Legio XIX

Legio XIX was a Roman legion levied (drafted into military service) in 41 or 40 BC by Augustus. It was destroyed in 9 in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. The emblem of the XIXth legion is unknown, but probably was the Capricorn as other legions levied by Augustus.

The first assignment was in Sicily where Sextus Pompeius, son of Pompey, was still rebelling. This revolt put Rome's grain supply in peril and it needed a harsh response.

In 30 BC, veterans of the XIX legion were settled near Pisa, and after that, the rest of the legion was allocated in the Rhine frontier with base camp at Cologne. The XIX legion participated in the German Campaigns of Drusus (13-9 BC) and Tiberius (8-5 BC). By the year 5 BC Germania was a Roman province and Publius Quinctilius Varus was assigned as governor.

In September 9, Arminius, leader of the Cherusci and a Roman ally, set a trap. He reported a major revolt of one of the western tribes and suggested the return of both governor and his legions to the Rhine. Varus accepted the suggestion and went with the XVII, XVIII and XIX legions. The army was trapped near Osnabrück and was completely destroyed in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Between 16 and 18, Germanicus, the leader of the Rhine armies, looked for the remains of the legions. His army buried the bodies and recovered the legions' eagles for Rome.

After its destruction, the Romans never used this legion number again.

ee also

*List of Roman legions

External links

* [http://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/xix.html livius.org account]