Legio XIII Gemina

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{{Infobox Military Unit |unit_name=Legio XIII Gemina |image= Image:Sestertius Philip 247-lv lxiii.jpg |caption=Sestertius minted in 248 by Philip the Arab to celebrate Dacia province and its legions, V Macedonica and XIII Gemina. Note the eagle and the lion, V's and XIII's symbols, in the reverse. |dates= 57 BC to sometime in the 5th century |country= Roman Republic and Roman Empire |type= Roman legion (Marian) |role= Infantry assault (some cavalry support) |size= Varied over unit lifetime. Approx. 3,500 fighting men + support at the time of creation. Expanded and given the cognomen Gemina in 31 BC. |garrison= Roman Dacia (89 - c. 270)
Dacia Aureliana (270 - ?? )
Babylon? (c. 400) |ceremonial_chief= |nickname= Gemina, "The twin" (since 31 BC) |patron= Julius Caesar,
Augustus,
Roman Emperors |motto= |colors= |march= |mascot= Lion |battles=Gallic Wars (58-51 BC)
Battle against the Nervians (57 BC)
Battle of Gergovia (52 BC)
Battle of Alesia (52 BC) - uncertain
Battle of Dyrrhachium (48 BC)
Battle of Pharsalus (48 BC)
Battle of Thapsus (46 BC)
Battle of Munda (45 BC)
Battle of Actium (31 BC)
1st and 2nd Battles of Bedriacum (69)
Vexillationes of the 13th participated in many other campaigns. |notable_commanders= Julius Caesar,
Marcus Salvius Otho,
Marcus Antonius Primus |anniversaries= }} Legio XIII, the 13th Legion (after 31 BC known as Legio XIII Gemina, the twin legion), is one of the more historically noteworthy Roman legions, as it was one of Julius Caesar's armies used in Gaul, and also for his civil war. It was the legion he famously crossed the Rubicon with on January 10, 49 BC. After Caesar's victory, the legion was retired and its veterans settled, in 45 BC

In 41 BC Legio XIII was reactivated by Augustus Caesar as a standing army.

After 134 years as an active legion, XIII Gemina was made a garrison army in the province of Dacia (modern Romania) by Domitian, in 89, although vexillationes from the legion were still used in active campaigns. The legion was relocated when the Dacia province was evacuated, and restationed in Dacia Aureliana.

It is unknown when the legion was finally disbanded, but it is mentioned in Roman records as late as the early 5th century; The Notitia Dignitatum (c.400) mentions a "13th twin legion", although it has it stationed in Babylon.

The symbol of the legion was the lion.

1 The legion during the later Republic
2 The legion during the Empire
3 Fictional accounts
4 See also
5 External links

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The legion during the later Republic

Legio XIII was levied by Julius Caesar in 57 BC, before marching against the Belgae, in one of his early interventions in intra-Gallic conflicts.

During the Gallic wars (58-51 BC), Legio XIII was present at the Battle against the Nervians, the siege of Gergovia, and while not specifically mentioned in the sources, it is not unreasonable to assume that Legio XIII was also present for the Battle of Alesia.

After the end of the Gallic wars, the Roman senate refused Caesar his second consulship, ordered him to give up his commands, and demanded he return to Rome to face prosecution. Forced to choose either the end of his political career, or civil war, Caesar brought Legio XIII across the Rubicon river and into Italy. The legion remained faithful to Caesar during the resulting civil war between Caesar and the conservative Optimates faction of the senate, whose legions were commanded by Pompey. Legio XIII was active throughout the entire war, fighting at Dyrrhachium (48 BC) and Pharsalus (48 BC). After the decisive victory over Pompey at Pharsalus, the legion was to be disbanded, and the legionaries "pentioned off" with the traditional land grants. However, the legion was recalled for the Battle of Thapsus (46 BC) and the final Battle of Munda (45 BC). After Munda, Caesar disbanded the legion, retired his veterans, and gave them farmlands in Italy.

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The legion during the Empire

Augustus reconstituted the legion once again in 41 BC to deal with rebellion of Sextus Pompeius (son of Pompey) in Sicily.

Legio XIII was reinforced with veteran legionaries from other legions, and acquired the cognomen Gemina (Twin), after the war against Mark Antony and the battle of Actium. Augustus then sent the legion to Burnum (modern Knin), in Illyricum, a Roman province in the Adriatic Sea.

In 16 BC, the legion was transferred to Emona (now Ljubljana) in Pannonia, where they dealt with local rebellions.

After the disaster of the battle of the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9, the legion was sent as reinforcements to Augusta Vindelica (Augsburg), Germania Superior to prevent further attacks from the Germanic tribes.

Emperor Claudius sent them back to Pannonia around 45; the legion camped at Poetovio (modern Ptuj, Slovenia).

In the year of the four emperors (69), XIII Gemina supported first Otho and then Vitellius, two of the defeated emperors, fighting in the two Battles of Bedriacum.

In 89 Domitian transferred the legion to Dacia (in Apulum, modern Alba Iulia, Romania) to garrison the province from their camp in Vienna. They remained in this camp until the 5th century, according to Notitia Dignitatum, although some vexillationes participated in several foreign campaigns.

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Fictional accounts

A fictionalized account some of the actions of Legio XIII Gemina during the struggle between Julius Caesar and the Optimates faction under Pompey can be seen in the joint HBO/BBC television production Rome.

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