Legio V Alaudae Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Fifth Legion Alaudae
Legio V Alaudae Legio Quinta Alaudae
Signum of the Fifth Legion Alaudae (simplified reconstruction)
Active	52 BC until either AD 70 or AD 86
Country	Roman Republic (in the time of Julius Caesar) and Roman Empire
Type	Roman legion (Marian)
Nickname(s)	Alaudae, "of the Lark" (using a Gaulish word) Gallica

The Legio V Alaudae ("Fifth Legion of the Lark") was a famous Roman army group. It was also sometimes called Gallica. This legion was started in 52 BC by the great Roman general Gaius Julius Caesar. He was a very powerful leader, even a dictator of Rome from 49-44 BC.

The legion was formed in an area called Transalpine Gaul. Its first job was to fight against the armies of Vercingetorix, a Gaulish leader. What made this legion special was that it was the first Roman legion to include soldiers who were not Roman citizens. Experts are not sure exactly when the legion ended. Some think it was destroyed during the Batavian rebellion in AD 70. Others believe it was during the First Battle of Tapae in AD 86.

History of the Fifth Legion
See also

History of the Fifth Legion

How the Legion Started

The Legio V Alaudae was created in Transalpine Gaul in 52 BC. Julius Caesar paid the soldiers himself at first. Later, the Roman Senate officially recognized the legion. It might have been called Legio V Gallica at the very beginning.

The name Alaudae is unusual because it's a Gaulish word. It probably refers to a Gaulish custom of wearing lark's wings on their helmets. This new legion first fought in the campaign against the Gaulish leader Vercingetorix. They also took part in the famous siege of Alesia.

During the civil war between Caesar and Pompey, the V Alaudae joined Caesar's invasion of Italy. They stayed in Apulia for a while. The legion also fought in the Battle of Dyrrhachium. Later, they were part of Caesar's campaign in Africa against Cato. This led to the Battle of Thapsus. Here, the legion bravely fought against war elephants used by Caesar's enemies. This was very impressive! Because of this, the V Alaudae became the only legion under Caesar to use an elephant as its symbol. Most other legions used a bull. The elephant symbol was given to them in 46 BC.

Fighting in the Last Roman Republic War

After Caesar's death, a civil war broke out between Mark Antony and Augustus. The Legio V Alaudae chose to support Antony. They fought for him in the Battle of Mutina, which Antony lost.

Later, Antony and Augustus decided to work together. They defeated the people who had killed Caesar in the Battle of Philippi. The V Alaudae was part of this important battle. The legion then joined Antony's war against the Parthian empire. Antony also used the legion in his fight against Octavian. This ended with the naval Battle of Actium, where Antony was defeated.

After 30 BC, Augustus moved the V Alaudae to Mérida in Lusitania (modern-day Portugal and Spain). There, they took part in the campaigns against the Cantabrians.

Serving in Germania

After a few years, the V Alaudae moved to Gallia Belgica (parts of modern-day Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany). While in Gaul, the legion might have lost its battle standard for a short time. This happened when their commander, Marcus Lollius, was defeated by the Germanic Sugambri tribe. This battle likely took place in the valley of the Meuse river.

The legion was probably moved from Hispania Ulterior to Belgica around 19 BC. This was when Augustus' friend Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa invaded Germania. Augustus' stepson Drusus then moved the legion to Xanten (in modern Germany). The V Alaudae took part in Drusus' campaigns in Germania. In 9 BCE, the soldiers of V Alaudae crossed the Weser river and reached the Elbe river. For some time, they might have lived at Oberaden or Haltern on the east bank of the Rhine river.

In 6 CE, several Roman legions planned to march against King Maroboduus of the Marcomanni tribe in Czechia. At the same time, the V Alaudae were supposed to attack the Marcomanni along the Elbe. This was planned to be the biggest operation ever by a Roman army. However, a rebellion in Pannonia (modern-day Hungary and parts of neighboring countries) stopped it.

Not long after, the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ended Rome's dream of conquering Germania. Commander Lucius Nonius Asprenas used the First Legion Germanica and the Fifth Legion Alaudae. Their job was to hold the forts in Germania Inferior. This stopped Germanic tribes from raiding Belgica.

After this disaster, the V Alaudae was stationed at Xanten. They were with XXI Rapax. They watched over the nearby Cugerni tribe and guarded where the Rhine and Lippe rivers met. Both legions joined Germanicus' campaigns in Germania during the early years of Emperor Tiberius' rule. In 43 AD, the XXI Rapax was replaced by XV Primigenia. Xanten was also rebuilt at this time. The Fifteenth Legion occupied the eastern part of the base, and the Fifth Legion occupied the western part.

In 28 CE, the Fifth Legion stopped a Frisian revolt. But Emperor Tiberius still allowed the Frisians to be independent. Twelve years later, the V Alaudae joined Emperor Caligula when he visited the Rhine river delta. There's a famous story by Suetonius about Caligula ordering soldiers to collect shells on the beach. This story refers to the Fifth Legion's visit to Lugdunum.

The V Alaudae and XV Primigenia are thought to have been part of an army led by the Roman general Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo. This army went against the Frisians and Chauci tribes in 47 AD. The operation was very successful. However, Emperor Claudius ordered the Romans to keep the Rhine as the empire's border. The soldiers were then told to build forts along the Rhine. They also dug a canal from Matilo to the capital of the Cananefates, Voorburg. This canal still exists today! Another non-military job for the legion was making tiles. Every legion owned and ran a tile factory. It's interesting that the V Alaudae made their tiles at Feldkassel, which was more than 90 kilometers away.

The Year of Four Emperors

In 67 AD, many Roman senators disliked Emperor Nero. Several governors talked about removing him from power. Among them were Lucius Clodius Macer from Africa and Gaius Julius Vindex from a province in Gaul. They supported the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, Servius Sulpicius Galba. Galba announced that he wanted to remove Nero from the throne.

The army of Germania Inferior, which included the Legio V Alaudae, marched south. They defeated Gaius Julius Vindex. Because of this victory, the army of Germania Inferior declared their own commander, Vitellius, as emperor. They then marched on Rome and succeeded. Vitellius began his rule.

However, in the east, General Vespasian also decided to try for power. The two armies fought near Cremona in northern Italy. The Rhine army was not strong enough against Vespasian's soldiers.

The Batavian Revolt

Meanwhile, in Germania Inferior, the Batavians revolted. A Roman army, made up of the remaining soldiers from V Alaudae and XV Primigenia, was defeated near Nijmegen. Not long after, these two legions were surrounded at Xanten.

Even though the I Germanica, XVI Gallica, and a legion from Germania Superior, XXII Primigenia, tried to save them, the two legions at Xanten had to surrender in March 70 AD. Soon after, I Germanica and XVI Gallica also surrendered. It took several months before the new emperor Vespasian could send a strong Roman army to take back the Rhineland. This army, led by his relative Quintus Petillius Cerialis, put down the Batavian revolt.

The legions XVI Gallica and IIII Macedonica, which had guarded Mainz, were renamed XVI Flavia Firma and IIII Flavia Felix. The remaining soldiers of I Germanica joined with Galba's Seventh Legion and became known as VII Gemina. Sadly, the XV Primigenia and V Alaudae were never formed again.

Legio V Alaudae facts for kids

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