03 Julius Caesar's 3rd Gallica Legion - Roman Bull T-Shirt
This Legion was founded in 49-48 BC by Julius Caesar for his upcoming war against Pompey. Its recruits came out of Northern italy, as well as Caesar's two Gallic Provinces. The Legion first fought at Dyrrhachium, and was also present at the Battle of Munda. After Caesar's murder it served under Marc Antony, and fought under him in 42 at Philippi. In 36 the Legion was part of Antony's ill-fated campaign against the Parthian Empire, fighting heroically during Antony's retreat and saving the rest of his army. After Actium in 31, the Legion was integrated into Octavian's army and sent to Syria. In 20 the Legion was one of those that reclaimed the eagle standards that the Parthians had captured when they slaughtered Crassus and his army at Carrhae in 53 BC. The Legion served under Emperor Nero in his war against the Parthians in 58-64 AD, and afterwards it was stationed on the Danube frontier, where it was when Nero killed himself in 69. Over the years the Legion would be stationed at Capua and Judaea, and one of its military tribunes would be Pliny the Younger, who became famous os the author of beautiful letters. In 132-36 AD the Legion fought against the Jews, and in 161-66 against the Parthians, crossing the Tigris, invading Media, and later capturing the Parthian capitals Seleucia and Ctesiphon. The Legion was briefly disbanded by Heliogabalus in 219, then reconstituted by Severus Alexander in 222. From then on it was based near Damascus, guarding the road there to Palmyra. Later, After Aurelian's reign, the Legion was in southern Syria in 315-16, when it was last mentioned. Like most Caesarian Legions, its emblem was the bull.
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