Legio II Italica ("Italian Second Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army.

Formation

Originally having the ''

cognomen A ''cognomen'' (; : ''cognomina''; from ''co-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditar ...

'' ''Pia'', the legion was raised alongside III ''Italica'' by emperor

Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ( ; ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoicism, Stoic philosopher. He was a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty, the last of the rulers later known as the Five Good Emperors ...

when legions sent from the Danube frontier to the East to take part in the Parthian War could not be quickly recalled. There is good evidence to show both legions were raised in AD 165.H.M.D. Parker, ''The Roman Legions'' (1957), p. 116

Unit history

The legion's main theatre of operations was the

Roman province The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...

Noricum Noricum () is the Latin name for the kingdom or federation of tribes that included most of modern Austria and part of Slovenia. In the first century AD, it became a province of the Roman Empire. Its borders were the Danube to the north, R ...

, in the southern margin of the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

, where Germanic incursions were frequent. In 180 II ''Italica'' was stationed in Lauriacum, modern Lorch.

Year of the five emperors

In 193, II ''Italica'' marched into Rome with

Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; ; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through cursus honorum, the ...

, then fighting for power. The new emperor awarded them the title of ''Fidelis'' (loyal) to acknowledge their support. Later Septimius Severus would use II ''Italica'' against the rebellions of

Pescennius Niger Gaius Pescennius Niger (c. 135 – 194) was a Roman usurper from 193 to 194 during the Year of the Five Emperors. He claimed the imperial throne in response to the murder of Pertinax and the elevation of Didius Julianus, but was defeated by a ...

and Clodius Albinus, as well as in his Parthian campaigns.

Under Gallienus

In the 3rd century, support of the legions was of crucial importance to candidates for the throne. Well aware of this fact, Gallienus granted II ''Italica'' the cognomina ''VII Pia VII Fidelis'' (seven times faithful, seven times loyal) to secure their continuing support.

Later service

There are still records of the II ''Italica'' in Noricum in the beginning of the 5th century.

Symbol

The legion symbol is a she-wolf and the twins

Romulus and Remus In Roman mythology, Romulus and (, ) are twins in mythology, twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the Founding of Rome, founding of the History of Rome, city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom by Romulus, following his frat ...

, a reference to the rule of Marcus Aurelius and his colleague

Lucius Verus Lucius Aurelius Verus (; 15 December 130 – 23 January 169) was Roman emperor from 161 until his death in 169, alongside his adoptive brother Marcus Aurelius. He was a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. Verus' succession together with Ma ...

References

External links

livius.org account of Legio II Italica
{{Authority control 02 Italica 165 establishments 02 Italica History of Upper Austria Military units and formations established in the 2nd century