Legio V Macedonica

Legio V Macedonica
Map of the Roman empire in AD 125, under emperor Hadrian, showing the LEGIO V MACEDONICA, stationed on the river Danube at Troesmis (Romania), in Moesia Inferior province, from AD 107 to 161
Active	43 BC to sometime in the 5th century
Country	Roman Republic, Roman Empire, East Roman Empire
Type	Roman legion (Marian) later a comitatensis unit
Role	Infantry assault (some cavalry support)
Size	Varied over unit lifetime. 5,000–6,000 men during Principate
Garrison/HQ	Macedonia (30 BC–6) Oescus, Moesia (6–62) Oescus (71–101) Troesmis, Dacia (107–161) Potaissa, Dacia Porolissensis (166–274) Oescus (274–5th century)
Nickname(s)	possibly Urbana and/or Gallica (before 31 BC) Macedonica, "Macedonia" (since AD 6) Pia Fidelis, "faithful and loyal", or Pia Constans, "faithful and reliable" (since 185–7) Pia III Fidelis III (under Valerian) Pia VII Fidelis VII (under Gallienus)
Mascot(s)	Bull and eagle
Engagements	Battle of Actium (31 BC) Corbulo Parthian campaign (63) First Jewish-Roman War (66–70) Trajan's Dacian Wars (101–106) Verus Parthian campaign (161–166) vexillationes of the 5th participated in many other campaigns.

Legio quinta Macedonica (the Fifth Macedonian Legion) was a Roman legion. It was probably originally levied in 43 BC by consul Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus and Octavian (later known as the Emperor Augustus). It was based in the Balkan provinces of Macedonia, Moesia and Dacia. In the Notitia Dignitatum records from beginning of the fifth century, the legion was still stationed in Dacia, with detachments stationed in the east and Egypt.

The last known evidence shows the legion, or detachments from it, stationed in Egypt in the seventh century one or two years before the Islamic conquest of Egypt. It is often assumed that the legion fought in this war and was destroyed, although it is uncertain whether detachments or the whole legion were in Egypt, and there is no further evidence of the legion's eventual fate.

Its symbol was the bull, but the eagle was used as well.

The Legio V was one of the original twenty-eight legions raised by Octavian. There are two fifth legions recorded: the V Gallica and the V Urbana. It is possible that these both were early names for the V Macedonica. The legion probably participated in the Battle of Actium (31 BC). It later moved to Macedonia, where it stayed from 30 BC to AD 6, gaining its cognomen, before moving to Oescus (Moesia).

In 62, some vexillationes of the Fifth fought under Lucius Caesennius Paetus in Armenia against the Parthian Empire. After the defeat of the Battle of Rhandeia, the whole V Macedonica, together with III Gallica, VI Ferrata, and X Fretensis under the command of Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, was sent to the east to fight in the victorious war against the Parthians.