History
Origins and service in Egypt
The origins of the legion are unclear, but it is first attested as part of Mark Antony's forces during the period of the Second Triumvirate (43-33 BC). Cyrenaica was under the control of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus before 36 BC and of Mark Antony after that date; either of them might have established the Legio III. [1] Pollard and Berry suggest that the legion was established by Lucius Pinarius Scarpus, an ally of Mark Antony who was his governor of Cyrenaica in the 30s BC. [2] The legio III is one of the many legions that appear in Mark Antony's Legionary denarii produced in 32-31 BC.
After Augustus defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium in 30 BC and annexed Egypt, he used the legion to occupy Thebes, the main centre in Upper Egypt. [1] The soldiers of this legion are attested worshipping the Egyptian god Ammon. [1] In either 7 AD or 9 AD the legion was transferred to Alexandria. [1]
In 26-25 BC a vexillatio of III Cyrenaica took part in a disastrous Roman attack on Arabia Felix. [1] The campaign was commanded Aelius Gallus, the prefect of Egypt. [1] This caused the province of Egypt to be unprotected, as the legions were off fighting. [1] Because of this the Nubian kingdom of Meroë attacked Upper Egypt. [1] In 24 BC a Roman governor named Gaius Petronius took the legions, one of which was III Cyrenaica, and marched upstream along the Nile and reached Napata, the capital of Nubia. [1] After this, the Nubians attacked the Romans a lot less. [1]
Later history
During the civil war following the death of the emperor Commodus in 192 AD the Legio III Cyrenaica sided with the eastern pretender Pescennius Niger. [1] Niger was defeated by Septimius Severus. [1] Subsequently, Severus invaded Mesopotamia to fight against the Parthians and it is possible that the Legio III took part in these campaigns. [1] It certainly participated in the Parthian war launched by Severus' son Caracalla in 216 AD. [1] The legion may also have taken part in Severus Alexander's war against the Sasanian Empire from 231 to 233 [1] In 260 AD, the Sasanians took the Roman emperor Valerian captive, and several Roman provinces in the east became independent under Odaenathus of Palmyra. [1] Odaenathus led Roman units against the Persians, one of which was the III Cyrenica. In 273 AD the legion helped build roads in Jordan. [1] The later history of this unit is unclear, but the third Cyrenaican legion was still at Bosra at the beginning of the fifth century. [1]
The 60s decade ran from January 1, AD 60, to December 31, AD 69.
The 110s was a decade that ran from January 1, AD 110, to December 31, AD 119.
This article concerns the period 39 BC – 30 BC.
This article concerns the period 29 BC – 20 BC.
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