Valiant and Victorious?

[Tony Riches]

Chaps,

I am curious to be clear as to the meaning of the 'valeria victrix' handle attached to the 20th legion by the time of my fictional 'Empire' series, and in particular the word 'valeria'. Different sources have it translated as:

- Valiant;
- Valerian (apparently the emperor Augustus's main military advisor at the time of the legion's founding was from the Valerii clan, namely Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus);
- Black headed eagle (although this is apparently somewhat tenuous).

Any help that anyone can provide would be appreciated. I'm guessing that the scholars are still agreeing to differ, but it's always sensible to ask...

Thanks,

Tony.

[Ross Cowan]

Hi Tony,

It's most probably 'valiant' and connected with the legion's role in the suppression of Boudicca. See L. Keppie, The Making of the Roman Army pp. 138-9 for reasons discounting a connection with Messallinus.

Cheers,

R

[D B Campbell]

I am curious to be clear as to the meaning of ... the word 'valeria'.

You're not alone! (And I see Ross was typing at the same time -- I went to make a cup of tea before hitting "send"!)

Different sources have it translated as: Valiant;

"Valiant" would be something like valens, not valeria.

Valerian (apparently the emperor Augustus's main military advisor at the time of the legion's founding was from the Valerii clan, namely Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus);

Valerius Messalinus was involved in crushing the Illyrian revolt of AD 6. Velleius Paterculus (2.112) records the Twentieth legion's distinguished conduct on that occasion. H.M.D. Parker (iirc) connected this event with the legion's titles. (Ritterling had already noted it, but wasn't impressed. It has always struck me as odd that Parker did not make better use of Ritterling.)

- Black headed eagle (although this is apparently somewhat tenuous).

That one seems vaguely familiar, but I can't quite recall at the moment. What's Latin for "black-headed eagle"?!

I'm guessing that the scholars are still agreeing to differ, but it's always sensible to ask...

It has been pointed out in a well-known article (R. McPake, "A note on the cognomina of Legio XX", Britannia 12, 1981, pp. 293-5) that the titles do not appear until after the Boudiccan revolt, so that they might have been awarded at that time, when Fourteenth Gemina became Martia Victrix. That would (presumably) remove Valerius Messalinus from the frame, but without substituting an alternative. I apologise for being the bearer of bad news.

btw Whenever the titles are translated, they are usually rendered "Valerian and Victorious", thus side-stepping the precise significance of Valeria.

[D B Campbell]

Different sources have it translated as: Valiant;

"Valiant" would be something like valens, not valeria.

I thought I'd better root out McPake 1981 and cast my eye over it again.

In fact, Ross is probably right to translate Valeria as an equivalent to "valiant". McPake (via Tony Birley) notes the interesting fact that Valerius was considered to be a particularly "well-omened" name, a lucky charm, from its connection to the verb valere, "to be strong, powerful, healthy". Seemingly, whenever a military levy was held, the name Valerius was called first, to ensure that things got off to a good start! So Cicero says, anyway.

[Centurio]

In Latin-Russian dictionary valeria means the "black eagle".

It is note worthy that in inscriptions legion never appears as "XX Valeria". It is always or simply "XX", or "XX Valeria Victrix" and in few cases "XX Victrix".
Could this mean that both titles were given to the legion simultaneously in 61 AD?
If this suggestion is right, than "valiant" translation is more plausible.

[Ross Cowan]

Re. valeria as a black headed eagle, I think it is found in some manuscripts of Pliny at Nat. Hist. 10.6.

Cheers,

R

[Tony Riches]

Thanks to all for your contributions. It was 'valiant and victorious' in my mind (and on some pages!) when I asked the question, and it's still the same now, unless anyone steps up with a killer fact or argument.

Best regards to Glasgow, Duncan, by the way, my work mates there tell me it's still raining. I would be there myself, but I'm at home in the south for a medical appointment.

Thanks,

Tony.

[Ariobarzanes]

Valeria is pretty clearly the name Valerius in adjectival, feminine form. There's really nothing else it could be.

The idea that it means a kind of eagle comes from older readings of Book X chapter III of Pliny's Natural History. Pliny is discussing different types of eagles, and he writes a line which editors used to read as "melanaëtos a Graecis dicta, eadem valeria..." (called "black eagle" by the Greeks, also known as the Valeria") but which has been emended to "melanaëtos a Graecis dicta, eadem leporaria..." (called "black eagle" by the Greeks, also known as the leporaria, "rabbit handler"). So the eagle interpretation is highly improbable.

It also doesn't really mean valiant. As DB Campbell notes above, "Valerius" may have been considered a well-omened name, probably because of the similarities it bore to the verb valeo, valere, "to be strong", etc. But that looks to be folk etymology. As DB Campbell also notes further up, if you wanted to turn that verb into an adjective you'd use the participle, valens.

[Matthew Amt]

I've always liked the theory that the legion was named for Valeria Messalina, Claudius' wife. After all, she and the legion both had 5000 men...

(Sorry, sorry, but SOMEone had to say it!!)

Matthew