Legio II ''Isaura'' was a ''

pseudocomitatensis Pseudocomitatenses were a class of regiment in the Late Roman army. Although they were attached to the ''comitatus'' (higher-grade mobile armies), they enjoyed lower status and pay to the ''comitatenses'', the regular regiments of the ''comitatus'' ...

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 ...

, levied no later than under

Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...

, and possibly already present under

Probus Probus may refer to: People * Marcus Valerius Probus (c. 20/30–105 AD), Roman grammarian * Marcus Pomponius Maecius Probus, consul in 228 * Probus (emperor), Roman Emperor (276–282) * Probus of Byzantium (–306), Bishop of Byzantium from 293 t ...

. As their name suggests, II ''Isaura'' and its twin legion III ''Isaura'' were guarding the

Isauria Isauria ( or ; grc, Ἰσαυρία), in ancient geography, is a rugged, isolated, district in the interior of Asia Minor, of very different extent at different periods, but generally covering what is now the district of Bozkır and its surrou ...

territory at the time of 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 of ...

'', to defend it from the incursions of the mountain peoples. It is possible that in the beginning they were supported by I ''Isaura Sagittaria''. According to

Ammianus Marcellinus Ammianus Marcellinus (occasionally Anglicisation, anglicised as Ammian) (born , died 400) was a Roman soldier and historian who wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from Ancient history, antiquity (preceding Procopius). His w ...

, in 360, they were stationed in

Bezabde Bezabde or Bazabde was a fortress city on the eastern Roman frontier. Located in Zabdicene, it played a role in the Roman-Persian Wars of the 4th century. It was besieged two times in 360, narrated in detail by Ammianus Marcellinus. The Sasanians ...

with II Armeniaca, and II Parthica, when the king of Persia, Shapur II besieged and conquered the city, killing many of the inhabitants.

References and external links

Ritterling's "Legio"
through romanarmy.com

* Guimarães Bernardo, Isaura, 1986, J'ai Lu, Paris * Legion of Mary, LEGIO MARIAE: The Official Handbook of the Legion of Mary, 1985, Concilium Legionis Mariae, Ireland * Blatty, William Peter, My Naam is Legio, 1983, (Cape Town: Tafelberg, 1983) 0624019896 * Legio Mariae. The Official Handbook of the Legion of Mary, 1975, Concilium Legionis Mariae, Dublin * Legio Mariae, 1953, Concilium Legionis Mariae * Legio Mariae : The Official Handbook of the Legion of Mary, 1962, Cahill & Co., Ireland * Moran, Legio Mariae: The Official Handbook of the Legion of Mary, 1993, Concillium Legionis Marie, Dublin Ireland {{Roman Legion} 02 Isaura Isauria Military units and formations established in the 3rd century

See also

References and external links