Legio XVII
Legio XVII ("Seventeenth Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. It was founded by Augustus around 41 BC. The legion was destroyed in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (September 9, 9). The legion's symbol and cognomen are unknown.
This legion was probably created to deal with Sextus Pompey, the last opponent of the second triumvirate, garrisoned in Sicily and threatening Rome's grain supply.
Following the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra in the battle of Actium (31 BC), the legion was stationed in Gaul. In the end of the 1st century BC, the Seventeenth was sent to the Germania provinces in the Rhine and was stationed in Castra Vetera (Xanten). In AD 5, the provinces were pacified and Publius Quinctilius Varus was assigned governor and commander of the Germania army.
On September 9, Arminius, leader of the Cheruscan allies, reported a rebellion in the Rhine area. Without suspecting the information received, Varus took his three legions, the XVII along with XVIII and XIX, and headed west. On 9 September, near modern Osnabrück, the Cheruscii led by Arminius ambushed the governor's army. All three legions were destroyed in what is known as the battle of the Teutoburg Forest and their eagle standards lost. The eagle standards were recovered by the Romans in later years.
After its destruction, the Romans never used this legion number again.
See also
External links
- livius.org account of Legio XVII
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- Legio I Adiutrix
- Legio I Armeniaca
- Legio I Flavia Constantia
- Legio I Germanica
- Legio I Illyricorum
- Legio I Iovia
- Legio I Isaura Sagittaria
- Legio I Italica
- Legio I Macriana liberatrix
- Legio I Maximiana
- Legio I Minervia
- Legio I Parthica
- Legio II Adiutrix
- Legio II Armeniaca
- Legio II Augusta
- Legio II Flavia Constantia
- Legio II Flavia Virtutis
- Legio II Gallica
- Legio II Herculia
- Legio II Isaura
- Legio II Italica
- Legio II Parthica
- Legio II Traiana Fortis
- Legio III Augusta
- Legio III Cyrenaica
- Legio III Diocletiana
- Legio III Gallica
- Legio III Isaura
- Legio III Italica
- Legio III Parthica
- Legio IV Flavia Felix
- Legio IV Italica
- Legio IV Macedonica
- Legio IV Martia
- Legio IV Scythica
- Legio V Alaudae
- Legio V Iovia
- Legio V Macedonica
- Legio V Parthica
- Legio VI Ferrata
- Legio VI Herculia
- Legio VI Hispana
- Legio VI Victrix
- Legio VII Claudia
- Legio VII Gemina
- Legio VIII Augusta
- Legio IX Hispana
- Legio X Equestris
- Legio X Fretensis
- Legio X Gemina
- Legio XI
- Legio XI Claudia
- Legio XII Fulminata
- Legio XIII Gemina
- Legio XIV Gemina
- Legio XV Apollinaris
- Legio XV Primigenia
- Legio XVI Flavia Firma
- Legio XVI Gallica
- Legio XVII
- Legio XVIII
- Legio XIX
- Legio XX Siciliana
- Legio XX Valeria Victrix
- Legio XXI Rapax
- Legio XXII Deiotariana
- Legio XXII Primigenia
- Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix