Everything about Legio X Fretensis totally explained
Legio X Fretensis (Latin: "Tenth legion
of the sea strait") was a
Roman legion levied by
Augustus in
41/
40 BC to fight during the period of
civil war that started the dissolution of the
Roman Republic. X
Fretensis is recorded to exist at least until
410s.
X
Fretensis symbols were the
bull, the holy animal of the goddess
Venus (mythical ancestor of the
gens Julia), a ship (probably a reference to the battles of Naulochus and/or Actium), the god
Neptune, and a boar. The symbol of Taurus may also mean that it was organized between
20 April and
20 May.
History
Civil wars of the Republic and early Empire
Octavian, later known as
Augustus, levied a legion and gave it the number ten, as a reference to
Julius Caesar's famous
Tenth Legion.
In
36 BC, the Tenth Legion fought under Octavian against
Sextus Pompeius in the
Battle of Naulochus, where it earned its
cognomen Fretensis. The name refers to the fact that the battle took place near the sea
Strait of Messina (
Fretum Siculum).
In
31 BC, it fought in the
Battle of Actium against
Mark Antony. Although Actium was a battle at sea, the legion was able to board enemy ships that had been hooked close by means of an iron
grapnel. Its key participation in this battle is probably the reason that the legion also used a
trireme as one of its symbols. Actium marked the end of the civil war and the rise to power of Octavian, who was proclaimed Augustus some years later.
Tiles found in
Caesarea Maritima, built in the second decade BC, suggest that the legion was at that time based in
Iudaea. Later X
Fretensis moved to
Syria. In
6 it was stationed in that province together with legions
III Gallica,
VI Ferrata, and
XII Fulminata. In the same year,
Publius Sulpicius Quirinus, governor of Syria, led these legions in the suppression of the revolt that sprung out after the killing of
Herod Archelaus.
Under
Nero, in
58, X
Fretensis participated in the campaign of
Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo against the
Parthians.
First Jewish-Roman War
X
Fretensis was centrally involved in the
First Jewish-Roman War (66–73), under the supreme command of
Vespasian.
In
66, the X
Fretensis and
V Macedonica went to
Alexandria for an invasion of Ethiopia planned by
Nero. However, the two legions were needed in
Iudaea to suppress a revolt. After spending the winter in Ptolemais Ace (modern
Acre, Israel), X
Fretensis and V
Macedonica relocated in the coastal city of
Caesarea Maritima (67/68). This was due to the large number of legions being mobilized in Ptolemais, under
Marcus Ulpius Traianus, future governor of Syria and father of the emperor
Trajan. During that same winter, the Caesarea camp of Xth and Vth hosted Vespasian, who was forced the following
year, to go to Rome to seize power. Vespasian's son,
Titus ended the suppression of the revolt.
When
Tarichacae and
Gamala were conquered, the X
Fretensis moved to
Scythopolis (modern
Bet She'an), just west of
Jordan River. In the summer of
68, X
Fretensis destroyed the monastery of
Qumran, where the
Dead Sea Scrolls are believed to have originated. Its winter camp was at
Jericho.
By 70, the rebellion in all of Iudaea had been crushed, except for Jerusalem and a few fortresses, including
Masada. In that year X
Fretensis, in conjunction with V
Macedonica, XII
Fulminata, and
XV Apollinaris, began the siege of
Jerusalem, stronghold of the rebellion. The Xth camped on the
Mount of Olives. During the siege, Legio X gained fame in the effective use of their various war machines. It was noted that they were able to hurl stones that weighted a talent (about 25 kg) a distance of two furlongs (400 m) or further. The projectiles of their
ballistae caused heavy damage to the ramparts. The siege of Jerusalem lasted five months and the besieged population experienced all the terrible rigors of starvation. Finally, the combined assaults of the legions succeeded in taking the city, which was then subjected to
destruction.
During the spring of
71, Titus set sail for Rome. A new military governor was then appointed from Rome,
Lucilius Bassus, whose assigned task was to undertake the "mopping-up" operations in Iudaea. Naturally, he used X
Fretensis to oppose the few remaining fortresses that still resisted. As part of this, X
Fretensis took
Herodium, and then crossed the Jordan to capture the fortress of
Machaerus on the shore of the Dead Sea. Due to illness, Bassus didn't live to complete his mission.
Lucius Flavius Silva replaced him, and moved against the last Jewish stronghold, Masada, in the autumn of
72. He used Legio X, auxiliary troops, and thousands of Jewish prisoners. After his orders for surrender were rejected, Silva established several base camps and a wall of circumvolution completely around the fortress. When the Romans finally broke through the walls of this citadel, they discovered that the Jewish defenders had chosen death with a mass suicide.
After the conclusion of the Jewish revolt, Legio X was garrisoned at Jerusalem. Their main camp was positioned on the Western Hill, located in the southern half of the old city, now leveled of all former buildings. The camp of the Tenth was built using the surviving portions of the walls of
Herod the Great's palace, demolished by order of Titus. The camp was at the end of the
cardo maximus of
Aelia Capitolia.
At the time, Legio X was the sole legion assigned to maintain the peace in Iudaea, and was directly under the command of the governor of the province, who was also
legatus of the legion.
Second Jewish-Roman War
After participating to
Trajan Parthian campaign,
Fretensis was caught in the
Bar Kokhba's revolt (132-135).
The revolt, originated with the decision of Emperor
Hadrian to build a Pagan temple to
Jupiter in Jerusalem.
Simon Bar Kokhba started a revolt that occupied Jerusalem and inflicted many casualties to the Romans. The war ended when the Roman army — which included
Fretensis many other and Danubian troops under the command of
Sextus Julius Severus — reconquered Jerusalem and successfully besieged the last Jewish stronghold, the fortress of
Betar.
As a consequence of the unrest in the region,
Fretensis was supported by a second legion,
VI Ferrata, which camped in
Lejjun.
Later history
A
vexillatio of
Fretensis fought in the
Marcomannic campaign of
Marcus Aurelius.
In 193, the legion supported
Pescennius Niger against
Septimius Severus, and was possibly involved in a local struggle between Jews and Samaritans. The legion was still in Jerusalem at the time of
Caracalla or
Elagabalus.
Under
Gallienus,
Fretensis was employed in the war against the
Gallic Empire.
The legion moved to Aila (close to modern
Aqaba), probably during
Diocletian reforms, and is recorded as still camping there at the time of redaction of
Notitia Dignitatum, in
410s, when it's reported under the
Dux Palaestinae.
Book: Roman Britain, a New History. 2007 (Excellent resource, up to date).
By Guy de la Bedoyere. 285 images, many in colour, page 109:In Reference to LXF:
" Marcus Censorius Cornelianus was centurion with X Fretensis, a legion that was far as we know was never stationed in Britain, but at some point, he commanded the First Cohort of Spaniards at Maryport. Normally, an equestrian Tribune would have commanded the cohort, so Censorius may have been installed as a stop-gap leader. As his legion was stationed in Judea, his career shows just how far individuals troops could be dispersed across the Roman World."
Archeology
A Latin inscription of the end of the
2nd century, found in the church of
Abu Ghosh (at 15 km west of
Jerusalem) marks the presence of a
vexillatio (detachment) of X
Fretensis:
» VEXILLATIO
LEG X FRE
Some fragments bearing the "L.X.F" mark of the
Legio
X Fretensis are present at the
Tower of David in Jerusalem. Roman Law required all pottery to bear the maker's stamp, and the Legion pottery works just to the West of Jerusalem were obviously no exception. A huge production of pottery bearing the marks of the Legio X
Fretensis has been discovered in Jerusalem.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Legio X Fretensis'.
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