page_title: Legio III Italica
hierarchical_section_title: Legio III Italica
caption_attribution_description: Gallienus. 253&#8211;268 AD. AR Antoninianus (4.23 g). Struck 260&#8211;261 AD. Mediolanum (Milan) mint. GALLIENVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right LEG III ITAL VI P VI F, (= Legio III Italica sextum pia sextum fidelis) stork walking right. RIC V pt. 2, 339; Göbl, MIR 36, 999r; RSC (Cohen) 487.
context_page_description: Legio tertia Italica was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in AD 165 by the emperor Marcus Aurelius, for his campaign against the Marcomanni tribe. The cognomen Italica suggests that the legion's original recruits were mainly drawn from Italy. The legion was still active in Raetia and other provinces in the early 5th century.
  Together with legions II Italica and I Adiutrix, III Italica legion was in the Danube provinces from its beginning, fighting the Marcomanni invasion of the Raetia and Noricum provinces. In 171 they built the camp Castra Regina, present Regensburg, designed as strongly defensive position.
  In the civil war of 193, this legion supported Septimius Severus and helped him defeat his opponents: first Didius Julianus, then Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus. Their loyalty was extended to Severus' successor, emperor Caracalla, for whom they fought in 213 a campaign against the Alamanni.
context_section_description: Legio tertia Italica ("Italian Third Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army founded in AD 165 by the emperor Marcus Aurelius (r. 161–80), for his campaign against the Marcomanni tribe. The cognomen Italica suggests that the legion's original recruits were mainly drawn from Italy. The legion was still active in Raetia and other provinces in the early 5th century (Notitia Dignitatum, dated ca. 420 AD for Western Roman Empire entries).
  Together with legions II Italica and I Adiutrix, III Italica legion was in the Danube provinces from its beginning, fighting the Marcomanni invasion of the Raetia and Noricum provinces. In 171 they built the camp Castra Regina, present Regensburg, designed as strongly defensive position.
  In the civil war of 193, this legion supported Septimius Severus and helped him defeat his opponents: first Didius Julianus, then Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus. Their loyalty was extended to Severus' successor, emperor Caracalla, for whom they fought in 213 a campaign against the Alamanni.
caption: An antoninianus issued by Gallienus in 260 to celebrate III Italica. Note the stork, the legion's symbol, on the obverse. The legion is called VI Pia VI Fidelis, "six times faithful and six times loyal"
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