Map of the Roman empire in AD 125, under emperor Hadrian, showing the Third Legion Gallica, stationed at Syria province from 30 BC to the 4th century
Active
49 or 48 BCE until the 4th century
Country
Roman Republic (closing years) and Roman Empire
Type
Roman legion
Military unit
Two bulls, symbol of the III Gallica, bearing the legion standard LEG III GAL. Coin of Elagabalus, who became emperor with the decisive support of this legion.
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Legio III Gallica (lit. Third Legion "Gallic") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. The cognomen Gallica suggests that its earliest recruits came from veterans of the Gallic legions of Gaius Julius Caesar, a supposition supported by its emblem, a bull, a symbol associated with Caesar.[1] The legion was based for most of its existence at Raphanea, Roman Syria, and was still active in Egypt in the early 4th century.
LegioIIIGallica (lit. Third Legion "Gallic") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. The cognomen Gallica suggests that its earliest recruits came from...
Artorius Castus. The first unit mentioned on Castus's inscription is the legioIIIGallica – for most of the 2nd and 3rd centuries the unit was stationed in...
needed to identify a specific legion. For example, both LegioIII Cyrenaica and LegioIIIGallica were distinct, long-standing legions of the late Republic...
Phoenician sun-deity Elagabalus (or El-Gabal) in Emesa. Soldiers from LegioIIIGallica (Gallic Third Legion), that had been stationed at the nearby camp...
including Legio X Fretensis, Legio VI Ferrata, LegioIIIGallica, LegioIII Cyrenaica, Legio II Traiana Fortis, Legio X Gemina, cohorts of Legio V Macedonica...
Legio XVI Gallica ("Gallic Sixteenth Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. The legion was recruited by Julius Caesar's adopted son, Octavian...
Verus, serving as legatus legionis or commander of LegioIIIGallica. In 165, he led LegioIIIGallica down the Euphrates, and defeated the Parthians at...
have been the base camp of the 12th Roman legion, Legio XII Fulminata, as well as of LegioIIIGallica. Media related to Raphana at Wikimedia Commons Decapolis...
During the Year of Four Emperors, the legion followed the lead of LegioIIIGallica in revolting against Vitellius and declaring for Vespasian. It was...
also acclaimed Vespasian as emperor in August. Three of these legions, IIIGallica, VIII Augusta, and VII Claudia had been on their way to support Otho...
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...
future in mind for him. He had begun attracting the soldiers of the LegioIIIGallica stationed near Emesa, who would visit the city's temple occasionally...
quattuordecim natus annos Graecam tragoediam scripsi.": Epistulae VII. iv Epistulae III. xviii, here translated by Betty Radice, The Letters of the Younger Pliny...
Epiphanes and Callinicus ended in a draw, and Antiochus surrendered. The LegioIIIGallica would occupy the area by 73 AD. A 1st-century letter in Syriac by...
well. The Legio V was one of the original twenty-eight legions raised by Octavian. There are two other fifth legions recorded: the V Gallica and the V...
executed, originally an officer of Legio IV Scythica Verus (late 219), in Syria, executed, commander of LegioIIIGallica Uranius (c. 221), questioned existence...
himself emperor, in opposition to Vitellius. LegioIIIGallica and the other legion stationed in Moesia, Legio VII Claudia, responded by declaring for Vespasian...
Marcus Aurelius, VI, 2.1. In addition, some detachments of the Roman army (Legio I Parthica and Cohors IX Maurorum [Gordiana]) were left at Hatra. 231 Emperor...
with her. Back in Emesa, her grandson, Elagabalus. Soldiers from LegioIIIGallica who were stationed near Emesa would visit the city occasionally, and...
Roman territory. One such raid in AD 68/69 was intercepted by the LegioIIIGallica with Roman auxiliaries, who destroyed a raiding force of 9,000 Roxolanian...
Legio V Alaudae ("Fifth Legion of the Lark"), sometimes also known as Legio V Gallica ("Fifth Gallic Legion"), was a legion of the Roman army founded...
Legio XXII Deiotariana ("Deiotarus' Twenty-Second Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army, founded ca. 48 BC and disbanded or destroyed during...
unit or a vexillation, to Oescus in the year 81, where it replaced LegioIIIGallica. His service as military tribune was followed by his term as quaestor...
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