After the disaster of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD, the legion was sent to reinforce Germania, and later was moved to duties in Pannonia (Austria, Hungary and Serbia).Īt the time of the British invasion, the 9th legion was under the command of Caesius Nasica.įour legions were sent to conquer Britain: The legion was at the battles of Dyrrhachium and Pharsalus in 48 BC. The 9th Legion was a favourite of Julius Caesar and fought with him through all the Gallic wars, they also stayed loyal to Caesar in the civil war against Pompey.
The battle standard of the legion was a bull. A Brief History Of The 9th Legion (VIIII) Hispanaįormed in 58 BC, the legion was awarded the title 'The Hispana' after action in Hispania (Spain) in the campaign against the Cantabrians (25 – 13 BC). There are other pieces of evidence that point to the fact the legion may have survived and indeed saw action on the Rhine frontier and later in Parthia where the legion seems to have been wiped out around 160 AD. Compelling perhaps but not conclusive, a further piece of evidence is an eagle, alleged to be military found in Colchester that has been claimed to be the lost standard of the 9th, more of that later. That and a memorial to a soldier of the 9th killed ‘in a great battle’. There is little evidence that this was the case, apart from the fact the legion's name disappears from the military rolls. Opinions are divided as to the fate of the 9th, some favour the explanation was that around 117 AD it was wiped out by the tribes north of the yet to be built Hadrian’s Wall. Originally the 9th legion arrived in Britain as one of the four chosen to conquer the new province, and seems to have disappeared whilst on active service. There is a mystery and considerable speculation 1 regarding the fate of the 9th Legion VIIII 2 Hispana.
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