The sixth legion was founded by Octavian (the future emperor Augustus) in 41 BC, as a copy of the Caesarian sixth legion, which was in the army of his rival Marc Antony. The new legion saw its first action during the siege of Perugia in the same year. In 31, the Sixth was present during the battle of Actium against Marc Antony. After 30, it was stationed in Hispania Tarraconensis, where it took part in Augustus' campaigns against the Cantabrians, which lasted from 25-13 BC. This was a very large war: among the other troops involved were I Germanica, II Augusta, IV Macedonica, V Alaudae, IX Hispana, X Gemina (which seems to have shared its base, perhaps near Braga, with our unit), XX Valeria Victrix, and another legion, perhaps VIII Augusta.
VI Victrix was to stay in Hispania for almost a century and received the surname Hispaniensis. Soldiers of this unit and X Gemina were among the first settlers of Zaragoza.
When in 89 the governor of Germania Superior, Lucius Antonius Saturninus, revolted against the emperor Domitian, the army of Germania Inferior (I Minervia, VI Victrix, X Gemina, XXII Primigenia) hurried to the south, to Mainz, and defeated the rebel. Every legion was awarded the title Pia Fidelis Domitiana ('faithful and loyal to Domitian'). When this emperor was killed in 96, the last element of this honorific title was dropped.
In 121, the emperor Hadrian visited Germania Inferior, where he ordered the construction of the Lower Rhine limes, which is better known as Hadrian's wall. The legion's new base was York, close to Hadrian's wall. In the years between 155 and 158, a widespread revolt occurred in northern Britain, requiring heavy fighting by the British legions. They suffered heavily, and reinforcements had to be brought in from the two Germanic provinces. At first, the Romans remained master of the area between Hadrian's wall and the Antonine wall, but at the beginning of the reign of Marcus Aurelius, it was abandoned. Hadrian's wall once again marked the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. During this time, it received the honorific title Britannica. From now on, the full name of the legion was VI Victrix Pia Fidelis Britannica.
During this century, VI Victrix remained at York, and shared the fate of Britain. When this province was part of the Gallic Empire, it supported the Gallic emperors (260-274); when Britain became independent, it supported usurpers like Carausius and Allectus (286-297). After 297, the province was again incorporated into the Roman empire, and the soldiers served crown-prince (later emperor) Constantius I Chlorus. When he died in 306 in York, soldiers of the Sixth proclaimed his son emperor: Constantine the Great (306-337). For this reason VI Victrix was indeed a notable Legion!!
In the last third of the fourth century, Roman rule in Britain was increasingly threatened, and order had to be restored several times. VI Victrix must have suffered defeats. Yet, the legion still existed in the late fourth century. It may have been withdrawn to the continent in 402 by Stilicho, the supreme commander of the Roman forces in western Europe during the reign of Honorius.
Its legionary symbol probably was a bull.
Officers
Spoiler Imperator
Legatus
Centurion
Preator
Enlisted
Spoiler Optio
Tessassarius
Decurio
Decanus
Legionarus
Auxilia
Milites |
Thread is still a work in progress!
