Roman Legion - Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix

Багерман А.Я., Евсеенков А.С.

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Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix ("Victorious Thirtieth Legion of Trajan") - a legion created in 105 AD to participate in the Dacian wars of the Emperor Trajan. The name of the legion combines the family from which the Emperor Trajan came-UIPIA (Ulpia) and the nickname VICTRIX (Victrix) - victorious. The legion number was assigned to the thirtieth, since at the time of formation the total number of legions under the command of Emperor Trajan was 29.

Dates of existence: 105 AD - V century AD

Legion Symbol: Neptune, later Jupiter. In the third century, capricorn was added to them.

Nicknames: Ulpia (Trajan), Victrix( Victorious); Pia Fidelis (loyal and devoted").

Battle Path

• The Legion was created in 105 AD, to participate in the Dacian Wars (101 to 102 and 105 to 106 AD) by Emperor Trajan. Dacia (Dacian Kingdom) – an ancient state that existed on the territory of modern Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and part of modern Bulgaria.

• Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix was first mixed in Brigetio (Seni) in Upper Panonia. Some of the legion's soldiers took part in the Dacian wars and earned the legion the nickname Victrix (victorious) for their differences. Pannonia was a Roman province (from the first to the fifth centuries AD), a region in central Europe in what is now Hungary, eastern Austria, southwestern Slovakia, northern Slovenia, northern Croatia, northeastern Serbia, and northern Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• In 118-122, the Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix was most likely located near the Dacian border to calm the riots that arose after the death of Emperor Trajan. At this time, the legion was commanded by the legate Quintus Marcius Turbo Fronto, a close friend of the Emperor Hadrian (reigned 117-138).

• In 122, the Legion was transferred to Castra Vetera (now the city of Xanten, Germany) in Lower Germany. In this city, the legion remained encamped until its disbanding in 407 AD. A civilian settlement that emerged near the legion's military base was named Tricensimae, meaning "thirtieth". Often legionnaires of Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix performed their tasks together with legionnaires from Legio I Minervia and even shared a camp with them in the city of Bonn (modern city of Bonn, Germany). In addition, several legion detachments were camped in Rigomag (present-day Remagen, Germany).

• Inscriptions from the Dutch River area prove that they sometimes worked together on construction projects and many inscriptions simply refer to the "army of Lower Germany" (exercitus Germaniae Inferioris , often abbreviated EXGERINF).

• Since there was little fighting in the province of Lower Germania in the late II-early III centuries AD, Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix bills were often sent to other provinces – Gaul, Mauretania, Parthia, etc.

• In the Civil War of 193 (Year of the Five Emperors) Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix supported Lucius Septimius Severus, who won the title of Pia Fidelis ("loyal and loyal"). Many inscriptions about the stay of soldiers of this legion are found in various parts of Gaul.

Denarius of the Roman emperor Lucius Septimius Severus minted in 193 in honor of the 30th Ulpian Legion

• Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix participated under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander in his campaign of 235 AD against the Sassanids.

• Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix took part in Alexander Severus ' campaign on the Rhine frontier in 235 AD.

• Later, events on the Rhine border escalated and the legion took an active part in the military events of the 240-250 years AD.

• Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix participated in the military campaign of the Emperor Gallienus against the Franks in the 250s in Gaul.

• In 260, the Franks repeated their raid on the province, but were defeated by the general Postumus. Marcus Cassius Latinius Postumus was a Roman general of Batavian origin who was declared emperor by the Roman army after defeating the Franks in defiance of his oath to the Emperor Gallienus around 260 AD. He ruled as emperor in Gaul, Germany, and Spain, and founded the Gallic Empire. He was later killed by his own soldiers in 269 AD.

• Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix supported the usurper Postumus. From 260 to 274, the Legion was subordinate to the emperors of the Gallic Empire.

• In 274, the Emperor Aurelian (reigned 270-275) brought Gaul back under Roman rule. Xanthentum became the northernmost Roman garrison, guarded by the Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix.

• The last records of the legion date back to the beginning of the fifth century, when it still continued to stay in its old camp in the city of Xanten. Most likely, the legion ceased to exist in 407, when the Rhine border also ceased to exist. The Legion is mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum in the list of legions of Gaul.

Related topics

List of Roman Legions, Legion, Legionnaire, Marcus Ulpius Nerva Trajan, Trajan's Column, The Trophy of Trajan, Legio I Minervia

Literature

• R. Kanya " Legion”

• Yann Le Bohec, "Legio XXX Vlpia", in: Yann Le Bohec, Les legions de Rome sous le Haut-Empire (2000, Lyon) 71-74.

• Bennett, Julian (2008). Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix Pia Fidelis and Severus ' expeditions to Asia and Mesopotamia. Romano-Germanic Central Museum.

• Hebblewhite, Mark (2016-12-19). The Emperor and the Army in the Late Roman Empire, 235-395 . Taylor and Frances.

• Geza Alfeldi, Konsulat und Senatorenstand under der Antoninen (Bonn: Rudolf Habelt Verlag, 1977)

• Paul MM Leunissen, Konsuln und Konsulare in der Zeit von Commodus bis Severus Alexander (Amsterdam: JC Gieben, 1989).