Legio I Minervia ( First Legion "Minervan", i.e., "devoted to the goddess Minerva") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in AD 82 by emperor Domitian ( 81–96), for his campaign against the Germanic tribe of the Chatti. Its cognomen refers to the goddess Minerva, the legion's protector. There are still records of the I Minervia in the Rhine border region in the middle of the 4th century. The legion's emblem is an image of goddess Minerva.
Legio I Minervia first, and main, camp was in the city of Bonna (modern Bonn), in the province of Germania Inferior. In 89, they suppressed a revolt of the governor of Germania Superior. Due to this, Domitian gave them the cognomen Pia Fidelis Domitiana (loyal and faithful to Domitian) to acknowledge their support.
History
Between 101 and 106, the legion fought the Dacian Wars of emperor Trajan, commanded by Hadrian, the future emperor. The emblem with Minerva figure appears on the column of Trajan in Rome, along with symbols of other legions. After this war, I Minervia returned to its home city of Bonna. Together with XXX Ulpia Victrix, stationed close by in Castra Vetera II (modern Xanten), they worked in numerous military and building activities, even extracting stone from quarries.
Although it belonged to the Germanic army and Bonn was its camp, vexillationes (subunits) of the legion were allocated in different parts of the Empire: 162–166 war against the Parthian Empire, commanded by emperor Lucius Verus 166–175 and 178–180 war against the Marcomanni, commanded by emperor Marcus Aurelius 173 campaign against the Chauci of Gallia Belgica, commanded by governor Didius Julianus 198–211 garrison of the city of Lugdunum, capital of Gallia
During the civil wars of the late 2nd and 3rd century, I Minervia supported the following emperors (each of them gave them the indicated titles, dropped out after their fall): Septimius Severus Elagabalus (Antoniniana) Alexander Severus (Severiana Alexandriana) The Gallic Empire, that existed between 260 and 274
Around 353, Bonna was destroyed by the Franks. Although Legio I Minervia disappears from recorded history, there is no account of its end, whether destroyed in battle or simply disbanded.
Attested members Name Rank Time frame Province Source Quintus Sosius SenecioC. P. Jones, "Sura and Senecio", Journal of Roman Studies, 60 (1970), pp. 98-104 legatus legionis c. 93 Publius Aelius Hadrianus legatus legionis c. 103-106 Germania Inferior Historia Augusta, "Hadrian", 3 Marcus Pontius LaelianusGéza Alföldy, Konsulat und Senatorenstand unter der Antoninen (Bonn: Rudolf Habelt Verlag 1977), p. 297 legatus legionis c. 138-c. 141 Germania Inferior Lucius Pullaienus Gargilius Antiquus legatus legionis c. 155-c. 158 Germania Inferior Marcus Claudius Fronto legatus legionis 162-c. 165 Germania Inferior Gaius Scribonius Genialis legatus legionis 166/169 or 177/180 Germania Inferior Lucius Calpurnius ProculusPaul M. M. Leunissen, Konsuln und Konsulare in der Zeit von Commodus bis Severus Alexander (1989), p. 336 legatus legionis ?180/185 Germania Inferior Claudius Stratonicus legatus legionis ?184-?186 Germania Inferior IGRR IV.570 Claudius Apollinaris legatus legionis ?187-?189 Germania Inferior [...] Plotinus legatus legionis between 190 and 192 Germania Inferior Quintus Venidius Rufus Marius Maximus Lucius Calvinianus legatus legionis c. 193 Germania Inferior Titus Flavius Secundus Phillipianus legatus legionis c. 194-195/196? Germania Inferior Gaius Julius Septimius CastinusLeunissen, Konsuln und Konsulare, p. 337 legatus legionis c. 205 or c. 208 = ILS 2549 Gaius Fabius Agrippinus legatus legionis c. 211 Aufidius Coresinius Marcellus legatus legionis 222-224 Marcus Marius Titius RufinusLeunissen, Konsuln und Konsulare, p. 338 legatus legionis 231 , Marcus Petronius Honoratus tribunus angusticlavius Before 138 Germania Inferior , = ILS 1340 Gaius Bruttius Praesens tribunus laticlavius c. 90 Dacia Decimus Terentius GentianusNicolay Sharankov, "Five Official Inscriptions from Heracles Sintica Including a Record of the Complete cursus honorum of D. Terentius Gentianus", Archaeologia Bulgaria , 25 (2021) pp. 12-26 tribunus laticlavius before 106 Dacia TLMN4, 4 Lucius Aninius Sextius FlorentinusAnthony R. Birley, The Fasti of Roman Britain (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981), p. 238 tribunus laticlavius c.110 Germania Inferior Lucius Antonius Albus tribunus laticlavius c. 115 Germania Inferior Marcus Servilius Fabianus Maximus tribunus laticlavius c. 140 Germania Inferior Quintus Antistius Adventus tribunus laticlavius c. 153 Germania Inferior Lucius Aurelius Commodus Pompeianus tribunus laticlavius c. 190 Germania Inferior Quintus Petronius Melior tribunus laticlavius 3rd century
See also
List of Roman legions Roman legion
References
External links livius.org article on Legio I Minervia Legio I Minervia Pia Fidelis , German re-enactment group , German re-enactment group, reenacting not only the Legio I Minervia.