Legio X Fretensis ("Tenth legion of the Strait") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. It was founded by the young Gaius Octavius (later to become Augustus Caesar) in 41/40 BC to fight during the period of civil war that started the dissolution of the Roman Republic. X Fretensis is then recorded to have existed at least until the 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

Aelius Gallus' expedition

In 26 BC, the Legion under Aelius Gallus was ordered by Augustus to undertake a military expedition to Arabia Felix, where Gallus was to either conclude treaties making the Arabian people foederati (i.e. client states), or to subdue them if they resisted. According to Theodor Mommsen, Aelius Gallus sailed with 10,000 legionaries from Egypt and landed at Leuce Kome, a trading port of the Nabateans in the northwestern Arabian coast. Gallus' subsequent movements relied on a Nabataean guide called Syllaeus, who proved to be untrustworthy. As a result of Syllaeus' misdirections, the army took six months to reach Mariba, the Sabaean capital.

They besieged Ma'rib unsuccessfully for a week, before being forced to withdraw. Mommsen ascribed this to a combination of disease, over-extended supply lines, and a tougher desert environment than the Romans had expected. Gallus' retreat to Alexandria was completed in sixty days. Details of the expedition to Arabia Felix are given by Strabo, Cassius Dio and Pliny the Elder. Strabo's account is particularly detailed, and derives most of its information from Aelius Gallus himself, who was a personal friend of Strabo. The campaign is the subject of a 1951 novel, The Eagle and the Sun by Lord Belhaven, who had done military and civilian service in the region.

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 Pompey 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 known as the Corvus. 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.

It is uncertain when the legion was redeployed to Macedonia. An inscription found in the valley of the Strymon river attests that a group of soldiers from the unit had built a bridge. While stationed in that province, it fought battles with the Sarmatae who attacked the province in 16 BC. Not much later, Legio X Fretensis went to Syria. An inscription in the temple of Bel in Palmyra dated AD 14–19, signed by the commander of the legion, was dedicated to members of the emperor's family. This has led experts to believe X Fretensis took part in Germanicus' campaign in the East, as well that the legion was stationed at Zeugma to secure the frontier with Parthia. The legion's main camp was positioned on Jerusalem's Western Hill, located in the southern half of what is now the Old City, which had been levelled of all former buildings. The camp of the Tenth was built using the surviving portions of the walls of Herod's royal palace, demolished by order of Titus. Once the Romans rebuilt parts of the destroyed city as the pagan city of Aelia Capitolina, the camp found itself at the end of the cardo maximus. Alongside its main base in Jerusalem, the legion maintained additional stations in Beit Guvrin and present-day Abu Ghosh. This combination of offices made this posting important, and several of the men assigned to it had previous experience commanding a legion. When a second legion was assigned to Judaea, and the province promoted to consular status, the political status of legate of this legion declined. Dabrowa observes, "he was subordinate to the governor of Judaea just like the commander of the second legion".

Bar Kokhba Revolt

After participating in Trajan's Parthian campaign, Fretensis was caught up in the Bar Kokhba's revolt (132–135).

A possible cause for the revolt was the decision of Emperor Hadrian to build a pagan temple to Jupiter in Jerusalem. Simon Bar Kokhba started the revolt and inflicted massive casualties on the Romans. The war ended when the Roman army — including Fretensis and Danubian troops under the command of Sextus Julius Severus — reconquered the entire territory and successfully besieged the last Jewish stronghold, the fortress of Betar. Legio X Fretensis sustained heavy casualties in the course of the revolt.

As a consequence of the unrest in the region, Fretensis was supported by several other legions, of which the Legio VI Ferrata was stationed at a camp which became known as Lejjun (from "legion").

Later history

A vexillation, or detachment, of X Fretensis along with other troops stationed in eastern provinces, fought in the Marcomannic campaign of Marcus Aurelius. When this vexillation arrived or what part it played in the campaign is not known.

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 (r. 211–217) or Elagabalus (r. 218–222).

Under Gallienus (r. 253–268), another vexillation of Fretensis was drawn to fight in the war against the Gallic Empire. However, that unit defected to the other side. probably during Diocletian's reforms around 300, and is recorded as still camping there at the time of the compilation of the Notitia Dignitatum in the 390s, when it is reported serving under the Dux Palaestinae. The legion was replaced by a Moorish cavalry unit from the Legio I Illyricorum.

Archaeology

thumb|upright|The inscription at Abu Ghosh, in 1948

A Latin inscription of the end of the 2nd century, found in the Benedictine monastery in Abu Ghosh, 15 km west of Jerusalem, marks the presence of a vexillatio detachment of X Fretensis:

:

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 no exception. A huge production of pottery bearing the marks of the Legio X Fretensis has been discovered in Jerusalem.

The mark "LE X FR" was also used in the pottery of the Legion.

See also

  • List of Roman legions

Notes

References

  • Ritterling's "Legio X Fretensis"
  • Lendering, Jona, "Legio X Fretensis", livius.org
  • Legion X - Stowarzyszenie Legion X Gemina (Equites)- "Viri Clarissimi"
  • LEGIO X FRE - Reenactment Group, California, USA re-enactment group (1st and 4th Century soldiers).
  • Legio X Fretensis (LegionTen.org): A Legio X reenactment group based in the U.S. but with international membership. Performs museum openings, school visits, and other public educational activities.
  • Legio X Fretensis-Malta [http://www.legioxmalta.org] [https://www.facebook.com/Leg.X.Fret.Mlt]: A reenactment group portraying Legio X Fretensis, based in Malta (EU), displaying the civilian aspect and military aspect. Organising static displays, military drills and educational talks.