Editing Legio II Augusta (section)

===Britain===
====Invasion of Britannia and Boudica's revolt====
The legion was one of the four legions used during [[Claudius|Claudius's]] [[Roman conquest of Britain|invasion]] of [[Roman Britain|Britannia]].<ref name=":0" /> The commander of the Legion at the time was [[Vespasian]]. He led the campaign against the [[Durotriges]] and [[Dumnonii]] tribes. During the campaign the Legion marched across the south of Britain, fighting many battles against the local tribes.<ref name=":1" />

The Legion was first stationed at [[Alchester]] and in 49 AD it was probably moved to the Fort at Lake Farm, and then Bradford Abbas. Small forts were established at [[Hod Hill]] till AD 50 then [[Waddon Hill]] until AD 60.<ref name=":0" /> From 55 it was based at [[Exeter]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.exeter.gov.uk/remains-of-roman-defences-discovered-under-exeter-s-bus-station-site/ |title=Remains of Roman defences discovered under Exeter's Bus Station site|publisher=Exeter City Council|access-date=29 January 2020}}</ref> and from 66 it was possibly at [[Glevum]].<ref>G Webster, Rome against Caractacus, p 45, {{ISBN|0713472545}}</ref>

During the uprising of queen [[Boudica]], when its ''[[Prefect#Military prefects|praefectus castrorum]]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-05-25|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Prefect#Military prefects|reason= The anchor (Military prefects) [[Special:Diff/1105721337|has been deleted]].}}'' [[Poenius Postumus]], who was then its acting commander possibly because its [[legatus]] and tribunes were with the governor [[Suetonius Paulinus]], contravened Suetonius' orders to join him and so later committed suicide.<ref name=":0" />

==== Year of the Four Emperors ====

In 69 CE, during the [[Year of the Four Emperors]],  a [[vexillatio]]n of the Legio II Augusta sided with emperor Otho.<ref name=":1" />  After Otho was defeated the vexillation switched sides and served Vitellius.<ref name=":0" /> This vexillation possibly took part in Vetellius's march on Rome, and fought in the [[Battle of Bedriacum|Battle at Cremona]] against the legions of [[Otho]].<ref name=":0" /> Later these soldiers were defeated by those of Vespasian and returned to Britain in 70. It is possible that the main body of the legion had always been loyal towards Vespasian.<ref name=":0" />

==== Continued service in Britain ====
[[Julius Frontinus]], the governor of Britain from 74 to 78 ordered several campaigns against the [[Silures]] tribe<ref name=":1" /> and during the war the fortress of [[Caerleon]] in [[Wales]] was constructed where from 75 the legion was based.<ref name=":0" />  The legion remained there, even during [[Gnaeus Julius Agricola|Agricola's]] term as governor of Britain although several vexillations of the Legio II ''Augusta'' fought in the [[Battle of Mons Graupius]].<ref name=":1" />

In 139 the Legion helped build the short lived [[Antonine Wall]].<ref name=":0" /> During the years 155 and 158 a revolt spread across Britain, the Legio II Augusta was one of those that fought against the revolt.<ref name=":0" /> The legions in Britain suffered greatly, causing reinforcements from the Germanic provinces to be brought over.<ref name=":0" />

In 196 [[Clodius Albinus|Decimus Clodius Albinus]], governor of Britain, declared himself emperor and the Legio II Augusta supported his claim.<ref name=":0" /> The legions were defeated by the current emperor, [[Septimius Severus|Septimus Severus.]] Although, while the legions were absent from Britain, the province was overrun with [[Picts|Pictish tribes]].<ref name=":0" /> Emperor Severus attempted to conquer Scotland in order to stop the tribes, while Severus was fighting the Picts, Legio II Augusta was stationed at a fort near [[Carpow]].<ref name=":0" /> It is unknown when, but the II Augusta received the surname ''Antonina'', which meant that the soldiers were particularly dear to the emperor. This happened either under [[Caracalla]] or [[Elagabalus|Heliogabalus]],<ref name=":0" />

During [[Severus Alexander]]s reign as emperor of Rome, the conquests in Scotland were given up and the Second Legion returned to Caerleon.<ref name=":0" /> The legion was still there in 255.<ref name=":0" /> The last known mention of the Legion was the [[Notitia Dignitatum]] which places the legion at [[Richborough]], suggesting Caerleon was abandoned.<ref name=":1" />{{multiple image |align=center |total_width=550
 |image1=Romanwallinscotl00macduoft raw 0377CarleithNo7.png|caption1=RIB 2203. Distance Slab of the Second Legion found near [[Duntocher]].<ref>{{cite web|title=RIB 2203. Distance Slab of the Second Legion
|url=https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/2203|website=Roman Inscriptions of Britain|access-date=18 November 2017}}</ref> George MacDonald calls in no. 12 in the 2nd edition of his book ''The Roman Wall in Scotland''.<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=386–387|edition=2d ed., rev., enl., and in great part rewritten|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3760345;view=2up;seq=544;size=200|access-date=11 October 2017}}</ref> It has been scanned and a video produced.<ref>{{cite web|title=Distance Slab of the Second Legion, Duntocher|date=9 June 2017 |url=https://vimeo.com/220970107|access-date=14 November 2017}}</ref>
 |image2=Romanwallinscotl00macduoft raw 0371Cochno2.png|caption2=RIB 2204. Distance Slab of the Second Legion<ref>{{cite web|title=RIB 2204. Distance Slab of the Second Legion
|url=https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/2204|website=Roman Inscriptions of Britain|access-date=18 November 2017}}</ref> George MacDonald calls in no. 14 in the 2nd edition of his book ''The Roman Wall in Scotland''.<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=387–388|edition=2d ed., rev., enl., and in great part rewritten|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3760345;view=2up;seq=548;size=200|access-date=11 October 2017}}</ref>
It has been scanned and a video produced.<ref>{{cite web|title=Distance slab of the 2nd Legion, Caerleith Farm, Duntocher|date=30 March 2017 |url=https://vimeo.com/210769129|access-date=14 November 2017}}</ref>
 |image3=Stèle-Legio II Augusta-Strasbourg.jpg|caption3=Funerary stele of [[Caius Largennius]] a soldier from [[Lucca]], [[Roman Italy|Etruria]] found in [[Strasbourg]]<br />([[Musée archéologique (Strasbourg)|Musée archéologique de Strasbourg]])}}
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