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Short description

Legio VII Claudia Pia Fidelis (faithful and loyal Claudian legion) dates back to the four legions used by

Description

Legio VII Claudia Pia Fidelis (Faithful and Loyal Claudian legion) dates back to the four legions used by Julius Caesar in his Gallic Wars in 58 BC, and it existed at least until the end of the 4th century, guarding middle Danube. The emblem of this legion, as well as of all Caesar's legions, was the bull, together with the lion. The Seventh was among the oldest units in the Imperial Roman army. They were with Julius Caesar when he invaded Gaul in 58 BC. The Roman commander mentions the Seventh in his account of the battle against the Nervians (57), and it seems that it was employed during the expedition through western Gaul led by Caesar's deputy Crassus. In 56, the Seventh was present during the Venetic campaign, and it later took part in the two expeditions to Britain (55 and 54). During the crisis caused by Vercingetorix, it fought in the neighbourhood of Paris (52); it must have been active at Alesia and it was certainly involved in the mopping-up operations among the Bellovaci (51).

It was in Dalmatia when in 42 the governor of this province, Lucius Arruntius Camillus Scribonianus, revolted against Claudius, who had recently come to power. The soldiers of the seventh and eleventh legions, however, quickly put an end to the rebellion. The Seventh, which had been called Paterna (which means, 'the old ones', received the honorary title Claudia Pia Fidelis, "the seventh Claudian legion, loyal and faithful". The same title was given to the Eleventh.

During the reign of Trajan, the war against the Dacians was renewed (101) and the seventh legion was one of the most important units. Its base Viminacium was used to build up the Roman army that was to invade Dacia in the second campaign season (102). In the neighbourhood, at Drobeta, the Romans erected a famous bridge across the Danube, designed by Apollodorus of Damascus. It is very likely that soldiers of the seventh legion were employed to do the actual building. Victory was finally achieved in 106.

In the third century, the Roman empire was threatened from several sides. The territories north of the Danube had to be evacuated. Several defeats are recorded, and the seventh legion must have suffered. On the other hand, it must have been among the troops that defeated the Visigoths in 269.

During the conflict between the emperor Gallienus and his rival Postumus, the seventh legion supported the first-mentioned, for which it was rewarded with surnames like Pia VI Fidelis VI ('six times faithful and loyal') and Pia VII Fidelis VII. It is not known when it received the ones in between.

The Seventh was still guarding the Middle Danube at the end of the fourth century.

Like almost all Caesarean legions, the emblem of this legion was a bull. The lion is also attested.