Legio I Isaura Sagittaria

The Legio I Isaura Sagittaria ( " 1 Isaurian archers Legion ") was a Roman legion, which was by Diocletian ( 284-305 ) erected towards the end of his reign, for the protection of the Roman province Isauria in the Taurus Mountains of Asia Minor. The view expressed in the earlier research thesis of conscription to fight against predatory Isaurian hill tribes in Asia Minor around 278/279 by Probus is considered refuted.

The name ' sagittaria ' indicates an unusual for legions armed with bow and arrow. Originally focused on the Legion Comes by Isauriam as limitanei (border army ). They decreed in the early 4th century by a troop strength of about 6,000 men, which was reduced in the course of the century to about 2000 men.

Ammianus Marcellinus describes in his History that the Isaurian, probably in the 350 years, left their country middle of the 4th century and the coastal area devastated several years as a roving robbers to Seleucia. In the year 354, the Legio I Isaura Sagittaria, Legio II Isaura and Legio III Isaura defended under the command of the Comes Castrizius the city Seleucia successful.

Probably it was built by Emperor Valens ( 364-378 ) to 365/366 and mobilized as pseudocomitatenses subordinate to the army in the field, when he was in Caesarea and Ancyra and troops needed against the usurper Procopius. In the year 368, there was renewed raids the Isaurian. The vicar Asiae Musonius was with his Diogmiten reamed (police auxiliary force ). Only the use of border and field legions could stop the riots. In the early 5th century, the Legio I Isaura Sagittaria was under the Magister Militum as pseudocomitatenses by orientem.

Procopius (usurper) Legio I Adiutrix Legio I Armeniaca Legio I Germanica Legio I Iovia 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 Herculia Legio II Italica Legio II Parthica Legio II Traiana fortis Legio III Augusta Legio III Cyrenaica Legio III Diocletiana Legio III Gallica Legio III Italica Legio III Parthica Legio IV Flavia Felix Legio IV Italica Legio IV Macedonica Legio IV Scythica Legio V Alaudae Legio V Iovia Legio VI Ferrata Legio VI Herculia Legio VI Victrix Legio VII Claudia Legio VII Gemina Legio VIII Augusta Legio XI Claudia 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 Valeria Victrix Legio XXI Rapax Legio XXII Deiotariana Legio XXII Primigenia Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix Jovians and Herculians Theban Legion

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