Legio I Parthica (
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
for "1st
Parthia
Parthia ( ''Parθava''; ''Parθaw''; ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Medes during the 7th century BC, was incorporated into the subsequent Achaemeni ...
n Legion") was a
legion of the
Imperial Roman army founded in AD 197 by the emperor
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 cursus honorum, the ...
(r. 193–211) for his forthcoming war against
Parthia
Parthia ( ''Parθava''; ''Parθaw''; ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Medes during the 7th century BC, was incorporated into the subsequent Achaemeni ...
. The legion's presence in the Middle East is recorded until the early 5th century.
The legions I,
II, and
III ''Parthica'' were levied by Septimius Severus for his campaign against the
Parthian Empire. After the success of this campaign, with Septimus Severus capturing
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...
(modern day Iraq), I and III ''Parthica'' remained in the region, in the camp of
Singara (
Sinjar,
Iraq), in
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...
, to prevent subsequent rebellions and to guard the eastern provinces from attacks from the Parthian Empire. II ''Parthica'' was transferred to the Alban mountain near Rome, where it served as Rome's strategic reserve.
It is likely the first ''Parthica'' took part in expeditions in the third century, including expedition led by Severus's son, the emperor
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 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then r ...
, and the war waged by
Severus Alexander against the
Sasanian Persian empire. from I ''Parthica'' were usually sent to other provinces, namely
Lycia and
Cyrenaica.
In 360, I ''Parthica''
unsuccessfully defended its camp against a
Sasanid attack; after the defeat, the legion was moved to
Nisibis (modern Turkey), where it remained until the city was surrendered by emperor
Jovian to the
Sassanid Persians in 363. After that, the legion was moved to
Constantina, where it is last mentioned in the 5th century.
The legion emblem was the
centaur.
Citations
References
* Sage, Michael. ''Septimius Severus & The Roman Army''. Yorkshire, Philadelphia: Pen & Sword Military, 2020. .
See also
*
List of Roman legions
*
Roman legion
External links
livius.org account of Legio I Parthica
{{Roman Legion}
01 Parthica
197 establishments
Military units and formations established in the 2nd century
Septimius Severus
Roman–Parthian Wars
Roman–Persian Wars
190s establishments in the Roman Empire
190s establishments