Novensia: Studia i Materiały (10.1998)

Mirosława Mirković
Beograd

THE LEGIO VIII AUGUSTA IN THE BALKANS

The legio VIIIAugusta is recorded by Tacitus in Ann. 1, 23 as one of three which
mutinied in Lower Illyricum (Pannonia) in AD 14: quin ipsae inter se legiones
octava et ąuinta decima ferrum parabantit is mentioned once morę in an ac-
count of the events of AD 69 contained in Hist. II 85, but this time as a Moesian
legion, which together with the III Gallica and the VII Claudia, marched towards
Italy to the support of Vespasian: Adcelerata interim Yespasiani coeptci Illyrici
exercitus studio transgressi in partis; tertia legio exemplum ceteris Moesiae
legionibus praebuit; octava erat et septima Claudiana, imbutae favore Othonis,
quamvis proelio non interfuissent Aquileiam progressae..} This is the only
evidence to provide reliable dating for the early history of the legio VIII Augusta in
the Balkans. The chronology of other events and the ąuestion of permanent camps
may be established from inscriptions which are undoubtedly first century, but
cannot be dated to any specific year. The story of this legion, from the death of
Augustus up to its departure from the province in AD 69-70, has been reconstructed
by Ritterling as follows: before the division of Illyricum into two provinces, fol-
lowing the part of the Pannonian army and together with other two Illyrian legions,
it rebelled in AD 14; from Pannonia it took part in the African war at the time of
Augustus and probably in Claudius’ campaign to Britain in 43. After this, probably
in 43 or 45, the legion was transferred from Pannonia to Moesia, on the Lower
Danube. Ritterling supposes that its hiberna, while it was part of the Illyrian army,
were at Poetovio. Its camp on the Lower Danube, at least from the time of Nero, is
reputed to have been atNovae.2 These movements of the legion while it was in the
Balkans have been accepted by later scholars with some changes, mainly related to
the interpretation of inscriptions from the province ofDalmatia.3
The inscriptions of men of VIII Augusta from Dalmatia are certainly deserving
attention; reconsidering the legion’s movements up to AD 69, those from around the
Lower Danube also cannot be disregarded. Combined with a newly-discovered
brick from Singidunum, they provide grounds for taking another look at this re-
construction of the legioiTs history along the following lines: 1. Where was its
permanent camp during the stay in Illyricum; 2. When was it transferred to the