Editing Legio VI Victrix (section)

==In Imperial service==
===VI ''Victrix'' in Spain===
The legion took part in the final stage of the [[Roman conquest of Hispania]], participating in Augustus' major [[Cantabrian Wars|war against the Cantabrians]], from 29 BC to 19 BC,<ref>{{cite book |last=Rabanal Alonso |first=Manuel Abilio (coord.) |date=1999 |title=''La Historia de León, Vol. 1: Prehistoria y Edad Antigua'' |url=http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/libro?codigo=515838 |language=es |page=133 |publisher=Universidad de León |isbn=84-7719-817-9 |access-date=18 November 2013}}</ref> that brought all of the [[Iberian Peninsula]] under Roman rule.

The legion stayed in [[Spain]] for nearly a century and received the surname ''Hispaniensis'', founding the city of ''Legio'' (modern-day [[León, Spain|León]]).<ref>{{cite book |last=Rabanal Alonso |first=Manuel Abilio (coord.) |date=1999 |title=La Historia de León, Vol. 1: Prehistoria y Edad Antigua |url=http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/libro?codigo=515838 |language=es |page=189 |publisher=Universidad de León |isbn=84-7719-817-9 |access-date=18 November 2013}}</ref> Soldiers of this unit and [[Legio X Gemina|X ''Gemina'']] numbered among the first settlers of Caesaraugusta, what became modern-day [[Zaragoza]]. The [[cognomen]] ''Victrix'' (Victorious) dates back to the reign of [[Nero]]. But Nero was unpopular in the area, and when the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, [[Galba]], said he wished to overthrow Nero, the legion supported him and he was proclaimed Emperor in the VI ''Victrix'' legionary camp. Galba created [[Legio VII Gemina|VII ''Gemina'']] and marched on Rome, where Nero killed himself.

===VI ''Victrix'' in Germany===
For a brief period (approximately 110 AD to 119), the legion was stationed along the Rhine river in the province of [[Germania Inferior]].

===VI ''Victrix'' in Britain===

[[File:Romanwallinscotl00macduoft raw 0371Braidfield.png|thumb|right|Distance Slab of Legio VI<ref>{{cite web|title=RIB 2200. Distance Slab of the Sixth Legion Valeria Victrix|url=https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/2200|website=Roman Inscriptions of Britain|access-date=18 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Macdonald|first1=Sir George|title=The Roman wall in Scotland, by Sir George Macdonald|date=1934|publisher=The Clarendon press|location=Oxford|pages=384–386|edition=2d ed., rev., enl., and in great part rewritten|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3760345;view=2up;seq=538;size=200|access-date=11 October 2017}}</ref> found near [[Cleddans]] on the [[Antonine Wall]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Distance Slab of the Sixth Legion, Duntocher|date=28 May 2015 |url=https://vimeo.com/129135898|access-date=14 November 2017}}</ref>]]

[[File:RIB 1137 - Sextus Calpurnius Agricola - VI Victrix.jpg|thumb|left|Dedication to [[Sol Invictus]] by a ''vexillatio'' of the VIth, ([[Corbridge]], Northumberland, 162–168).]]
[[File:Whitley Castle Hercules Altar Sopwith 1833.jpg|thumb|left|Altar to [[Hercules]], naming Gaius Vitellius Atticanus, Centurion of the Legio VI Victrix, at [[Whitley Castle]] (Epiacum) in southern [[Northumberland]]. Illustration by [[Thomas Sopwith (geologist)|Thomas Sopwith]], 1833. The altar is now in [[The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum|Bedford Museum]].]]

In 119, [[Hadrian]] relocated the legion to northern [[Roman Britain|Britannia]], to assist those legions already present in quelling the resistance there. ''Victrix'' was key in securing victory, and would eventually replace the diminished [[Legio IX Hispana|IX ''Hispana'']] at [[Eboracum]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nitze |first1=William A. |title=Bedier's Epic Theory and the "Arthuriana" of Nennius |journal=Modern Philology |date=August 1941 |volume=39 |issue=1 |pages=1–14 |jstor=434162 |doi=10.1086/388502|s2cid=161408178 }} This states that VI Victrix was based at Eburacum (York).</ref> In 122 the legion started work on [[Hadrian's Wall]] which would sustain the peace for two decades.

Twenty years later, they helped construct the [[Antonine Wall]] and its forts such as [[Castlecary]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Castlecary|url=http://roman-britain.co.uk/places/castlecary.htm#rib2146|website=Roman Britain|access-date=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180604200812/http://roman-britain.co.uk/places/castlecary.htm#rib2146|archive-date=4 June 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Croy Hill]]<ref>Montgomery, Alan (2022), ''Walking the Antonine Wall'', Tippermuir Books Ltd., [[Perth, Scotland|Perth]], p. 148 {{isbn|978-1-913836-12-2}}</ref> but it was largely abandoned by 164. In 2020 a replica of the Eastermains stone was installed in [[Twechar]]. The original was found on Eastermains Farm (which adjoins Whitehill), west of Inchbelly Bridge, east of Kirkintilloch and is often associated with [[Auchendavy]].<ref>{{cite web|title=OS 25 inch map 1892-1949, with Bing opacity slider|url=http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=55.9489&lon=-4.1313&layers=168&b=3|website=National Library of Scotland|publisher=Ordnance Survey|access-date=12 October 2017}}</ref> It has been scanned and a video produced.<ref>{{cite web|title=Distance Slab of the Sixth Legion, Eastermains|date=30 March 2017 |url=https://vimeo.com/210768518|access-date=14 November 2017}}</ref> It is similar to two other distance slabs of the Sixth Legion on the Antonine Wall.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sabljak |first1=Ema |title=Rediscovering the Antonine Wall £2.1m project makes mark |url=https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18964474.rediscovering-antonine-wall-2-1m-project-makes-mark/ |agency=Glasgow Evening Times |date=26 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mitchell |first1=Jenness |title=Roman replica takes pride of place near Antonine Wall site |url=https://news.stv.tv/west-central/roman-replica-takes-pride-of-place-near-antonine-wall-site?top |agency=STV news |date=28 December 2020}}</ref>

In 175, the Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, defeated the [[Iazyges]] tribe of [[Sarmatians]]. He took them into Roman service and settled 5,500 of them in Britain; it has been claimed without evidence and contrary to legionary recruitment practices that some were assigned to Legio VI Victrix based in York. The only detachment attested in Britain is a unit at [[Ribchester]], south of [[Lancaster, Lancashire|Lancaster]]. Less certain is evidence from Bainesse, near [[Catterick, North Yorkshire|Catterick]], where lost tiles apparently stamped BSAR may be evidence for the presence of a Sarmatian unit there.

Legio VI was awarded the honorary title "Britannica" by [[Commodus]] in AD 184 following his own adoption of the title. <ref>The date of the award of the Britannica cognomen to Legio VI Victrix, 2006, Peter Warry https://www.academia.edu/38754312</ref>

In 185, the British legions mutinied and put forward one legate Priscus, a commander of their own (about whom little other information is known, but possibly [[Caerellius Priscus]]), to replace the unpopular Emperor Commodus, but the former declined. The mutiny was suppressed by [[Pertinax]], who would later become emperor himself after Commodus was murdered.

The large fort at [[Carpow]] in Scotland was occupied from about 184 by Legio VI who completed the fort with the principia and [[praetorium]] which they roofed with tiles bearing their new cognomen.<ref>The date of the award of the Britannica cognomen to Legio VI Victrix, 2006, Peter Warry https://www.academia.edu/38754312</ref>

The [[Legatus|Legate]] of the legion in the late second century, [[Claudius Hieronymianus]], dedicated a temple to [[Serapis]] in [[Eboracum]] in advance of the arrival of [[Septimius Severus]] in AD208.<ref name=GdlB>De la Bedoyere, G. 2002. ''Gods with Thunderbolts: Religion in Roman Britain.'' Tempus, Stroud. pp174.</ref>

An altar to [[Hercules]] was dedicated by Gaius Vitellius Atticianus, Centurion of the Legio VI Victrix, at [[Whitley Castle]] (Epiacum), illustrated above left.<ref>{{cite book | author=Robertson, Alastair F. | title=Whitley Castle; Epiacum: A Roman Fort near Alston in Cumbria | edition=3rd | year=2007 | pages=22–23 | publisher=Hundy | isbn=978-0-954-73394-0}}</ref>
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