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Therefore, the foundation of the legion must have occurred in the last years of Nero’s reign. The date on which the aquila and signa were given, which is necessarily the same as the foundation of the legion, is, according to the inscription in CIL III, 7591, the 20th of September (v. Domaszewski West.Ztschr. XIV 1895, 19f.). The year of the foundation can only be 66 or 67 CE, most probably the latter (see v. Domaszewski, above, and the extensive discussion by Buechels De leg. I Ital. 18-23), so that, with otherwise hardly attainable certainty and definiteness, it may be stated that it was September 20th, 67 CE. Von Domaszewski (Philol. LXVI 1906, 162 and Bonn. Jahrb. CXVII 177) points to the career of the tribune Antonius Naso (CIL III, 14387ff and k) to set the foundation in 66 CE. At the time of Nero’s death, Naso was tribune of the XVth Urbana, becoming tribune of the XIth Urbana in Galba’s reign. At the end of 68 CE he was promoted to tribune of the Praetorian Guard. If, as it seems, he was one of the first tribunes belonging to I Italica, founded in the Fall of 67, he may still have been promoted to tribune of the Vigiles at the start of 68 and again to tribune of Cohors XV Urbana before Nero’s death. Advancement at this rate was really quite possible especially for officers of the units in the capital and other examples are known. But on no account should an earlier foundation year be used to explain a quote from Josephus, who, in a speech held in June 66 (see above, column 1261f.), ascribes eight legions to the Rhine army, while it has been proven that there were only seven at that time. Even if I Italica really had been founded in 66, it could not have been counted as a legion in that speech, because while the speech was given in June, the legion was founded in September. Taking account a number of political reasons as well, it must be concluded that Legio I Italica was founded at the end of September, 67 CE.
- Symbols – On coins dating to the reign of Gallienus with the name of this legion, the following can be made out: a boar (Cohen V2 387 nr.455-457. Roth Wien.Num.Ztschr. V 660 Taf. IV 2) and, rarer, a bull or Capricorn (taureau marine Cohen, op.cit. nr.458, see also Roth nr.12-15). Therefore the boar must be regarded as the proper symbol, since that is also depicted on the tombstone CIL III.6230, which belonged in the headquarters of I Italica. A watertight explanation for the meaning of the boar has yet to be found (but see v.Domaszewski West.Ztschr.XIV 116, or Beuchel 28).
History prevented the deployment of the legion for the planned large oriental campaign of Nero.
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