Legio I Illyricorum

The Legio I Illyricorum was a Roman Legion stationed in Qasr el-Azraq and Palmyra; it is mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum.[1] According to many ancient sources, it was stationed within the Eastern Half of the Roman Empire, under emperor Aurelian.

History

This Legio I Ilyricorum was founded by the Roman Emperor Aurelian.[2][3] The legion was made up entirely of soldiers who lived near the Danube river.[4][5] In either 272 or 273 the legion would fight under Aurelian against the Palmyrene Empire.[4][6] After the defeat of the Palmyrene Empire the legion remained in the east. They were based in Qasr el-Azraq and garrisoned Palmyra.[4][5][6][7] The purpose of the legion was to prevent any more uprisings. During Diocletian's and Galerius' reigns the legion was transferred to the Camp of Diocletian near Palmyra.[8][9] During the reign of emperor Licinius soldiers from the I Illyricorum would be transferred to Egypt and Cyrene. The commander of the soldiers at the time was Victorinus.[5] Later, the Legion was transferred back to Palmyra.[6] Sometime in the third century a unit of Moorish cavalry from the I Illyricorum would replace the Legio X Fretensis in Eilat.[10]

Attested members

Name Rank Time Frame Source
Victorinus Dux Unknown [6]
Aurelius Onesimus Legionary Unknown [6]

See also

References

  1. ^ Kaiser, Anna Maria (2015). "Egyptian Units and the Reliability of the Notitia Dignitatum, pars Oriens". Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte. 64 (2): 243–261. JSTOR 24433912.
  2. ^ Hebblewhite, Mark (2016-12-19). The Emperor and the Army in the Later Roman Empire, AD 235-395. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-317-03430-8.
  3. ^ Syvänne, Ilkka (2020-06-24). Aurelian and Probus: The Soldier Emperors Who Saved Rome. Pen and Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-5267-6753-0.
  4. ^ a b c Pollard, Nigel (2000). Soldiers, Cities, and Civilians in Roman Syria. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-11155-8.[page needed]
  5. ^ a b c "Legio I Illyricorum - Livius". www.livius.org. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  6. ^ a b c d e Intagliata, Emanuele (2018). Palmyra after Zenobia. Oxbow.
  7. ^ Merrony, Mark (2017). The Plight of Rome in the Fifth Century A.D. New York: Routledge.
  8. ^ Speidel, M. P. (1987). "The Roman Road to Dumata (Jawf in Saudi Arabia) and the Frontier Strategy of Praetensione Colligare". Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte. 36 (2): 213–221. JSTOR 4436005.
  9. ^ Whately, Conor (2021-06-22). Procopius on Soldiers and Military Institutions in the Sixth-Century Roman Empire. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-46161-1.
  10. ^ Lemire, Vincent; Berthelot, Katell; Loiseau, Julien; Potin, Yann (2022-03-15). Jerusalem: History of a Global City. Univ of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-29990-0.
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