| Legio XII Fulminata |
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Legio XII Fulminata. Columns 1705-1710. Tr. Jasper Oorthuys
[1705] LXVIII. A legio XII is known from the siege of Perusia (41/40 BCE) where it fought in the army of the young Caesar (slingbullets with the numeral of the legion, Ephem.Epigr.VI p.66 nr.79 – p.67 nr.81 = CIL XI 6721 nr. 28-30; see also p.82 nr. 112, 85 nr.118). Its pr(imus) pil(us) Scaeva was in all probability an old centurion of the Dictator Caesar, M.Caesius (or Cassius?) Scaeva (Bell.Civ. III.53; Val.Max. III.2.34; Suetonius, Caesar 68; Cicero Ad Att. XIV 10). This legion might well be none other than the recalled XIIth of Caesar’s army, more so since it’s called Legio XII victrix on one slingstone (nr.80). This is confirmed by the nickname Antiqua used by the XIIth legion in Antony’s army (Babelon, Monn. de la rép. Rom. I 202 nr. 120) which undoubtedly prepared the way for the label leg. XII Paterna which appears in 727 AUC (27 BCE) CIL XI 1058). All these different nicknames in Augustus’ army can only have indicated one and the same XIIth legion (and not, as Cuntz, Klio VI, 469, believes, several), which a little later on operated under the permanent name Fulminata. This is corroborated by the majority of cases in which former soldiers of Legio XII took part in the deductions into colonies: already in 711 AUC (43 BCE) during the deduction of Venusia (CIL IX 435), in 724 AUC (30 BCE) of Ateste (V 2502, 2520); see also Faventia if the inscription XI 631 can be trusted. At the time of the Augustus’ reign, it seems that veterans were sent to Parma (XI 1058) and to Thermae Himeraeae in Sicily, which may have been founded in 733 AUC (21 BCE), the inscription CIL X 7349 was dedicated to the tribune of the XIIth leading the deduction. The colony of Patrea, Achaia, founded in 738 AUC (16 BCE) was settled with veterans of two legions (CIL III p.95). Their numerals X and XII were noted on coins minted in that city (Cohen I.2 p.307 nr.412, 413; p.351 nr.442; p.531 nr.733, 735, 736) and on tombstones of the veterans deducted at the time [1706] (CIL III 504, 507 = 7261, 509) the legionary nickname Fulm(inata) appears. The inscription CIL III 6097, which came from Patrae as well, might have given us the name of the legionary tribune in control of the division of land, had it been preserved better. In which area Legio XII Fulminata was garrisoned after the reorganisation of the army’s deployment across the empire in Augustus’ reign, has not come down to us, but all indications point to an Eastern province. Perhaps the legion belonged to the army of Egypt while that still consisted of three legions (Strab. XVIII 1.12, p.797; 1.30 p.807) or even the Syrian one at about 750 AUC (4 BCE) (Josephus, Ant. XVII 10.9; Bell. II.3.1; 5.1). But when, possibly only a little later, the Syrian army was increased in size to four legions and the Egyptian one decreased to two (see colum 1235), Legio XII Fulminata became part of the former without doubt. But still, during the next two generations there are no indications as to the disposition of this legion. Only at the foundation of the colony of Ptolemais by Claudius do we seem to see settlers from the ranks of the legion (coins from Ptolemais with the legionary numerals III, VI, X and XII on vexilla depicted on them, see col. 1252), the same happens during the deduction to Tarentum in 60 CE (CIL IX 6156, col. 1263 f.) and the inscription from Smyrna, CIL 414, of a soldier of the legion from Florence, still in active service, probably dates to the first half of the 1st century as well. At the first division of the legions in the Orient between Corbulo and Ummidius Quadratus in 55 CE, the legion must have stayed in Syria; the second time, in 62 CE, it was deployed with the army of Caesenius Paetus, who was in command of the war in Armenia, (Tac. Ann XV 6). The legion’s legatus at the time was Calavius Sabinus (Ann. XV 7). Under his command the legion participated in the campaign of 62 CE and the disgraceful surrender of Rhandeia (Ann XV 10ff) and was thereafter sent back to Syria by Corbulo who took command of operations in the Orient again (Ann. XV 26). Its encampment was located at Rhapaneae (Joseph. Bell. VII 1.3). When the governor of Syria, Cestius Gallus, marched his army against the unruly Jews in the Fall of 66 CE, he brought the entire Legio XII along when he broke camp from Antioch (Jos. Bell II 18.9, “Anabaloon de apo tes Avtiocheias to men doodekaton tagma pleres, apo de toon loipoon ana dischilious epilektous..)”; its legate Caesennius Gallus led several large operations during the campaign (Joseph. Bell. II.18.11; 19.1). Suetonius claim (Vespasian 4, “..legatum..Syriae consularem..rapta aquila fugaverunt”, source for Orosius VII 9.2) that the legion lost its eagle to the pursuing Jews during the shameful retreat from Jerusalem, has often been taken for granted. But since Josephus tells us nothing of this, while he does elaborate on the Roman losses as a whole (Bell.II 19.7-9), this is not sure at all (Ritterling, Westd.Ztschr.XII 233.80). The army of three legions which took the field against the Jews under Vespasian’s command.., [1707] was reinforced by a fourth one, Legio XII Fulminata, in 69 CE when Titus took over command (Tac.Hist.V.1, Joseph.Bell. V.1.6.: “..kai to palai sun Kestiooi ptaisan doodekatov, hoper kai alloos episemon di andreian huparchon, tote kata mnemen hoon epathen eis amnan ei ei prithumoterov..”). The legion is mentioned during the siege of Jerusalem by Josephus Bell V.11.4. It does not seem to have distinguished itself in any remarkable way; it did not succeed in washing away the shame of its conduct under Cestius with this new commander: “(Titus) memnemos de tou doodekatou tagmatos, hoti Kestiou strategountos evedookan tois Ioudaiois tes men Surias auto pantapasin exelasen (en gar to palaion en Rafanaiais), eis de ten Melitenen kaloumenen apesteile, para ton Eufraten en methoriois tes Apmenias esti kai Kappadokias” (Josephus Bell. VII.1.3). So in 70 CE Legio XII Fulminata became part of garrison of the province of Cappadocia after the reorganisation by Vespasian (Suet. Vesp.8) and stayed for centuries in Melitene. The garrison province is explicitly mentioned in the sources, for instance CIL VIII 7079 “..trib.milit leg. XII fulminatae in Kappadocia...”; Cass.Dio LV 23.5: “To doodekaton to en Kappadokiai to keraunoforon..”; Not.Dign.Or.XXXVIII, 14: “Sub dispositione..ducis Armeniae praefectus legionis duodecimae fulminatae Melitene”; Procop.De Aedif.I.7.3: “Evtautha eketio leipsana enk palaiou androon hayioon..hoi stratiootai men Roomaioi etugchavon ontes, en legeooni de duodekatei etattovto, he en polei Melitenei tes The site of the camp is described by the same author in De Aedif. III.4.15-18. There is not a single memorial inscription testifying to the hundreds of years of presence of the legion. From the garrison province and the bordering areas only very isolated inscriptions are known: from Komana in Kataonia a dedication by a centurion (Cagnat, IGR III 1210); a vexillation under command of a centurion appears in Trapezus (CIL III 6745); another one, joint with a vexillation of Legio XV Apollinaris, set up a construction far away in inner Armenia during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (Dessau 9117). Burial inscriptions are CIL III 266 and 6800. A vexillation of the legion appears in the province of Asia, when it set up a tombstone to a deceased comrade in Amorium Phrygiae (CIL III 358). Coins from Caesarea, capital of Cappadocia, from the Hadrianic period, point to the name of the legion (Mionnet V 193, nr. 151), although the relation between community and legion is not quite clear. The same goes in higher measure for similar coins from Ancyra in the reign of Antoninus Pius. The story of Legio XII Fulminata is poor in the way of remarkable events through the paucity of inscriptional sources. There is no evidence whatsoever for the legion taking part in Trajan’s big wars, however obvious the supposition that they did. At the end of Hadrian’s reign the larger part of the legion, although without its legate, took part in the campaign of the Cappadocian governor Flavius Arrianus against the invasion of the Alans (Arrian, Ektaxis 6.15.24). [1708] Whether the legionary tribune Claudius Hera, who was distinguished by two Augusti, seemingly the Divi fraters, with dona militaria, served in Legio XII Fulminata or III Cyrenaica remains unsure. The Christian legend in which legio XII Fuliminata is given a decisive part in the Marcomannic wars in relation to the rain miracle during the battle against the Quadi in 171 CE, does not hold water against stern critique (see also Harnack S.-Ber.Ak.Berl.1894, 835ff.; Petersen, Röm.Mitt.IX 78ff, especially p.80 note 89; Geffcken N.Jahrb.f.kl.Altert.1899, 253ff.). Nevertheless it cannot be excluded that a vexillation of the legion fought in the wars on the Danube (Premerstein, Klio XIII 70f., see also XV Apollinaris col. 1754). Legio XII Fulminata stayed loyal to Marcus Aurelius during the ‘shield elevation’ of Avidius Cassius in 175 CE and through its attitude deserved the honorary titulature certa constans (Ritterling Rh.Mus. LIX 1904.196ff.). Specific accomplishments of the legion from later periods are not known. What caused the legionary veterans of the papyrus certificate (BGU I nr.272) from the period of Antoninus Pius to go to Egypt, remains in the dark. The tombstone of a wife of a centurion in Troesmis (CIL III 6191) cannot serve as evidence for the presence of a vexillation of the legion in the Danube area; even less so the inscription from Neviodunum (CIL III 3926) or Intercisa (CIL III 10305); and the origin of the glass in a Vienna collection with the inscription Legio XII (III 12035.2) is unknown. Legati Legionis: - Q.Caecilius Q.f.Arn.Marcellus Dentilianus, probably during the reign of Antoninus Pius, CIL VIII 14291. - (A.Caesennius) Gallus in 69 CE, Joseph.Bell.18.11 “Eis de ten Galilaian esteile Kestios Gallov hegemona tou doodekatou tagmatos..” The relation to Caesennius Gallus can also be found in Groag, RE III 1306. - Calavius Sabinus in 62 CE, Tac.Ann. XV.7 - (Cn. Papirius..Gal(eria) Aelianus Aemil[ianus] Tuscillus), doubtful since the legionary numeral is broken at the end and could also be emended to XIII or XIIII (CIL II 2075). - P.Tullius Varronis fil.Stel(latina) Varro, Legatus probably under Trajan or Hadrian (CIL XI 3364). Tribuni militum: - M.Aelius Aurelius Theo, v(ir) c(larissimus) (laticl.), about the period of Alexander or -Gordian (CIL XI 376). - C.Aelius P.fil.C(laudia) Quirin(a) Domitianus, from Gaurus, Marcus Aurelius’ reign (Ephem.Epigr.VIII 98 nr.368) - C.Aufidius C.fil.Q(uirina) Maximus, flavian-trajanic period (CIL VIII 7079) - C.Carustanius C.f.Ser(gia) Fronto Caesianus Iulius, Augustus’ reign, Journ.Rom.Stud.III 1913, 253 nr.1, 254, nr.2; Dessau 9503 (9502). - (C.Caristanius?) Paullinus, who should perhaps be identified with the son of Caristanius Fronto, governor of Lycia (IGR III 511) in 80/81 CE (Journ.Rom.Stud.II, 102 nr.34). [1709] - Ti.Claudius Crispianus, Arch.Ztg.XXXVII 1879, 136 nr.269 - (Ti.Claudius) Quir(ina) Hera, seemingly 2nd century CE (Cagnat IGR III 230, see also 225). - T.Flavius Varus Calvisianus Hermokrates, 2nd century CE (Bull.Hell.XVII 1893, p.35). - [C.Iu]lius C.f.[F]lavianus, (laticl.) (Cagnat IGR III 889). - Sex.Iulius Sex.f.Quir(ina) Possessor, period of the divi fraters (CIL II 1180). - C.Iul(ius) Quir(ina) Pudens Q.fil.domo Caesa(rea) Maur(etaniae) (CIL III 6758), end of the 2nd century. - C.Iulius C.f.Scapula (laticl.), around 138 CE, (CIL III 126, see also Ephem.Epigr.I p.242ff.). - L.Maenius, during the siege of Perusia (Ephem. Epigr. VI p.82, nr.112). - T.Marius C.f.Stel(latina) Siculus, Augustus’ reign (CIL XI 6058), see also Groag, Klio XIV 51ff. - M.M[ettius] M.f.Gal(eria) Maternus (CIL II 1726). - L.Neratius Priscus, (laticl.), Vespasian’s reign (CIL IX 2456, Prosop.II p.401, nr.43). - Passienus Rufus, (laticl.), son of the proconsul of Africa of the same name during Augustus’ reign (CIL VIII 26580 = Dessau 8966). - .. Paullinus, see under Caristanius Paullinus. - Cn.Pollienus Cn.f., under Augustus (CIL X 7349, 7350). - C.Porcius C.f.Quir(ina) Saturninus Iunior (CIL VIII 1175). - Postumius A.f.Pap(iria) Acilianus (CIL II 2213 = Ephem.Epigr. VIII p.395 nr.104) - Unknown (CIL XZ 7351) Was possibly primipilus! - C.Serenus P.. trib.militum leg.XII in Acaia (CIL III 6097) is wrong or incorrectly interpreted. - ..rtius Q.f. .. .. (laticl.) (CIL XII 1861). - Unknown: Not.d.scavi 1913, 15. - Unknown: doubtful (CIL XI 397). Praefectus Castrorum: - L.Gerellanus Sex.f., Fab(ia) Fronto, under Nero (CIL III 14387h), identical with the trib.praet. Gerellanus, Tac.Ann. XV 69. Primi Ordines: - P.Anicius P.f.Ser(gia) Maximus p.p., Caligula’s reign or Claudius’ (CIL III 6809). - A.Instuleius Tenax, primipilaris in 65 CE (CIL III 30) - Q.Petronius C.f.Pup(inia) Modestus, p.p., age of Domitian (CIL V 534, 535). - Q.Raecius Q.fi.Cl(audia) Rufus, p.p., Flavian era (CIL III 2917). - .. .. Scaeva, pr.pil. during the siege of Perusia in 41/40 BCE in the army of Augustus (Ephem.Epigr. VI p.66 nr.79). Possibly identical to the brave centurion in the Dictator Caesar’s army, see colum 1705. - C.Velius Salvi f.Rufus, p.p., Vespasian’s reign (Dessau 9200). - Unknown: Augustan era (CIL X 7351) where perhaps it should be emended p.p. instead of trib.mil. - Unknown? (CIL III 10305). Centurions: - Ti.Claudius Ti.f.Quirina Ulpianus domo Laodicea Syriae (CIL III 6186). - T.Fl(avius) T.f.Quir(ina) Magnus (CIL III 14349.3) - T.Fl(avius) Pomponianus (CIL III 2029). - C.Helvius Capreolus (Cagnat IGR III 120). [1710] - A.Hennius Mar[tinus?] (CIL III 266) - [C.Iulius] Antonius (CIL III 6191). - Iul(ius) Pocur.. ..(?) (CIL III 6745) - C.Iulius Moschus (CIL II 4158). - .. ..Maximus Mansuetus (CIL III 3926). - [P.Treptus M.f.Attius (CIL XI 394)]. - T.Vitellius Atilianus T.f.Viminaci (CIL VIII 3001) - Unknown: AE 1904.91 (Jerusalém), not vexillationes, but a centurion’s career. Soldier’s origins: Italia: Florentia (CIL III 414 should be read as C. C]a[e]cina Sca[pt(ia)] [Fl]o[r(entia)]), Privernum (CIL III 353). Names of the legion: No nickname, just Legio XII, for instance on inscriptions of the veterans deducted to Ateste (CIL V 2502, 2520). Furthermore, likewise early, CIL IX 435, 6156, CIL X 7349, CIL XI 631. Doubtful: V 4377, XI 394. Subsequently also on coins of the veterans’ colonies Patrae and Ptolemais as well as in the writers (Tacitus and Josephus). Leg.XII Fulminata, greek: keraunoforos, already in Augustus’ reign. Besides also Leg.XII Paterna (CIL X 1058) and Leg XII Victrix at Perusia (Ephem.Epigr.VI p.67 nr.80). Leg. XII Fulminata C(erta) C(onstans). (CIL III 6768; Ephem.Epigr.VIII p.98, nr.368) since 175 CE. Inscriptions with the nickname Aug(usta) have been proven to be incorrect, for instance CIL VI 5, 351, 1068, 1898, see also XII 685. Legio XII Paterna [1710] LXVIIIa. Legio XII Paterna is only attested of a seemingly deducted veteran in Parma, CIL XI 1058, without doubt the same as Legio XII Fulminata Legio XII Victrix
[1710] LXVIIIb. Legio XII Victrix. Legio XII calls itself Victrix in the army of the young Caesar during the siege of Perusia on a slingbullet (Ephem.Epigr.VI p.67, nr.80). It can only been the same which, after the final reorganisation of the standing army, remained in being, so Legio XII Fulminata. |