Last Updated on December 18, 2021 by Vladimir Vulic
This is not a complete list of all legions, but a listing of examples of legionary nick-names and their origins.
| NAME | ORIGIN OF NAME | TIME OF CREATION |
|---|---|---|
| I Adiutrix pia fidelis | Assistant, i.e. raised to supplement the legionary strength | Nero |
| I Italica | Raised in Italy | Nero |
| I Macriana | Raised by Clodius Macer | Nero |
| I Flavia Minervia | After Minerva | Domitian |
| I Parthica | Raised for campaigns in the East | Severus |
| II Adiutrix pia fidelis | Assistant, i.e. raised to supplement the legionary strength | Vespasian |
| II Augusta | Raised by Augustus | Augustan |
| II Italica pia | Raised in Italy | Marcus Aurelius in AD 165 |
| II Parthica | Raised for campaigns in teh East | Severus |
| II Traiana fortis | Strong, raised by Trajan | Trajan |
| III Augusta pia fidelis | Formed by Augustus | Augustan |
| III Cyrenaica | Province where it gained distinction | Pre-Augustan |
| III Gallica | From the veterans of Caesar’s Gallic legions | Pre-Augustan |
| III Italica concors | United, raised in Italy | Marcus Aurelius in AD 165 |
| III Parthica | Raised for campaigns in the East | Severus |
| IV Flavia firma | Steadfast, raised by Vespasian | Vespasian in AD 70 |
| IV Macedonica | Province where it gained distinction | Augustan |
| IV Scythia | Region where it gained distinction | Pre-Augustan |
| V Alaudae | The Lark, raised by Caesar | Pre Augustan |
| V Macedonica | Province where it gained distinction | Pre-Augustan |
| VI Ferrata fidelis constans | ‘Iron-sides’, a nickname indicating their endurance | Pre-Augustan |
| VI Victrix | Victorious, given after an outstanding victory | Pre-Augustan |
| VII Macedonica Claudia pia fidelis | For its loyalty to Claudius during a mutiny in AD 42 | Pre-Augustan |
| VII Gemina | One legion made out of two | Galba |
| VIII Augusta | Reconstituted by Augustus | Pre-Augustan |
| IX Hispana | Province where it gained distinction | Pre-Augustan |
| X Fretensis | From the naval war between Octavian and Sextus Pompeius | Pre-Augustan |
| X Gemina | One legion made out of two | Pre-Augustan |
| XI Claudia pia fidelis | For its loyalty to Claudius during a mutiny in AD 42 | Pre-Augustan |
| XII Fulminata | ‘Lighting-hurler’, probably gained under Caesar | Pre-Augustan |
| XIII Gemina pia fidelis | One legion made out of two | Augustan |
| XIV Gemina Martia Victrix | One legion made out of two | Augustan |
| XV Apollinaris | After the god Apollo | Augustan |
| XV Primigenia | After Fortuna Primigenia | Caligula or Claudius |
| XVI Flavia firma | Raised by Vespasian | Vespasian in AD 70 |
| XVI Gallica | Province where it gained distinction, possibly under Drusus | Augustan |
| XX Valeria Victrix | Gained distinction under Valerius Messalinus | Augustan |
| XXI Rapax | ‘Greedy’ – in the sense of sweeping everthing before it | Augustan |
| XXII Deiotariana | Raised by Deiotarus | Augustan |
| XXII Primigenia pia fidelis | After Fortuna Primigenia | Caligula or Claudius |
| XXX Ulpia victrix | Raised by Trajan and called victorious presumably after distinguishing conduct in Dacia | Trajan |
Historian Franco Cavazzi dedicated hundreds of hours of his life to creating this website, roman-empire.net as a trove of educational material on this fascinating period of history. His work has been cited in a number of textbooks on the Roman Empire and mentioned on numerous publications such as the New York Times, PBS, The Guardian, and many more.