Legio III Augusta
| Legio III Augusta | |
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Map of the Roman empire in CE 125, under emperor Hadrian, showing the Legio III Augusta, stationed at Lambaesis (Batna, Algeria), in Mauretania Caesariensis province, from CE 75 until the 4th century.
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| Country | Roman Republic and Roman Empire |
| Type | Roman legion (Marian) |
| Role | Infantry assault |
| Size | 5000–6000 |
| Garrison/HQ | Lambaesis (128– early 4th century) |
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| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
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Legio tertia Augusta ("Third Augustan Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. Its origin may have been the Republican 3rd Legion which served the general Pompey during his civil war against Gaius Julius Caesar (49–45 BC). It supported the general Octavian (later emperor Augustus) in his civil war against Mark Antony (31–30 BC). It was officially refounded in 30 BC, when Octavian achieved sole mastery of the Roman empire. In that year, it was deployed in the Roman province of Africa, where it remained until at least the late 4th century AD.
The Third Augustan Legion was not only a source of protection for the Roman Empire, but it was also largely responsible for the urbanization of the North African provinces. The Legion was initially stationed in Ammaedara (modern-day Haïdra) where they built their first military camp. From there they invested part of their time in the construction of roads, beginning expansion. These new connections led to the development of new towns and cities for civilians, camps for the military and even colonies for the veterans. These were usually distinct from each other, but as time progressed they began to merge. The Legion did not always build up the entire town; civilians often assisted in the building of some projects. The most common projects for soldiers were aqueducts, fortifications and amphitheaters. Typically their work was for more "monumental projects" rather than "pure architecture." The legion was not therefore solely a military force but also undertook engineering and surveying functions requiring an advanced mix of skills.
The first instance of military roads was in 14CE. The Legion built a road from their base at Ammaedara, through Thelepte, to the Oasis of Gafsa. Further expansion occurred under the rule of Tiberius with a road from the Oasis of Gafsa to the Oasis of Gabes. Between these two cities the Legion stopped for rest and created five stations.
The Legion sometimes followed the old dirt tracks from the previous Punic towns, but they mainly created new roads. Their construction followed a distinct system. Since these roads were commonly built for the use of military movement, the roads needed to be kept as simple as possible. Therefore, the roads tended to be on higher grounds, avoided valleys and remained as straight as possible. The soldiers were even able to construct the roads to drain water. It is calculated that the total length of roads in North Africa reached about 19300 kilometres
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Wikipedia