LEGIO II TRAIANA FORTIS

HISTORY OF II TRAIANA

The year is 101 A.D. The powerful Dacian King DECEBALUS, threatens Rome, his army has defeated Roman forces under DOMITIAN (81-96) and now threatensTrajan's Rome.

 TRAJAN(98-117) Emperor of Rome determined to put an end to the situation defeats Decebalus during the FIRST DACIAN WAR (101-102) and forces him to terms.

In 105 Decebalus breaks the terms. Trajan embarks on a second campaign aimed at total conquest of the Dacian kingdom.

It's now in 105 A.D. that II TRAIANA is born. The new Legion, named after the Emporers Father's Family, along with XXX ULPIA VICTRIX and Elements of other Roman Forces and Allies, bridge the Danube River and Trajan wins the SECOND DACIAN WAR (105-106).

Dacia becomes a Roman Province, and for it's Strength and Fortitude during the campaign, II TRAIANA is given the Moniker Fortis, the Strong Legion of Trajan and for it's Emblem the Demi-God Hercules.

For the last years of the Trajan's life, the Emperor and his Legions lay siege to Parthia, Rome's great Eastern rival. After taking the capital and bathing in the Persian gulf, the Emperor dies and the new Legion is sent to the troublesome Province of Judea.

                                 Trajan

HADRIAN (117-138) becomes Emperor and in 125 the Legion is transferred to Nicopolis a few miles Northeast of Alexandria in the Imperial Province of Egypt, the land of stone Monoliths and Pyramids where the Emperor is worshipped as Pharoah and Senators have to ask permission to enter. Soon afterwards in 130 the Jews revolt and a Detachment (Vexillation) from the Legion is back in Judea at war!

In 194 originally supporting Pescennius Niger against Septimius Severus, it switched sides and helped swing the course of history in Severus' favor.

260-268 A.D. in the Civil Wars of the breakaway Gallic Empire, it served Gallienus against Posthumus but eventually was returned to Egypt after Aurelian defeats Zenobia.

In 296 DIOCLETIAN (284-305) reorganizes the Legion and two years later it fights the Moors in Mauretania.

Until the 5th Century A.D. the Legion was stationed across Egypt in such towns as Panospolis, Thebes, Syene and Pselchis, it's final garrison being on the southern frontier guarding the Meroitic kingdom of Nubia.

After 400 hundred years of defending the Empire with no major defeats, the Legion fades from History. Then 1,500 years later...

LEGIO II TRAIANA FORTIS, the strong Legion of Trajan. Cohort I is stationed in Las Vegas Nevada, land of grass and steel Monoliths and Pyramids. Cohort II is a large group in Arvada, Colorado. ( Cohort II has been inactive recently. ) 

  Hadrian

    Stela of C. Julius Valerius, son of C. Julius Severus,   soldier of II Traiana Fortis