III Cyrenaica
Heavy Infantry(0.6.7)Side / Back
Short description
Legio III Cyrenaica, (from Cyrenaica, a Roman province), was a Roman legion probably levied by Mark Antony around 36 BC, when he was governor of Cyrenaica. There are still records of the legion in Syria in the beginning of the 5th century. The legion symbol is unknown.
Description
Legio III Cyrenaica, (from Cyrenaica, a Roman province), was probably levied by Mark Antony around 36 BC when he was governor of Cyrenaica.
There are still records of the legion in Syria in the beginning of the 5th century. The legion symbol is unknown.
The first historical appearance of the legion is during the campaign of Emperor Caesar Augustus to conquer Egypt in 30 BC. III Cyrenaica would remain in Egypt and, in AD 35 was in Alexandria, sharing camp with XXII Deiotariana. The main task of both legions was keep the province safe and to maintain peace and order between the different ethnic and religious groups present in Alexandria.
In the internal turmoil of the Roman Empire, III Cyrenaica tended to follow defeated candidates for the throne like Avidius Cassius (vs. Marcus Aurelius in 175) and Pescennius Niger (vs. Septimius Severus in 192).
The legion, or subunits of it, probably participated in the following campaigns:
25 BC against Arabia Felix, modern Yemen, and 23 BC against Nubia
63 AD against the Parthian Empire for the control over Armenia
66-70 and 132-136 retaliations for Jewish rebellions
162-166 against the Parthian Empire, commanded by Lucius Verus
215-217 against the Parthian Empire, commanded by Caracalla
After the rebellion of Zenobia in 267-272, III Cyrenaica was transferred to an unclear location, although the legion was in Bostra (Syria) at the beginning of the 5th century. It is likely this legion was absorbed into the Eastern Empire.