What was legion Caesar joined?

Answer 1

When Julius Caesar left Rome he joined the army of Marcus Minucius Thermus in Asia (the Roman used this term to refer to western Turkey) in 82 BC and then the army of Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus in Cilicia (in central Turkey) in 79 BC. The name of these legions is not known. Caesar fled Rome because he did not feel safe when Sulla was in charge of Rome. Sulla was a leader of a political faction which was opposed to Caesar's faction and executed thousands of his opponents. Caesar felt safe enough to return to Rome when Sulla died in 78 BC.

In 61 BC Julius Caesar became governor of the Roman province of Hispania Ulterior (Further Spain). In 59 BC he became governor of the Roman provinces of Gallia Cisalpina (northern Italy) Gallia Translapina (at that time southern Fance) and Illyricum (in the coastal part of Croatia. Governor of provinces took charge of the legions stationed in their provinces and could levy new legions if they were needed for war. Caesar did both.

When he was Governor of Hispania Ulterior Julius Caesar took charge of the Legio VIII and the Legio IX which were stationed in Spain. He planned to subdue the peoples who lived in the area of present day Portugal. For this, he levied the Legio X Equestris (Mounted) in 61 BC. In this campaign this legion proved that it was very brave and very loyal to Caesar. It was his most trusted legion. It also played a prominent role in the Gallic Wars in which Caesar conquered the rest of Gaul.

For the Gallic Wars (58-50 BC) Julius Caesar had six and later eight legions. The Legio IX Hispana (Spanish) was apparently already in Gaul and Caesar also had his trusted Legio X Equestris. He ordered the Legio VII Augusta and the Legio VII Claudia Pia Fidelis (Reverent Loyal) to move from Spain to Gallia Cisalpina (northern Italy) in 58 BC. In the same year, Caesar levied the Legio XI and the Legio XII Fulminata (Lighting) also known as Paterna and Vitrix at that time. All these legions then marched to Gallia Cisalpina (France) and fought the Gallic Wars. In 57 BC He levied the Legio XIII Gemina to fight the Belgae (in present day Belgium). In 52 BC he levied the Legio V Alaudae (Larks) from native Gauls. This was the first Roman legion formed with a people from a province instead of Roman citizens. Caesar paid for it with his own funds and it was one of the bravest legions in the Gallic Wars. It was then redeployed to Spain.

For what historians have called Caesar's Civil War (49-45 BC) Julius Caesar levied the Legio II Gallica (presumably its recruits were originally from the Gallic provinces) in 49 BC and the Legio IV Macedonica (Macedonian) with Italian legionaries in 48 BC and redeployed the Legio I Germanica (German). He took the Legio VI Ferrata (Ironclad) also called Fidelis Constans (Firmly Loyal) to Alexandria to fight in the Egyptian Civil War of the side of Cleopatra VII and then to Pontus to fight the king of Pontus.