honoring Emperor

Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...

. While in Bosra, Leg III constructs city gates, bridges and a massive amphitheater, which still exists today and is a popular tourist attraction. Meanwhile, Legion II Trajana Fortis replaces III in Egypt. *AD 132 – 136 – Yet another Jewish war, the

. It is thought elements of III and XXII are sent to Judea. Legion XXII may have been destroyed during this war, or perhaps the earlier Kitos War. *AD 162 – 166 – Elements of III again in Parthia, under command of Lucius Verus. *AD 193 – Leg III supported Pescennius Niger in his failed attempt to take the throne after Emperor

. *AD 262 – 267 – It is possible that elements of III were involved with fighting Queen

Zenobia Septimia Zenobia ( Palmyrene Aramaic: , , vocalized as ; AD 240 – c. 274) was a third-century queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Syria. Many legends surround her ancestry; she was probably not a commoner and she married the ruler of the cit ...

in Palmyra (Syria). *AD 420s or 430s – III is listed in the ''

Notitia Dignitatum The ''Notitia Dignitatum'' (Latin for "The List of Offices") is a document of the late Roman Empire that details the administrative organization of the Western and the Eastern Roman Empire. It is unique as one of very few surviving documents o ...

'', a record of Roman military units and their stations. Legion III is listed as ''Praefectus legionis tertiae Cyrenaicae, Bostra.''

External links and references

*Richard Alston - "Soldier and Society in Roman Egypt: A social history", Routledge Press 1995. *Emil Ritterling - "Legio" article published in Realencyclopädie of Klassischen Altertumswissenschaft in 192

*H. A. Sanders
JSTOR article written 1941)
*John Paul Adams -

(California State University, Northridge) *Adrian Goldsworthy - "The Complete Roman Army", Thames & Hudson 2003. *Peter Connolly - "Greece and Rome at War", Greenhill Books 1981, 1998. *Phil Barker - "The Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome", Wargames Research Group Publications 1981. *Bishop & Coulston - "Roman Military Equipment", Oxbow Books 1993. *De Imperatoribus Romanis (On the Roman Emperors

''Osprey books:'' *Simkins / Embelton - The Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan (Men at Arms #46) *Cowan / McBride - Roman Legionary: 58 BC - AD 69 (Warrior #71) *Sumner - Roman Military Clothing 1,2,3 (Men at Arms #374, 390, 425) *Campbell / Hook - Siege Warfare in the Roman World (Elite #126) *Cowan / Hook - Roman Battle Tactics: 109 BC - AD 313 (Elite #155) *Gilliver / Goldsworthy / Whitby - Rome At War: Caesar and his Legacy (Essential Histories)

Bibliography

* Emil Ritterling, Legio, ''Realencyclopädie of Klassischen Altertumswissenschaft'', 1925, Columns 1506–1514 * H. A. Sanders, "The Origin of the Third Cyrenaic Legion", ''

American Journal of Philology The ''American Journal of Philology'' is a quarterly academic journal established in 1880 by the classical scholar Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve and published by the Johns Hopkins University Press. It covers the field of philology, and related areas ...

'', 62 (1941), pp. 84–87. * Johannes Kramer
"Die Wiener Liste von Soldaten der III. und XXII. Legion (P. Vindob. L 2)"
'' Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', 97 (1993), pp. 147–158 * G. W. Bowersock, "A Report on Arabia Provincia", '' Journal of Roman Studies'', 61 (1971), pp. 219–242 * Karl Strobel, "Zu Fragen der frühen Geschichte der römischen Provinz Arabia und zu einigen Problemen der Legionsdislokation im Osten des Imperium Romanum zu Beginn des 2. Jh.N.Chr", ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', 71 (1988), pp. 251–280 *

John Peter Oleson John Peter Oleson (born 1946) is a Canadian classical archaeologist and historian of ancient technology. His main interests are the Roman Near East, maritime archaeology (particularly Roman harbours), and ancient technology, especially hydrauli ...

, M. Barbara Reeves, Barbara J. Fisher, "New Dedicatory Inscriptions from Humayma (Ancient Hawara), Jordan", ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', 140 (2002), pp. 103–121 * P.-L. Gatier, "La Legio III Cyrenaica et l'Arabie", in ''dans Les légions de Rome sous le Haut-Empire, I'', Lyon, 2000, p. 341–344 * A. Kindler, ''The Coinage of Bostra'' (Warminster 1983) 87–95. * D. Kennedy
"Legio VI Ferrata: The Annexation and Early Garrison of Arabia"
''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', 84 (1980) 282–309 {{DEFAULTSORT:Legio Iii Cyrenaica 03 Cyrenaica 30s BC establishments Military units and formations established in the 1st century BC