Legio II Parthica
Encyclopedia
Legio secunda Parthica was a Roman legion
levied by Emperor Septimius Severus
in 197, for his campaign against the Parthian Empire
, hence the cognomen
Parthica. The legion was still active in the beginning of the 5th century. The legion's symbol were a bull
and centaur
.
and III Parthica
, the Second Parthian legion was levied for the attack on the eastern frontier. The campaign was a success and Ctesiphon
, the Parthian capital was taken and sacked. After this war, II Parthica returned to Italia
, and was stationed near Rome, in Castra Albana (Albano Laziale
) – it was the first legion stationed in Italia in the last two centuries. Since it was not garrisoning a Roman province
, they functioned both as a reserve that could be used in afflicted parts of the Empire
, as well as a security element against possible internal rebellions. Emperors in the 3rd century were very likely to have problems with usurpers, and Severus, by stationing the II Parthica near the capital, was aware of it.
Nevertheless, the legion served in the Severan campaign in Britain of 208–211 and afterwards, under Caracalla
against the Germanic tribe of the Alamanni
in 213. Next, the legion was again sent to Parthia and their commander Macrinus
was responsible for Caracalla's murder in that region in 217. In the following year, however, the II Parthica, stationed in Apamea
(Syria
), abandoned Macrinus and sided with Elagabalus
; the Second supported Elagabalus' rise to purple, defeating Macrinus in the Battle of Antioch
. The new emperor awarded the legion with the cognomina Pia Fidelis Felix Aeterna (forever faithful, loyal and pious).
In 231, the legion fought under Alexander Severus
against the Sassanid Empire
, and returned with the emperor to the German provinces. It was at Moguntiacum (modern Mainz
), when Alexander was assassinated in 235. In the following fight for the power, the II Parthica sided with Maximinus Thrax
. In 238, the Roman senate
declared Maximinus persona non grata and nominated Gordian III
as emperor. Maximinus then marched on Rome to fight for his rights, taking the II Parthica, among other legions, with him. What happened next is a good example of the political power of the legions in the 3rd century. The II Parthica weighted the chances of its commander and, concluding that supporting him was not a good move, they killed Maximinus before he could harass the senate. As a reward, they were pardoned for supporting a public enemy and allowed to return to their camp in the Alban mountains.
In the next decades they were used as reinforcements in several provinces within the empire and continued to be used as pawns in the constant battles for the imperial throne of the 3rd century. Emperor Gallienus
(253-260) awarded the legion with the titles V Fidelis V Pia and VI Fidelis VI Pia (respectively, "Five" and "Six times loyal and faithful").
Where the legion was based when it received these titles from Gallienus is uncertain. Other things being equal one would have thought that Valerian
would have wanted to take it to the east with him in the late 250s and that it would have been involved in his defeat by King Sapor
of the Persians at Edessa in 260. If so, it evidently survived that disaster as a functioning unit, and avoided the subsequent pit-falls of over-identification with the rebellion of the Macrianii and Palmyra
's bid for autonomy under Zenobia
.
It is possible that it would have returned to Europe as part of the army of the Macrianii and was forgiven by Gallienus after the latter were defeated. Unfortunately there is no evidence for its fortunes in this period.
frontier in the middle of the 4th century, just before a major Roman defeat by the Persians in Singara
, Mesopotamia
. In 360, the Sassanid King Shapur II
attacked and conquered the Roman fortified city of Bezabde (modern Cizre
, in Turkey), which was defended by II Partica, II Armeniaca
and II Flavia Virtutis
. According Notitia Dignitatum
, II Parthica was in Cepha
, Turkey, around 400, under the command of the Dux Mesopotamiae.
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
levied by Emperor Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus , also known as Severus, was Roman Emperor from 193 to 211. Severus was born in Leptis Magna in the province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of...
in 197, for his campaign against the Parthian Empire
Parthian Empire
The Parthian Empire , also known as the Arsacid Empire , was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Persia...
, hence the cognomen
Cognomen
The cognomen nōmen "name") was the third name of a citizen of Ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. The cognomen started as a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditary. Hereditary cognomina were used to augment the second name in order to identify a particular branch within...
Parthica. The legion was still active in the beginning of the 5th century. The legion's symbol were a bull
Taurus (astrology)
Taurus is the second astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 30th and 59th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between April 21 to May 21 each year...
and centaur
Centaur
In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
.
Parthian campaign and Castra Albana (197-4th century)
Together with its twin legions I ParthicaLegio I Parthica
Legio prima Parthica was a Roman legion levied in 197 by the emperor Septimius Severus. The legion presence in the Middle East is recorded until the early 5th century....
and III Parthica
Legio III Parthica
Legio tertia Parthica was a Roman legion levied by Emperor Septimius Severus in 197, for his campaign against the Parthian Empire, hence the cognomen Parthica. The legion was still active in the Eastern provinces in the early 5th century...
, the Second Parthian legion was levied for the attack on the eastern frontier. The campaign was a success and Ctesiphon
Ctesiphon
Ctesiphon, the imperial capital of the Parthian Arsacids and of the Persian Sassanids, was one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia.The ruins of the city are located on the east bank of the Tigris, across the river from the Hellenistic city of Seleucia...
, the Parthian capital was taken and sacked. After this war, II Parthica returned to Italia
Italia (Roman province)
Italia was the name of the Italian peninsula of the Roman Empire.-Under the Republic and Augustan organization:During the Republic and the first centuries of the empire, Italia was not a province, but rather the territory of the city of Rome, thus having a special status: for example, military...
, and was stationed near Rome, in Castra Albana (Albano Laziale
Albano Laziale
Albano Laziale is a comune in the province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Latium, central Italy. It is also a suburb of Rome, which is 25 km distant. It is bounded by other communes of Castel Gandolfo, Rocca di Papa, Ariccia and Ardea. Located in the Castelli Romani area of Lazio...
) – it was the first legion stationed in Italia in the last two centuries. Since it was not garrisoning a Roman province
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
, they functioned both as a reserve that could be used in afflicted parts of the Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, as well as a security element against possible internal rebellions. Emperors in the 3rd century were very likely to have problems with usurpers, and Severus, by stationing the II Parthica near the capital, was aware of it.
Nevertheless, the legion served in the Severan campaign in Britain of 208–211 and afterwards, under Caracalla
Caracalla
Caracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...
against the Germanic tribe of the Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
in 213. Next, the legion was again sent to Parthia and their commander Macrinus
Macrinus
Macrinus , was Roman Emperor from 217 to 218. Macrinus was of "Moorish" descent and the first emperor to become so without membership in the senatorial class.-Background and career:...
was responsible for Caracalla's murder in that region in 217. In the following year, however, the II Parthica, stationed in Apamea
Apamea (Syria)
Apamea was a treasure city and stud-depot of the Seleucid kings, was capital of Apamene, on the right bank of the Orontes River. . Its site is found about to the northwest of Hama, Syria, overlooking the Ghab valley...
(Syria
Syria (Roman province)
Syria was a Roman province, annexed in 64 BC by Pompey, as a consequence of his military presence after pursuing victory in the Third Mithridatic War. It remained under Roman, and subsequently Byzantine, rule for seven centuries, until 637 when it fell to the Islamic conquests.- Principate :The...
), abandoned Macrinus and sided with Elagabalus
Elagabalus
Elagabalus , also known as Heliogabalus, was Roman Emperor from 218 to 222. A member of the Severan Dynasty, he was Syrian on his mother's side, the son of Julia Soaemias and Sextus Varius Marcellus. Early in his youth he served as a priest of the god El-Gabal at his hometown, Emesa...
; the Second supported Elagabalus' rise to purple, defeating Macrinus in the Battle of Antioch
Battle of Antioch (218)
The Battle of Antioch took place between two Roman armies of the Roman Emperor Macrinus and his contender Elagabalus, whose troops were commanded by general Gannys. Elagabalus won and was crowned emperor.- History :...
. The new emperor awarded the legion with the cognomina Pia Fidelis Felix Aeterna (forever faithful, loyal and pious).
In 231, the legion fought under Alexander Severus
Alexander Severus
Severus Alexander was Roman Emperor from 222 to 235. Alexander was the last emperor of the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his cousin Elagabalus upon the latter's assassination in 222, and was ultimately assassinated himself, marking the epoch event for the Crisis of the Third Century — nearly fifty...
against the Sassanid Empire
Sassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
, and returned with the emperor to the German provinces. It was at Moguntiacum (modern Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
), when Alexander was assassinated in 235. In the following fight for the power, the II Parthica sided with Maximinus Thrax
Maximinus Thrax
Maximinus Thrax , also known as Maximinus I, was Roman Emperor from 235 to 238.Maximinus is described by several ancient sources, though none are contemporary except Herodian's Roman History. Maximinus was the first emperor never to set foot in Rome...
. In 238, the Roman senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
declared Maximinus persona non grata and nominated Gordian III
Gordian III
Gordian III , was Roman Emperor from 238 to 244. Gordian was the son of Antonia Gordiana and an unnamed Roman Senator who died before 238. Antonia Gordiana was the daughter of Emperor Gordian I and younger sister of Emperor Gordian II. Very little is known on his early life before his acclamation...
as emperor. Maximinus then marched on Rome to fight for his rights, taking the II Parthica, among other legions, with him. What happened next is a good example of the political power of the legions in the 3rd century. The II Parthica weighted the chances of its commander and, concluding that supporting him was not a good move, they killed Maximinus before he could harass the senate. As a reward, they were pardoned for supporting a public enemy and allowed to return to their camp in the Alban mountains.
In the next decades they were used as reinforcements in several provinces within the empire and continued to be used as pawns in the constant battles for the imperial throne of the 3rd century. Emperor Gallienus
Gallienus
Gallienus was Roman Emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and alone from 260 to 268. He took control of the Empire at a time when it was undergoing great crisis...
(253-260) awarded the legion with the titles V Fidelis V Pia and VI Fidelis VI Pia (respectively, "Five" and "Six times loyal and faithful").
Where the legion was based when it received these titles from Gallienus is uncertain. Other things being equal one would have thought that Valerian
Valerian (emperor)
Valerian , also known as Valerian the Elder, was Roman Emperor from 253 to 260. He was taken captive by Persian king Shapur I after the Battle of Edessa, becoming the only Roman Emperor who was captured as a prisoner of war, resulting in wide-ranging instability across the Empire.-Origins and rise...
would have wanted to take it to the east with him in the late 250s and that it would have been involved in his defeat by King Sapor
Shapur I
Shapur I or also known as Shapur I the Great was the second Sassanid King of the Second Persian Empire. The dates of his reign are commonly given as 240/42 - 270/72, but it is likely that he also reigned as co-regent prior to his father's death in 242 .-Early years:Shapur was the son of Ardashir I...
of the Persians at Edessa in 260. If so, it evidently survived that disaster as a functioning unit, and avoided the subsequent pit-falls of over-identification with the rebellion of the Macrianii and Palmyra
Palmyra
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
's bid for autonomy under Zenobia
Zenobia
Zenobia was a 3rd-century Queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Roman Syria. She led a famous revolt against the Roman Empire. The second wife of King Septimius Odaenathus, Zenobia became queen of the Palmyrene Empire following Odaenathus' death in 267...
.
It is possible that it would have returned to Europe as part of the army of the Macrianii and was forgiven by Gallienus after the latter were defeated. Unfortunately there is no evidence for its fortunes in this period.
In Mesopotamia
At the beginning of the 4th century, II Parthica had abandoned Italy. The legion was on the TigrisTigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
frontier in the middle of the 4th century, just before a major Roman defeat by the Persians in Singara
Sinjar
Sinjar is the name of a town and district in northwestern Iraq's Ninawa Governorate near the Syrian border. Its population at the time of the 2006 census was 39,875....
, Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
. In 360, the Sassanid King Shapur II
Shapur II
Shapur II the Great was the ninth King of the Persian Sassanid Empire from 309 to 379 and son of Hormizd II. During his long reign, the Sassanid Empire saw its first golden era since the reign of Shapur I...
attacked and conquered the Roman fortified city of Bezabde (modern Cizre
Cizre
Cizre is a town and district of Şırnak Province in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, located at the border to Syria, just to the north-west of the Turkish-Syrian-Iraqi tripoint....
, in Turkey), which was defended by II Partica, II Armeniaca
Legio II Armeniaca
Legio II Armeniaca was a legion of the late Roman Empire.Its name could mean it was garrisoned in the Roman province of Armenia, but later, together with its twin, I Armeniaca, it was moved into the field army as a pseudocomitatensis legion. The legion is reported to have built a camp in Satala...
and II Flavia Virtutis
Legio II Flavia Virtutis
Legio II Flavia Virtutis was a comitatensis Roman legion, levied by Emperor Constantius II , together with I Flavia Pacis and III Flavia Salutis....
. According Notitia Dignitatum
Notitia Dignitatum
The Notitia Dignitatum is a unique document of the Roman imperial chanceries. One of the very few surviving documents of Roman government, it details the administrative organisation of the eastern and western empires, listing several thousand offices from the imperial court down to the provincial...
, II Parthica was in Cepha
Hasankeyf
Hasankeyf is an ancient town and district located along the Tigris River in the Batman Province in southeastern Turkey. It was declared a natural conservation area by Turkey in 1981...
, Turkey, around 400, under the command of the Dux Mesopotamiae.
External links
- Legioni Romane (dead link)
- legio secunda parthica, Italian re-enactment group (Dead link)