One of the longest surviving legions (Full History of the 11th Claudia)

I would like to express our thanks to our Patreons for helping us create this video. Feel free to join them with the link in the description. In 58 BC, an 11th and 12th legion were levied together in Cisalpine Gaul by Julius Caesar. This was done in preparation of his famous Gallic Wars, which would see him win many victories. The most impactful positions and roles throughout the campaign were given to his four original veteran legions from Hispania. These were the 7th, 8th and 9th legions raised by Pompey and the 10th raised by him, and Caesar was particularly slow to trust his inexperienced legions in battle, as this was the norm for any wise commander. New recruits had to first be tested with small encounters to grow their confidence. It is because of this that during Caesar's first successful battle at Bibracte, he placed the 11th in the second line, as if to make them watch his veterans ahead and get a taste for battle at a safe distance. But Caesar's plan to slowly introduce his recruits to combat was interrupted when a massive force ambushed his army while constructing forts near the Sambre river. Like the others, the 11th was thrown completely off guard, and the recruits barely had time to pick up their arms and form a line. The fighting was chaotic, with auxiliaries and civilians fleeing at all sides, but the 11th, together with the veteran 8th right next to them, were able to soon rout the enemy ahead of them. The battle was a very close call, and Caesar was more than relieved that his recruits didn't flee Before we continue our story, I would like to introduce you to the sponsor of this video, CuriosityStream. They are a subscription streaming service that offers thousands of documentaries and non-fiction titles from some of the world's best filmmakers, including exclusive originals. CuriosityStream is the Netflix for nerds, the Hulu for history buffs, and the Disney Plus for the scientists in us. Their content spans from nature and history, to technology, music, and sports, and they add new shows every week. CuriosityStream is available worldwide and on many platforms, like Roku, Xbox One, Smart TVs, and iOS. Go to the link in the description for unlimited access to the world's top documentaries and non-fiction series. And for our fans, use the code PHILAXIM to save 25%, which comes down to $14.99 per year, which is much more affordable than other streaming services. Over the next few years, Caesar would come to rely on the 11th a little more, and personally commanded them when defeating the Baturigs, Carnutes, and Bellavaki. But he never sent them alone on any tasks, and they were always accompanied by at least one veteran legion. But even this, Caesar was not able to control for long. In 53 AD, all legions were spread out and encamped for the winter. The 11th was placed under the command of Quintus Cicero, the younger brother of the famous statesman Marcus Cicero. In this winter, there was a sudden revolt under King Ambiorix, who ambushed and completely wiped out the nearby station 14th legion, without the Romans even knowing. Ambiorix then achieved the support of the Nervii tribe, successfully convincing them that now was the best time to free themselves of the Romans. Soon after, they tried the same strategy on Cicero and the 11th, that had proved successful in luring out the 14th legion to their deaths. First, a small envoy of the Nervii arrived to Cicero's camp, telling him that all of Gaul has revolted, and that all of Caesar's legions are now being besieged in their forts, and that Sabinus and the 14th legion have already fallen. If Cicero requests it, the Nervii will allow him to quickly escape with his legion, before Ambiorix and the rest of the army arrive for a siege. It was a very tempting offer, one that Sabinus and the 14th legion could not refuse, and it got them all killed in an ambush shortly after. But Cicero would not make the same mistake. He told the envoy that it is not the Roman way to negotiate terms with an armed enemy, and if they were to drop their weapons, he would gladly deliver their message to Caesar and let him decide. Disappointed, the Nervii surrounded the fort and prepared for a siege. Cicero tried to send messengers to Caesar, but they were all caught and executed by the Gauls. Caesar goes into detail about how advanced the Gauls have become with their sieges, learning from some captured Romans. In just under 3 hours, the Gauls constructed an 11 foot high ramp and a ditch 13 feet deep, spanning 10 miles around the fort. The Gauls did not possess any iron tools, and so had to rely on cutting turf with their swords and emptying the ditch with their hands and cloaks. They then started to construct grappling irons and moving towers as high as the ramparts. On the 7th day of the siege, a massive wind caught up, and the Gauls started throwing heated projectiles at the roofs and huts within the fort. These made of straw quickly caught fire, which spread all over the fort as a result of the strong wind. This was a big blow to the morale of the 11th legion, who witnessed their supplies, baggage and possessions burn all around them. The Gauls quickly followed up with a full advance of towers and ladders on all sides, and began to scream in excitement, as if the battle was already won. But despite the dreadful situation, we are told the 3rd cohort of the 11th held the rampart and fought vigorously against all sorts of weapons, while the fire blazed on all sides. On this day, a lot of legionaries have been killed or wounded, but much more Gauls suffered the same fate, as they stood too crowded beneath the ramparts and did not allow their front lines to withdraw. Soon the flames started to die down, and the Romans constructed a new tower right next to the rampart. Slowly the tide of battle was beginning to change, but the fighting was still at its peak intensity. Just then, two centurions of the 11th legion stepped up to the front ranks. They were Lucius Varinus and Titus Pullo, the main protagonists of HBO's famous TV series Rome. Caesar writes that the two centurions were continually competing for promotion to the 1st cohort for years, and never gave up an opportunity to turn any situation into a personal contest. As these two stood on the rampart watching the Gauls blow, Pullo exclaimed to his competitor, Why do you hesitate, Varinus? Now is the best opportunity to prove your bravery and manliness. This very day will decide our disputes. With these words, Pullo jumped off the rampart and charged at the Gauls below, with Varinus quickly jumping right behind him. Pullo sees a small opening and launches his javelin, killing a Gaul ahead of him, but is in turn shot by many projectiles from the Gauls, which pierce his shield and belt, making him unable to quickly draw his sword in time. Just then, Varinus comes to his rescue and takes the attention of the Gauls, who falsely thought that Pullo was pierced through his belt and is dying. Varinus is able to quickly kill an enemy with his sword, and in doing so drives the other Gauls back. As he tries to quickly pursue them, he accidentally slips due to a hollow in the ground, but before the Gauls reach him, Pullo now charges in, and together they slay a big number of Gauls before they fall back to the safety of the rampart under the loud cheers of the other soldiers. Caesar writes that fortune dealt with them in such a funny way that both rivals had saved each other, and it still remained undetermined about which one of them proved more worthy. I think it's important to pause and discuss why Caesar even writes about this incident. It was a selfish, undisciplined and careless act, which the Roman army tries so hard to punish and avoid. Caesar is known to have excluded details that didn't benefit his texts, so why include this event? Most likely, Caesar wanted to show the behavior that he wanted to see from his soldiers, not in the actions of the two centurions, but in their spirits. Both men were trying their hardest to earn a promotion and respect from their superiors, so much, in fact, that they However, when the situation escalated, they ignored their quarrels and came to each other's aid, and did not allow their competition to get in the way of their brotherhood. This was the behavior that Caesar was trying to promote in his army, friendly competitions, which is the opposite to that of Sabinus and Cota of the 14th legion, where the two men argued and did not support each other's decisions to the very bitter end. After the charge of the two centurions, the Romans were able to rout the first wave of Gauls by hurling stones from their slings and setting fire to their siege towers. In the coming days, the fighting got much more intense, as more defenders were being wounded. But thankfully, within the fort there was a noble of the Nervii tribe, who sent his slave to deliver a message to Caesar. The slave, who was a native Gaul, was able to slip past the attackers and finally deliver a message to Caesar, who immediately gathered two legions and rushed to their aid. He also orders one of his Gallic cavalrymen to sneak a message to the defenders that he is on his way, and that they should not give up their efforts. The message is then tied to a spear and thrown into the defenses. After two days, a soldier would notice it and bring it to Cicero, to the great relief of everyone inside the camp. When Ambiorix found out about Caesar's advance, he broke the siege and marched out to meet him, after which he was destroyed in battle. When Caesar arrived at the camp, he was surprised by the constructions and towers of the Gauls, and by the fact that every 10th soldier of the 11th legion had been wounded. He individually commenced the Centurions, Tribunes and Cicero for their valiant efforts, and begins planning to take revenge on the Gauls for the lost 14th legion. It is only by the time of the great civil war that the 11th was regarded as an experienced and veteran legion, one that Caesar could very much use at his side. The 11th would do their part to ensure that Caesar wins every major battle in the civil wars. In 46 BC, the veterans of the 11th were discharged and settled in Valence with their rewards, and the legion itself was completely disbanded, and so were not present during Caesar's African campaign or the final battle at Munda. Five years later though, the legion would be reformed again by Octavian, and many old veterans would be recruited back on their own incentive. This is a very interesting occurrence that was common among legionary veterans, but might seem very hard to understand for many of us today. One might expect that these veterans would be glad to finally retire with a good amount of cash after 14 years of disciplined service, to enjoy their lives in peace and quiet and respect from the locals. But in practice, it would be common for many veterans to simply not be able to adapt to a quiet civilian life, as it was too big a stretch from their previous life in the army. Therefore, it is highly probable that Octavian reinstated the 11th legion due to the requests of many of its old veterans, who gladly signed up for another tour of duty, which was in their eyes much better than remaining as aging civilians. These veterans would now become centurions and other respected officers within the legion, and pass down their skill to the new recruits. And so the 11th came back into existence, and was stationed at Burnham in Dalmatia. The next interesting event involving the 11th legion was in 41 AD, when the unpopular Emperor Caligula was assassinated in Rome. The next most probable candidate for the throne was a man named He had the most support in the Senate, and so would likely become the next Emperor. However, before the Senate had a chance to act, the Praetorian Guard had already elected the dead Emperor's uncle Claudius as Emperor. Claudius was a partially deaf and limping man who was not ever seen as a threat to the big players in Rome. And so the election came as a surprise. Claudius' character of avoiding conflict and giving way to others made him a particularly vulnerable target for usurpers, and Scrabonianus knew this. He immediately began planning to overthrow him, and swore to once again restore the Senate as the highest authority in Rome. Whether he meant this or not, he earned the support of many senators and equestrians. He also commanded a large number of auxiliaries, and most importantly, the 11th and 7th Macedonic legions stationed in Dalmatia. Once Claudius heard of this, he tried to give up the throne in favor of Scrabonianus, but was convinced otherwise by his supporters. At this point, the stage is set for yet another bloody civil war for the throne, in which countless lives will be lost for little reason. But surprisingly, it would be the superstitious legionaries of the 11th that would spare everyone the bloodshed. See, Roman martial tradition calls for perfumes and garlands to be applied to the standards of the legion before any battle, but Suetonius writes that the legionaries could not find the perfumes and garlands, and that the standards themselves remained stuck in the ground and could not be pulled out. These were very bad omens for the soldiers, and both legions outright refused to follow Scrabonianus, just 5 days into his revolt. With his safety now at risk, Scrabonianus fled to the island of Issa and took his own life. Emperor Claudius was more than relieved by the actions of the legions, and awarded the 7th and 11th legion with the title Claudia Paea Fidelis, meaning loyal and faithful to Claudius. This would be the new title of the 11th legion, which would only come to mean more when Claudius proved to be a very effective and successful emperor, building many roads, aqueducts and upgrading the administration and finances of the empire. The 11th legion was able to endure the chaos of the 3rd century until the reign of Diocletian. By then the legion was officially reformed into 3 smaller units of about a thousand men, and were called Undecimani, the Eleveners. From now on, each of these units would on their own continue the long traditions and distinguished reputation of the legion. Luckily, and unlike for other legions we covered, we were able to find exactly where these contingents were stationed, and it was all over the map. The first detachment, stationed in northern Italy, was a Comitatensis heavy infantry unit. It took part in the campaigns of co-emperor Maximinus in northern Africa against the Berber tribes, achieving a great victory and celebrating a triumph through the streets of Carthage. By the way, a veteran of this triumphant campaign was Optio Aurelius Flavinus, who we actually featured in a separate video about the prices and lifestyle in ancient Rome. Meanwhile, another Undecimani unit was operating in the eastern provinces of the empire. They are attested as a Palatina unit, the elite of the late Roman army, a testament to their prowess and distinguished service. Its command fell to one of the magister militum presentalis of the east, the highest military rank in the eastern Roman empire. They are known to have taken part in the campaigns against the Sassanid empire, Armenia and the Saracens. Finally, the last contingent stayed behind to guard the Danubian frontier, and were relegated to the status of Limitani, a mere frontier garrison. The weakness of this unit was made evident when they weren't able to But we still hear of the Undecimani in the 5th century, which implies that all three units survived the civil wars of the 4th century, the recurrent wars on the frontiers, and the catastrophic defeat against the Goths at Adrianople. From this point on, however, both the Limitani and Palatina units silently faded away from history, as they left no trace of their future fate. But their western counterparts did not go down without a final fight. In 416, the western Roman empire was recovering from a series of troubles that started with the crossing of the Rhine by the Suevi, Alans, and Vandals in the winter of 407. The usurpation of Constantine III, the loss of large parts of Hispania, and the sack of Rome by Alaric had completely tied up Roman resources. At this time, the Suevi, Alans, and Vandals managed to enter Hispania almost unopposed and divided most of the country among themselves. After having finally stabilized their situation, the Roman empire started to make plans to revert the situation in Hispania. The Suevi and Vandals quickly signed a treaty with Emperor Honorius, thus becoming Fuederati, Federates, sworn to defend Rome. By doing so, they avoided the wrath of Rome for the time being. But the magister militum in Rome, Constantius III, had plans for driving off the barbarians. In 417 AD, he sent the Visigoths under King Valia to reconquer the lands in the name of Rome, and crush the barbarians. Valia wasted no time and struck deep into Hispania, catching the divided tribes unprepared and promptly defeating them decisively. The remaining Alans and Vandals fleed north under the protection of King Gundaric. Having completed his mission, Valia returned to southern Gaul, where he was granted the status of Fuederatis and awarded with the lands of Septimania. But peace didn't last long in Hispania. In 419 AD, Maximus, a former usurper hiding amongst the Vandals, proclaimed himself Emperor, and war broke out between the Suevi loyal to the Romans and the Vandals of Gundaric supporting Maximus. The Vandals managed to encircle the Suevi in the Nervassus mountains, putting them in a very precarious position. But Gundaric and Maximus could not have chosen a worse time for their war. Rome had finally managed to put in the necessary resources to assemble an army of 11 Auxilia Palatina regiments and 5 Comitatensis legions, among which were the Undecimani. The army, approximately 8000 infantry and allied Fuederati cavalry, was placed under Asterius, who had been sent to deal with the situation. In 420 AD, Asterius established his headquarters in Taracco and divided his army into two columns. The first one, under his personal command, managed to rescue the Suevi from certain defeat and lift the siege. He then harassed the retreating Vandals to the city of Bracara, where the second column coming from Lusitania was already waiting for them. After their defeat, Maximus was captured and the Vandals hastily retreated into Baedica, while Asterius refused to pursue them and returned to Rome in triumph. But with this victory, Asterius had only made Rome's strategic position in Hispania weaker, as the Vandals were now in the rich province of Baedica and the Suevi had emerged stronger from the conflict. Asterius delegated the operations in Hispania to one named Castanus. In 422 AD, Castanus attacked the remaining Vandals in Baedica with his army, supported by a large contingent of Visigothic Fuederati. The first stages of the campaign were a huge success, and Castanus managed to lay siege on the Vandals. The situation was very bad for the Vandals, many of them were starving and already contemplating surrendering themselves to the But inexplicably, Castanus grew restless and decided to face the starving Vandals in an open field and crush them once and for all. The following battle was a complete disaster for the Roman forces. The Visigoths deserted Castanus, and the remains of the Roman army managed to limp their way back to Taraco. Some historians suggest that the Undecimani were destroyed during this campaign, or were no longer regarded as a combat capable unit due to heavy losses as they faded from history after this disaster. This was the last known battle of a legion that had centuries of proud service to Rome. Castanus' recklessness had cost the Roman Empire dearly, not only has he snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, but lost a great part of his army in the process. Worst of all, the Vandals were able to recover and start sacking Hispania and Africa with impunity, while the Western Roman army could do nothing to stop them. Thank you all so much for watching. Make sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed, and comment on which legion's history you would like to see next. I'll see you all in that next video.