Legio XIX

Legio XIX was levied in 41 or 40 BC by Augustus. They were destroyed in 9 AD in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. The flag of the XIX th legion is unknown, but probaly was the Capricorn as other legions levied by Augustus.

The first assignment was in Sicily were Sextus Pompeius, the son of Pompey, was still rebeled. This revolt was putting 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 to 9 BC) and Tiberius (8 to 5 BC). By the year 5 BC Germania was a Roman province and Publius Quintilius Varus was assigned as governor.

In September 9 AD, Arminius, lider of the Cheruscan and roman ally, setted a trap. He reported a major revolt of one of the weatern tribes and suggested the return of both governor and his legions to the Rhine. Varus accepted the suggestion of a man trusted by Rome and went on his way with the XVII, XVIII and XIX legions. The army was trapped near Osnabrück and was completed destroyed in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, with every soldier killed. Between 16 and 18 AD, Germanicus, the leader of the Rhine armies, looked for the remainings of the legions. His army burried the bodies and recovered the legions eagles to Rome.

See also: List of Roman legions, Roman legion