Legio secunda Italica (Second Italian
legion), was a Roman legionThe Roman legion is a term that can apply both as a translation of legio to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly , to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the...
levied by emperor Marcus AureliusMarcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus was Roman emperor from 161 to his death in 180. He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Lucius' death in 169...
in 165 together with I Italica
Legio prima Italica was a Roman legion levied by emperor Nero on September 22, 66 . There are still records of the I Italica in the Danube border in the beginning of the 5th century...
at a time when the Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
was fighting both in Germania and in Parthia. There are still records of the II Italica in
NoricumNoricum, in ancient geography, was a Celtic kingdom stretching over the area of today's Austria and a fraction of Slovenia. It became a province of the Roman Empire...
in the beginning of the 5th century. The legion symbol is a she-wolf and the twins
RomulusRomulus and Remus are considered to be the traditional founders of Rome, appearing in Roman mythology as the twin sons of the Vestal Virgin Rhea Silvia, fathered by the god of war, Mars...
and
RemusRemus could refer to any of the following:* Remus, twin brother of the mythical founder of Rome, Romulus—see Romulus and Remus* Remus , the twin of the Romulans' fictional homeworld in Star Trek* Remus, a moon of the asteroid 87 Sylvia...
, and is a reference to the contemporary rule of Marcus Aurelius and his colleague
Lucius VerusLucius Aurelius Verus , born as Lucius Ceionius Commodus, known simply as Lucius Verus, was Roman co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius , from 161 until his death.-Early life and career:...
.
The legion main theatre of operations was the
Roman provinceIn Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of the Italian peninsula...
of Noricum, in the south margin of the
DanubeThe Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga.The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers which join at the German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows...
, where Germanic incursions were frequent.
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Legio secunda Italica (Second Italian
legion), was a Roman legionThe Roman legion is a term that can apply both as a translation of legio to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly , to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the...
levied by emperor Marcus AureliusMarcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus was Roman emperor from 161 to his death in 180. He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Lucius' death in 169...
in 165 together with I Italica
Legio prima Italica was a Roman legion levied by emperor Nero on September 22, 66 . There are still records of the I Italica in the Danube border in the beginning of the 5th century...
at a time when the Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
was fighting both in Germania and in Parthia. There are still records of the II Italica in
NoricumNoricum, in ancient geography, was a Celtic kingdom stretching over the area of today's Austria and a fraction of Slovenia. It became a province of the Roman Empire...
in the beginning of the 5th century. The legion symbol is a she-wolf and the twins
RomulusRomulus and Remus are considered to be the traditional founders of Rome, appearing in Roman mythology as the twin sons of the Vestal Virgin Rhea Silvia, fathered by the god of war, Mars...
and
RemusRemus could refer to any of the following:* Remus, twin brother of the mythical founder of Rome, Romulus—see Romulus and Remus* Remus , the twin of the Romulans' fictional homeworld in Star Trek* Remus, a moon of the asteroid 87 Sylvia...
, and is a reference to the contemporary rule of Marcus Aurelius and his colleague
Lucius VerusLucius Aurelius Verus , born as Lucius Ceionius Commodus, known simply as Lucius Verus, was Roman co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius , from 161 until his death.-Early life and career:...
.
The legion main theatre of operations was the
Roman provinceIn Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of the Italian peninsula...
of Noricum, in the south margin of the
DanubeThe Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga.The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers which join at the German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows...
, where Germanic incursions were frequent. In 180 II Italica
was stationed in Lauriacum, modern LorchLorch may refer to:*Lorch, Hesse, a town in Hesse, Germany*Lorch , a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany*Lorch, Austria, part of Enns in Upper Austria...
.
In 193, II Italica
marched into Rome with Septimius SeverusLucius Septimius Severus was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 14 April, 193 until his death in 211. Severus was the first emperor of the troubled Severan dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of the Roman principate before the Crisis of the Third Century...
, then fighting for power. The new emperor awarded them the title of Fidelis (loyal) to acknowledge the support. Later Septimius Severus would use II Italica against the rebellions of Pescennius NigerGaius Pescennius Niger was a Roman usurper from 193 to 194 during the Year of the Five Emperors. Niger was born of an old Italian equestrian family....
and Clodius AlbinusDecimus Clodius Septimius Albinus was a Roman usurper proclaimed emperor by the legions in Britain and Hispania upon the murder of Pertinax.-Life:...
, and in his Parthian campaigns.
In the 3rd century, support of the legionsThe Roman legion is a term that can apply both as a translation of legio to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly , to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the...
was a crucial demand for candidates to the throne. Well aware of this fact, GallienusPublius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus ruled the Roman Empire as co-emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and then as the sole Roman Emperor from 260 to 268. He took control of the empire at a time when it was undergoing great crisis...
granted II Italica the cognomina VII Pia VII Fidelis (seven times faithful, seven times loyal) to secure their continuing support.
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