Funerary inscription for Gaius Pompeius Proculus, third son of Gaius, Tribunus Militum of the 18th legion, Praefectus Fabrum, Sevir of the equestrian units, an honorary title. Augustean period, Museo Epigrafico, Terme di Diocleziano, Rome.
Epitaph of Marcus Caelius, using the "XIIX" spelling
Legio XVIII ("Eighteenth Legion", spelled XVIII or XIIX[1][2]) was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. It was founded ca. 41 BC by the future emperor Augustus. The legion was, along with Legio XVII and Legio XIX, destroyed in the Battle of Teutoburg Forest (September 9, 9 AD). The legion's symbol and cognomen are unknown.
This legion was probably created to deal with Sextus Pompeius, the last opponent of the second triumvirate, garrisoned in Sicily and threatening Rome's grain supply. It was probably one of the eight legions Augustus promised Mark Antony for his campaign against the Parthians, but never delivered.[citation needed]
Following the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra in the battle of Actium (31 BC), the legion was stationed in Gaul. In the end of the 1st century BC, the XVIIIth was sent to the Germania provinces in the Rhine to take part in the enormous army led by Drusus and later Tiberius. In 5, the provinces were pacified. In 7, Publius Quinctilius Varus was assigned governor.
On September 9, Arminius, leader of the Cheruscan allies, reported a rebellion in the Rhine area. Without suspecting the information received, Varus took his three legions, the XVIII along with XVII and XIX, and headed west. Near modern Osnabrück, the Cheruscii led by Arminius ambushed the governor's army. All three legions were destroyed in what is known as the Battle of Teutoburg Forest and their eagle standards lost.
After their destruction, the Romans never used these legion numbers (XVII, XVIII and XIX) again.
^Adkins, Lesley; Adkins, Roy A (2004). Handbook to life in ancient Rome (2 ed.). p. 270. ISBN 0-8160-5026-0.
^Boyne, William (1968). A manual of Roman coins. p. 13.
LegioXVIII ("Eighteenth Legion", spelled XVIII or XIIX) was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. It was founded ca. 41 BC by the future emperor Augustus...
Actium. LegioXVIII Libyca (from Libya): raised by Mark Antony, disbanded in 31 BC by Octavian following his victory at the Battle of Actium. Legio XIX:...
Tiberius took effective control, and prepared for the continuation of the war. Legio II Augusta, XX Valeria Victrix and XIII Gemina were sent to the Rhine to...
A cenotaph to Marcus Caelius, a centurion of LegioXVIII killed at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Note the prominent display of the vine staff, his...
returning to Vetera. It is highly probable that two of the legions, LegioXVIII Augusta and Legio XVII Augusta, which perished, were previously stationed at the...
Teutoburg Forest, an army of Germans under Arminius exterminated Legio XVII, LegioXVIII and Legio XIX, Roman legions under Publius Quinctilius Varus. The Battle...
Legio XVII ("Seventeenth Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. It was founded by Augustus around 41 BC. The legion was destroyed in the Battle...
conquest of Egypt. On the other hand, Legio XVII ("Seventeenth Legion"), LegioXVIII ("Eighteenth Legion") and Legio XIX ("Nineteenth Legion"), founded by...
become known as "lost legions": Legio XVII, XVIII and XIX, defeated in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD Legio IX Hispana, disappeared from surviving...
Legio X Gemina ("10th Twin(s) Legion (for those interested in grammar, it's either "Female Twin" or "Neuter Twins"; "Male Twin" is Geminus and "Male Twins"...
second, the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, three Roman legions (Legio XVII, LegioXVIII, and Legio XIX) were defeated by the West-Germanic resistance to Roman...
the bull, symbol of the Legio VII Claudia, on the reverse. Memorial to Lucius Duccius Rufinus, a standard bearer of the Legio IX Hispana, Yorkshire Museum...
9 AD in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest of the Legions Legio XVII, LegioXVIII and Legio XIX; all three were recovered-one in 14 AD from the Marsi...
Legio XIX ("Nineteenth Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. It was destroyed in 9 AD in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. The emblem of...
Magius Caecilianus with treason. Marcus Caelius T. f., primus pilus of LegioXVIII, died during the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9. Publius Caelius...
the order of Germanicus to send Syrian-based legions, including Legio VI Ferrata and Legio X Fretensis, to Armenia to back him in his planned coronation...
addition to the 3 positioned to guard the Alps (legio Iulia Alpina, legio II Iulia Alpina, and legio III Iulia Alpina), out of a combined total of 56...
under house arrest. c. September 9 – Battle of the Teutoburg Forest: Legio XVII, XVIII and XIX are lured by Arminius into an ambush and defeated by his tribe...
Trajan brought two more, Legio X Gemina and Legio XI Claudia, and created two new legions, Legio II Traiana Fortis and Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix. The Roman...
difficult to take or to relieve from a distance. Cassius Dio, XVIII.22. Account of Legio I Parthica at livius.org Claudius Ptolemaeus, Geographia V.18...
accountant in the governor's office. Maximinus was the commander of the Legio IV Italica when Severus Alexander was assassinated by his own troops in...
Yvain, le chevalier au lion . 1301–1350. Malone, Stephen James (2005). Legio XX Valeria Victrix: A Prosographical and Historical Study (PDF) (Thesis)...
so. Vespasian's renown came from his military success; he was legate of Legio II Augusta during the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 and subjugated Judaea...
Astorga, in the province of León. Founded around 14 B.C. as a camp of the Legio X Gemina, at the beginning of the first century it developed as a civil...
constructed circa 69-79 AD to house soldiers building the Via XVIII and was occupied by the Legio VII Gemina until that unit was posted to Dacia in 120 AD...
is that the resident units were very small indeed. Examples include the Legio II Herculia, created by Diocletian, which occupied a fortress only 1/7 of...
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