Somewhere between 108-180 A.D., one of the most famous Roman legions disappeared from history. The Legio IX Hispania was recruited by Pompey the Great in Spain around 50 B.C. It fought under Julius Caesar in the Gallic Wars. It served with Octavian in his civil war with Marc Antony. In 43, it was part of Claudius invasion of Britain and was sent north. It lost up to one-third of its strength in the Boudicca revolt, but it was reinforced after that and stationed in York to defend the northern border of Roman Britain. The last record of it had it constructing a fortress in York in 108. However, it does not appear on a list of legions from the reign of Marcus Aurelius (emperor from 161-180). No historian has been able to decisively determine what happened to the 6,000 or so legionaries. In 1902, German historian Theodor Mommsen published his book A History of Rome. He theorized that the legion was wiped out by the Brigantes when they sacked York in 117. The theory was popular until artifacts were found in Holland in the 1990’s indicating the legion was stationed there around 120. Other archeological evidence suggests the legion may have been wiped out in the Jewish Revolt of 132 or eliminated while fighting along the Danube in 162. However, these discoveries may have been smaller units detached from the legion. It is unlikely we will ever find out what exactly happened to the IX Legion. And why is there no record of what happened to it?
Categories: Anecdote
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