longbow Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 hello there,i just like to say how much i enjoyed your site i really learned a lot from it.i live in england and i was wondering if any of you guys have heard of a roman legion which was supposed to have vanished in britain.i think it was the 9th legion but i dont remember,i think its allined with the merlin tales. any ideas much appreciated,thanks. again,very cool site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primus Pilus Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Thanks longbow and welcome to our forum. There is no real evidence that Legio VIIII Hispana was 'lost' in Scotland. It did serve in Britain up until the time of Hadrain, however. Some historians argue that a lost battle may have forced Hadrian's decision to build the wall, but the legion continued to exist at least in some form. If there was such a battle, the ninth very likely would've been involved. Vexillations (sub units) served in Germania during Hadrian's reign, and also served farther east. It may have been completely wiped out during the Jewish revolts of the 130's or along the Danube during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. There is evidence of officers names in the 9th, after the building of Hadrian's Wall, that didn't serve in the military at all prior to that assignment. This certainly suggests that the ninth continued to exist for at least a few more years. My personal opinion is that Legio VIIII Hispana very likely was involved in a battle somewhere in Caledonia, prior to the building of the wall. The battle likely went badly and many were killed, but it seems quite clear that the entire legion wasn't wiped out. Of course the possibility exists, that some subunits were serving other parts of Britain and only those available actually went into Scotland for this particular campaign. This could explain why they didn't completely fall from history, but I tend to think if it really was a massacre as suggested, that the Romans would've disbanded the entire legion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longbow Posted October 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 thanks primuspilus, i dont live far from the wall and i visited it many times when i was young.Its impressive as a ruin,it must have been a magnificant sight when it was built. thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paolo Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 salve, i'm new here. . . and very impressed with the options, especially the instant messenger links. everything so well organized. and while i'm at it, primuspilus, your signature is hilarious. paolo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primus Pilus Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 Welcome Paolo, glad to have you... and thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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