Legions of Rome by Stephen Dando-Collins

Author:Stephen Dando-Collins [Dando-Collins, Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quercus
Published: 2013-06-13T16:00:00+00:00

AD 69

XXV. YEAR OF THE FOUR EMPERORS

Legion versus legion

“A year … which well nigh brought the commonwealth to an end.”

TACITUS, Histories, I, 11

From the moment that 70-year-old Emperor Galba was assassinated in the Forum by a legionary named Camurius from the 15th Apollinaris Legion, on January 15, AD 69, Rome was destined for a year of turmoil.

Even as Galba’s successor Otho was being hailed emperor by the Praetorian Guard at Rome, the legions on the Rhine were preparing to march on the capital to install their choice for emperor, Aulus Vitellius, governor of Upper Germany, on the throne. Three separate task forces marched for Italy in Vitellius’ name. From the Rhine came vexillations of between four and six cohorts from each of the 1st Germanica, 4th Macedonica, 5th Alaudae and 15th Primigeneia legions, as well as the entire but under-strength 21st Rapax Legion. From Lugdunum in Gaul came the Italian recruits of the recently created 1st Italica Legion. With these legionaries came as many auxiliaries, so that 75,000 men marched into Italy at the beginning of April, bent on dethroning Otho.

On April 14, these units clashed with an army taken north from Rome by Otho, at Bedriacum, above the Po river in Italy’s central north. Otho’s army, commanded by his brother Sextus, comprised cohorts of the Praetorian Guard, the newly formed 1st Adiutrix Legion, the Evocati militia, plus several cohorts from the 13th Gemina and 14th Gemina legions which had just marched all the way from Pannonia.

In the battle, Otho’s 1st Adiutrix seized the eagle of the 21st Rapax, only for the Rapax to regroup and overrun the Adiutrix’s youngsters and kill their general. Otho’s 13th Gemina gave way to a charge by the 5th Alaudae, exposing the famous 14th Gemina, which had triumphed over Boudicca but which was now surrounded and forced to fight its way back to the Othonian camp. Otho’s army negotiated a surrender, and Otho committed suicide. Once Vitellius’ generals had secured victory, he himself came down from the Rhine, in July entering Rome and taking the throne. But he soon learned that this very same month the legions in the East had hailed their commander-in-chief, Vespasian, as their emperor.

In the autumn, an army of pro-Vespasian troops marched into Italy to overthrow Vitellius, led by Marcus Antonius Primus—another Mark Antony. A native of Tolosa, today’s Toulouse in France, Primus, “a man of ready audacity” in the opinion of Tacitus, had been convicted of fraud during Nero’s reign and sent into exile. [A, XIV, 40] Galba, once on the throne, had canceled Primus’ exile and given him command of his new 7th Legion. Now, seeing an opportunity to become Vespasian’s leading general, Primus had entered Italy with just a small force based around auxiliaries and cohorts of the 3rd Gallica Legion—which had led the other legions in Moesia, Pannonia and Dalmatia in swearing allegiance to the Gallica’s old commander-in-chief, Vespasian. Those other legions would soon join Primus and the 3rd Gallica in Italy.

As Primus entered Italy, anxious

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