The Fate of Legio XXII Deiotariana and Sundry Related Problems

[Nathan Ross]

Imperatori Caesari Tito Aelio Hadriano Antonino Augusto Pio pontifici maximo tribunicia potestate XX consuli IIII patri patriae veterani legionis II Traianae Fortis qui militare coeperunt Augurino et Sergiano consulibus stipendiorum XXVI et Hibero et Sisenna consulibus stipendiorum XXV missi honesta missione sub Marco Sempronio Liberale praefecto Aegypti et Lucio Iulio Crescente praefecto castrorum cohors I centuria Iuli Crescentis primi pili Publius Scantius Saturninus Caesarea Lucius Aemilius Geta Oea Lucius Fannius Fuscus Lepti Titus Flavius Diadumenus Roma Publius Cattius Faustinus Hadrymeto Caius Pompullius Eucharistus Abella Marcus Fabius Successus Lepti Caius Antonius Longus Gabala centuria Mari Quadrati Tiberius Claudius Fidus Blere centuria Vibi Veri Caius Iulius Severus Carthagine Caius Rubrius Saturninus Carthagine centuria Flavi Aviani Lucius Iunius Iustus Lepci Quintus Pompeius Saturninus Carthagine Marcus Aburius Celer Neapoli Titus Flavius Antiochus Roma centuria Arreni Apollinaris Caius Annius Apollinaris Caesarea Decimus Iunius Felix Carthagine Lucius Aurelius Nepos Sora Caius Crepereius Pudens Thysdro Marcus Caecilius Severus Epifania Marcus Ulpius Diodorus Larissa cohors II centuria Iuli Frontonis Caius Iulius Magnus Anazerbo Caius Arellius Maximus Carthagine centuria Antoni Pudentis Caius Antonius Valens Antiochia Caius Luccius Valerianus Epifania centuria Pomponi Bassi Quintus Iulius Fabianus Utica Lucius Valerius Primus Carthagine Decimus Centenius Faustinus Carthagine centuria Aeli Pharnaciani Lucius Rofillius Agrippinus Cyrro Lucius Salvius Seleucus Apamea centuria Valeri Aquilae Lucius Farsuleius Felix Carthagine centuria Tori Victoris Lucius Crepereius Secundus Thamb Sextus Maecilius Capito Cirta Marcus Helvius Proculus Carthagine cohors III centuria Iuli Repositi Caius Nammeius Peregrinus Uthina Caius Iulius Trebianus Laudicea Caius Ulpius Iovinus Lepci centuria Claudi Germani Caius Iulius Felix Uthica Quintus Ennius Marcianus Utica Caius Sertius Fadius Praesens Iguvio centuria Atti Aucti Lucius Bellenius Iulianus Pergi Caius Pomponius Saturus Carthagine Caius Flaminius Regulus Sutrio centuria Palaesi Respecti Caius Licinius Crispinus Bas Lucius Insteius Felix Thuburbo Maius Caius Terentius Asclepiades Prusiade Caius Granius Felix Carthagine centuria Frontiniana Titus Planius Saturninus Carthagine Caius Munatius Faustus 3 centuria Iuli Marti Quintus Urbius Felix 3 Caius Iulius Laetus 3 cohors IIII centuria Iuli Hannibali Caius Herennius Piso Thysdro Marcus Antistius Felix Utica centuria Papi Firmi Quintus Licinius Trachalus Utica Lucius Stabius Tertius Beryto centuria Titidi Maximi Quintus Aurelius Nummus Lepci Marcus Volusius Impetratus Assuribus cohors V centuria Livi Severi Lucius Iulius Aemilianus Lepti Caius Valerius Felix Carthagine centuria Volusi Senecae Marcus Laelius Victor Utica centuria Iuli Felicis Caius Didius Victor Carthagine Publius Caelius Rogatus Hadrumeto Titus Flaminius Felix Carthagine centuria Mutili Clementis Quintus Caelius Secundus Theveste Caius Valerius Clementinus Cyrro Marcus Scribonius Festus Lepti cohors VI centuria 3 3s Lepti centuria 3iani 3ius Acutus Hadrymeto 3ius Censorinus Ara centuria Valeri Optati 1 Flavius Geta Lepti 1 Manilius Probus Carthagine Marcus Valerius Longinus Neapoli 1 Iunius Annianus Lepti centuria Iuni Gemelli Aulus Mucius Aquila Perusio Caius Sallustius Africanus Utica Publius Antistius Fortunatus Ameria centuria Sevi Leonis Caius Manlius Macrinus Maxula Lucius Tadius Blandus Carthagine Lucius Tadius Vitalis Carthagine centuria Victoriana Caius Bassius Celer Tavio Caius Cincius Perpetuus Ammedara speculator praefecti Marcus Pomponius Silvanus Thysdro Publius Agrius Felix Melzi Caius Longinius Valens Caesarea cohors VII centuria Aureli Theonis Publius Quintinianus Verus Pisis centuria Pompei Siculini Publius Tullius Martialis Thuburbo Decimus Octavius Victor Carthagine centuria Flavi Sereni Lucius Aelius Aquila Thamb Titus Aemilius Ponticus Ammedara Caius Furfianus Crescens Cuicul beneficiarius praefecti centuria Vibi Postumi Sextus Geminius Montanus Sebaste centuria Aeli Sabini Lucius Annius Lupus Varvaria beneficiarius praefecti cohors VIII centuria Minici Sereni Tiberius Claudius Fructus Roma Lucius Popilius Felix Carthagine Lucius Thunnius Fortunatus Carthagine centuria Domiti Materni Lucius Trebius Felix Utica Marcus Octavius Victor Utica Marcus Didius Secundus Nuceria Titus Helvius Neo Amiso centuria Tulli Proculi Quintus Nautius Secundus Carthagine Quintus Lucceius Pudens Brixello Caius Cornelius Victor Carthagine Caius Turpilius Celer Carthagine centuria Antoni Aciliani Caius Vibius Titianus Ptolomaide Caius Sempronius Gallus Achola centuria Iuli Gemellini Caius Graeceius Extricatus Carthagine centuria Ulpi Martini Titus Flavius Maximus Ascalone cohors VIII centuria Agri Maximi Caius Barucius Silvanus Barari Lucius Arruntius Felix Carthagine centuria Aeli Proculi Lucius Magnius Adiutor Thysdro Caius Caecilius Secundus Carthagine centuria Iuli Alexandri Quintus Iulius Saturninus Antiochia centuria Sergi Longi Caius Octavius Rogatus Carthagine centuria Semproni Gemini Quintus Aedinius Gracilis Utica Caius Pompeius Felix Utica Caius Magnius Felix Utica Caius Magnius Felix Utina cohors X centuria Octavi Montani Caius Antonius Sallustianus Lepci Aulus Octavius Berytius Beryto centuria Gerellani Verini Titus Flavius Tertius Nicomedia centuria Caecili Syriaci Marcus Calpurnius Germanus Gadara Quintus Caecilius Cerialis Lepti Decimus Cornelius Victor Carthagine centuria Semproni Dati Lucius Lurius Ianuarius Carthagine Marcus Arrius Felix Utica Lucius Aiacius Fortunatus Utica centuria Antoni Nerei Caius Iulius Gaetulicus Thenis Marcus Gargilius Felix Carthagine Caius Marius Donatus Thysdro Caius Siccius Datus Carthagine Quintus Tannonius Primus Uthina centuria Corbuloniana Caius Iulius Salvianus Uthica Quintus Trebellius Felix Carthagine
(...)

I've just been taking a look through this inscription - really interesting! (although I'm sure it's been mentioned before...)

The men listed here are from II Traiana, and were enlisted, I think, in AD133 and 134 (by the consular names) - i.e. at the height of the Bar Kokba war. First interesting thing - the first cohort has only 5 centuriae listed, whereas II, III, VI, VIII and X have 6. The others have less, which might mean we're just missing one from the first cohort, but it does support the idea that the first cohort had only five centurions (including the primus pilus) at this date...

Second interesting thing - look at the range of places of origin! The majority of men listed come from the provinces of Africa and Cyrenaica: loads from Carthage, Utica, men from Thysdrus and Lepcis. But there are also plenty from the eastern provinces: Antioch, Cyrrus and Ammaedara in Syria, Berytus and Gadara, Ptolemais, Perge and Prusa in Asia, Caesarea and Sebaste, Laodicea, Ascalon, even one from Amisus in Pontus.

Most of the rest appear to be from Italy: Neapolis, Nuceria, Brixellum, Abella in Campania, even a handful from Rome itself. There are a couple of outliers - a man from Varvaria in Dalmatia and one from Larissa in Macedonia.

Why would men from such varied origins be recruited into the same legion (or other legions and subsequently transferred) on these two crucial dates? There are none listed, of course, from Egypt itself! One suggestion might be that the legion was very mobile during this period, moving around the eastern provinces, perhaps. Another could be that it was reinforced with drafts of newly enlisted men from other legions (principally III Augusta?) after suffering heavy losses. Or there was a manpower problem in the area, for some other reason... But why so many Italians? Regional dilectus, perhaps?

Perhaps it doesn't pertain directly to the fate of XXII, but opens some other suggestions, maybe, about the state of the legions in the east at that time.