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Short description

Legio IV Flavia Felix (serene Flavian legion), was levied by Vespasian in 70, from the ashes of Legio IV Macedonica. The legion was active in Moesia Superior well into the first half of the 4th century.

Description

Legio IIII Flavia Felix (serene Flavian legion), was levied by Vespasian in 70, from the ashes of the Legio IV Macedonica. The legion was active in Moesia Superior well into the first half of the 4th century. The legion symbol was a lion.

During the Batavian rebellion, the IV Macedonica fought for Vespasian, but the emperor distrusted his men, probably because they had supported Vitellius two years before. Therefore the IV Macedonica was disbanded, and a new Fourth legion, called Flavian Felix was levied by the emperor, who gave the legio his nomen, Flavia. Since the symbol of the legion is a lion, it was probably levied in July/August 70.

IIII Flavia Felix was camped in Burnum, Dalmatia (modern Kistanje), where it replaced XI Claudia. After the Dacian attacks of 86, Domitian moved the legion to Moesia Superior, in Singidunum, although there is some evidence of the presence of one of its vexillationes in Viminacium, base of VII Claudia. In 88 the Fourth participated in the retaliatory attacks on Dacia; it also participated in the more successful Dacian Wars of Trajan, ending with the capture of the Dacian capital Sarmizegethusa. It was later transferred east in 163, under Marcus Aurelius' co-emperor Lucius Verus in his campaign against the Parthian Empire, which culminated in the sacking of the Parthian capital, Ctesiphon, in 166 AD.

After the death of Pertinax, the IIII Flavia Felix supported Septimius Severus against usurpers Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus.

Even if the legion fought in one of the several wars against the Sassanids, it stayed in Moesia Superior until the first half of the 4th century.