Legio III Italica

Legio tertia Italica ("Italian Third Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in AD 165 by the emperor Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-80), for his campaign against the Marcomanni tribe. The cognomen Italica suggests that the legion's original recruits were mainly drawn from Italy. The legion was still active in Raetia and other provinces in the early 5th century (Notitia Dignitatum, dated ca. 420 AD for Western Roman Empire entries).

Together with legions II Italica and I Adiutrix, III Italica legion was in the Danube provinces from its beginning, fighting the Marcomanni invasion of the Raetia and Noricum provinces. In 171 they built the camp Castra Regina, present Regensburg, designed as strongly defensive position.

In the civil war of 193, this legion supported Septimius Severus and helped him defeat his opponents: first Didius Julianus, then Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus. Their loyalty was extended to Severus' successor, emperor Caracalla, for whom they fought in 213 a campaign against the Alamanni.

Anthonine Dynasty

Marcus Aurelius founded in the year 165 AD Gnaeus Iulius Verus and Tiberius Claudius Proculus Cornelianus two new legions - the II and III. Italica. Their names suggests that their recruitment area, the populous northern Italy and the soldiers was also initially largely stemmed from there. Immediately after their set, the Legion probably immediately vexillations in the crisis-ridden Pannonia in march, subsequently they fought under Marcus Aurelius in the Marcomanni wars. Under the command of Quintus Antistius Adventus Postumius Aquilinus the Legion 167-170 during the expedition Germanica in the Central Alps to protect Italy was used against Germanic tribes. To 170 the Legion probably took on a campaign under the leadership of the commander and later Emperor Pertinax in part, succeeded in the process of selling Germanic invaders from the provinces of Raetia and Noricum.

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