| Legio X Equestris | |
|---|---|
Denarius issued by Mark Antony celebrating Legio X |
|
| Active | 61 BC to after 31 BC |
| Country | Roman Republic |
| Type | Roman legion (Marian) |
| Role | Infantry assault (some cavalry support) |
| Size | Varied over unit lifetime. Approx. 6,000 men + support at the time of creation. |
| Nickname | Equestris, "mounted" Veneria, "devoted to Venus" |
| Mascot | Bull |
| Engagements | Gallic Wars (58-51 BC) Battle against the Nervians (57 BC) Battle of Gergovia (52 BC) Battle of Ilerda (49 BC) Battle of Dyrrhachium (48 BC) Battle of Pharsalus (48 BC) Battle of Munda (45 BC) Mark Antony Parthian campaign Battle of Actium (31 BC) |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Julius Caesar Mark Antony Gaius Crastinus |
Legio X Equestris (Latin: "Tenth legion 'mounted'" - Equestris), a Roman legion, was levied by Julius Caesar in 61 BC when he was the Governor of Hispania Ulterior. The Tenth was the first legion levied personally by Caesar, and was consistently his most trusted. The name Equestris did not refer to the type of unit it was, but was received after Caesar mounted legionaries from the Tenth on horses as ruse to parley with the German King Ariovistus in 58 BC. Legio X was famous in its day[1] and throughout history, because of its portrayal in Caesar's Commentaries and the prominent role the Tenth played in his Gallic campaigns.[2] Its soldiers were discharged in 45 BC. Its remnants were reconstituted, fought for Mark Antony and Octavian, disbanded, and later merged into X Gemina.[3]
Contents |
The Tenth was founded in Spain by Gaius Julius Caesar in 61 BC. It joined the Pompey-raised 8th and 9th legions serving at the time under Caesar. It chose the bull as its emblem, because of the month the Tenth was mustered. Subsequent legions levied by Caesar—such as Legio V Alaudae (Larks), Legio XI, Legio XII Victrix, Legio XIII Gemina and XIV—all took the bull as one of their emblems. The Tenth saw its first action under Caesar in western Spain.
The Tenth played a crucial part in the Gallic Wars, fighting under Caesar in virtually every battle.
The Tenth gained its name Equestris during the Gallic War, when Caesar mounted the Tenth temporarily so that he could have his favored troops as a bodyguard, yet still conform to an agreement made between him and the German King Ariovistus. Ariovistus, knowing that Caesar did not trust his Gallic cavalry, insisted that each could only come to the parley attended by mounted guards. One of the soldiers jokingly said that Caesar was better than his word: he had promised to make them foot guards, but now they appeared as knights.[2]
Legio X saved the day in the Battle against the Nervians in 57 BC. Together with the IXth, the Xth defeated the Atrebates, moved against the Belgians on the other side of the river and captured the enemy camp. From that position, the Tenth could see how desperate the situation was for the XII Victrix as well as the VII. So, it quickly charged downhill, crossed the river, and attacked the Nervii from the rear, trapping them so that there was little hope of survival.
In 45 BC the legion was disbanded, and the veterans obtained lands in Narbonne, southern Gaul.
During the civil war that followed Caesar's assassination, the Legio X was reconstituted by Lepidus (winter 44/43), and fought for the triumvirs until the final Battle of Philippi. The veterans obtained lands near Cremona, and an inscription reports that the name of the legion at the time was Veneria, "devoted to Venus", the mythical mother of gens Julia.[4]
The Tenth later followed Mark Antony in Armenia, during his Parthian campaign. During Antony's civil war, the legion fought for Mark Antony until the defeat in the Battle of Actium, after which the legion moved into Octavian's army. The veterans settled in Patras. When the legion rebelled under Augustus, it was disbanded,[5] stripped of its Equestris title, and, being populated with soldiers from other legions, renamed X Gemina.[3]