Roman Legion - Legio XII Fulminata
Legio XII Fulminata The Twelfth Lightning Legion was a Roman legion formed by Julius Caesar during the time of the Republic.
Date of creation: 58 BCE. It existed until the beginning of the 5th century CE.
Symbol: a lightning bolt insignia. Initially, it may have been a bull like many legions formed under Caesar.
Nickname: Fulminata (Thunderbolt). In Ancient Rome, a lightning strike was considered a favorable sign from the gods. Victrix (Victorious), Antiqua (Ancient), Certa Constans (Unwaveringly Faithful).
Military History
- The legion was created by Gaius Julius Caesar in 58 BCE, along with Legio XI Claudia. It is likely that its symbol was initially a bull, like all legions formed under Caesar.
- The legio began its military journey by participating in Caesar's Gallic Wars (58-50 BCE).
- The first significant engagement of Legio XII Fulminata was the Battle of the Sabis River (modern-day Sambre River in France, part of which flows through present-day Belgium) in 57 BCE.
- In 52 BCE, Legio XII Fulminata fought against the Gallic uprising leader Vercingetorix and took part in the sieges of Avaricum and Alesia.
- During the civil war (49-45 BCE) between Caesar and Pompey, Legio XII Fulminata fought on Caesar's side and participated in the famous Battle of Pharsalus on August 9, 48 BCE.
- For their participation in this battle, the legion earned the cognomen Victrix.
- In 46 BCE, Caesar disbanded the legion and settled its veterans in the city of Parma (modern-day Parma, Italy).
- The legion was reconstituted by Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, a member of the Second Triumvirate that emerged after Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE. Lepidus then handed over the reconstituted Legio XII Fulminata to the command of Mark Antony.
- In 43 BCE, Legio XII Fulminata participated in the Battle of Modena in Italy, fighting on the side of Mark Antony.
- During the ensuing civil war (44-42 BCE), Legio XII Fulminata sided with the supporters of Caesar. The legion took part in the Battle of Philippi (now ruins of an ancient Greek city on the Aegean Sea coast in Greece) in October 42 BCE. After this battle, Legio XII Fulminata was sent to suppress the uprising in Perusia in 43 BCE.
- After the conclusion of the Civil War and the division of territories between Octavian Augustus and Mark Antony, Legio XII Fulminata was sent to the East, where it participated in Mark Antony's unsuccessful Parthian campaign (40-33 BCE). During this time, the legion was known as Antiqua ("Ancient").
- In the soon-to-follow civil war between Octavian Augustus and Mark Antony, the legion fought on Antony's side and took part in the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE.
- After Octavian's victory in the civil war against Antony, the legion's veterans were settled in Patrae. The reconstituted legion was briefly stationed as a garrison in Babylon in Egypt, then transferred to Raphanae.
- At the time of Emperor Augustus' death in 14 CE, Legio XII Fulminata was still stationed in Raphanae and was already referred to as Fulminata ("Thunderbolt"). The reason for the legion receiving this nickname is unknown.
Records of the presence of the 12th Lightning Legion in Gobustan (Ayserbajan Nature Reserve). 1st century AD
- From 14 to 58 AD, Legio XII Fulminata served as a garrison in Judea, maintaining order and suppressing Jewish uprisings in the province.
- In 58-59 AD, Legio XII Fulminata participated in the campaign led by the general Corbulo against the Parthians (58-63 AD) due to the situation in Armenia. Initially, the legion was successful and achieved victories alongside the general. However, when Corbulo was replaced by Caesennius Paetus, the legion took part in the Battle of Rhandeia (now a town in Turkey), and in 62 AD, it surrendered to the Parthians.
- Afterwards, the legion was once again sent back to Judea, where it participated in the First Jewish War that started in 66 AD.
- In 66 AD, Legio XII Fulminata was dispatched to Jerusalem to assist Gessius Florus, the procurator of Judea at the time. Upon arrival and assessing the scale of the uprising and the outnumbering rebels, Legate Caesius Gallus, who was also the military governor of Syria, decided to retreat. The retreat ended in a disastrous defeat for Legio XII Fulminata. The rebel forces under the command of Eleazar ben Simon caught up with the legion during its march and routed it. To add insult to injury, the legion lost its standards and eagle. However, the new commander of Roman forces in Judea, the future emperor Vespasian, believed in the defeated legionaries of Legio XII Fulminata, who were not broken by their defeat but instead rallied and proved that they and their legion were still alive and capable of fighting.
- During the remaining years of the First Jewish War (66-73 AD), Legio XII Fulminata redeemed itself through its actions and washed away the shame of its defeat under the walls of Jerusalem in 66 AD.
- In 68 AD, Emperor Nero died, and the struggle for the imperial throne of Rome began (Year of the Four Emperors). Vespasian joined this struggle in 69 AD, and Legio XII Fulminata supported him.
-In 70 AD, Legio XII Fulminata took part in the siege and assault of Jerusalem, which ended with its fall and destruction.
- Afterward, Legio XII Fulminata was transferred to the East to guard the Euphrates frontier, specifically in Cappadocia in Melitene.
- In 75 AD, Legio XII Fulminata was sent to aid the allied kingdoms of Iberia and Albania in the Caucasus.
- In the 1930s, an inscription was found on a rock in the mountains of Gobustan (Azerbaijan) indicating the presence of Legio XII Fulminata and its legionaries in that area. Thus, Legio XII Fulminata is considered the legion that ventured farthest east from Rome.
- During the reign of Emperor Trajan, Legio XII Fulminata participated in his Armenian campaign (114 AD).
- In 134 AD, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, Legio XII Fulminata was deployed to Cappadocia as a deterrent measure to protect the province's security from the emerging Alan tribes on its borders.
- During the reign of Emperor Lucius Verus, Legio XII Fulminata took part in his campaign against the Parthians from 162 to 166 AD.
- During the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD), Legio XII Fulminata participated in his war against the Germanic tribe of the Quadi.
- One of the moments of the battle between Legio XII Fulminata and the Quadi is mentioned by the renowned ancient Roman historian Dio Cassius in his work "Roman History": "During a hot summer (either 172 or 174 AD), Legio XII Fulminata, while participating in Marcus Aurelius' war against the Quadi, was surrounded in a place where there was no water and no chance of escape. However, whether through the prayers of Christians or the actions of the Egyptian magician Harnouph, rains were summoned, and the legion was saved."
The ring of an officer of the 12th Legion. Private collection. 1st century AD
The ring of an officer of the 12th Legion. Private collection. 1st century AD
- In 175 AD, Legio XII Fulminata participated in suppressing the rebellion of Gaius Avidius Cassius, for which it received the title Certa Constans ("Unswervingly Faithful") from the emperor.
- In 193 AD (the Year of the Five Emperors), Legio XII Fulminata sided with the claimant to the Roman purple, Pescennius Niger, but was defeated in battles in Cilicia near Cusicus and in the Battle of Issus by the forces of another contender for power, Septimius Severus.
- In the 3rd century, Legio XII Fulminata took part in military campaigns under the emperors Caracalla (211-217 AD) and Alexander Severus (222-235 AD) against the Sasanians (the Sasanian Empire that emerged in the place of the Parthian Empire).
- In 261 AD, the legion became part of the army of the Palmyrene king Odaenathus (260-267 AD).
- In 274 AD, the Roman emperor Aurelian (270-275 AD) conquered Palmyra, and Legio XII Fulminata was left stationed in Melitene (a region in the northern part of historical Lesser Armenia, between Antitaurus and the Euphrates, known in ancient times for its fertile soil and local olives and grapes).
- During the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284-305 AD), Legio XII Fulminata participated in his campaign in Mesopotamia.
- The last records of the legion date back to the 5th century. It is possible that Legio XII Fulminata existed until the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD.
Related topics
List of Roman Legions, Legion, Legionnaire,Gaius Julius Caesar, Legio XI Claudia, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, Marcus Ulpius Nerva Trajan, Year of the Four Emperors, Diocletian
Literature
- Dandelot Collins " The Roman Legions. The Complete History of the Roman Legions”"
- R. Kanya " Legion”
