Editing Legio XVII

{{short description|Roman legion}}
[[Image:Roman aquila.jpg|thumb|Reconstructed Legionary Eagle]]

'''Legio XVII''' ("Seventeenth Legion") was a [[Roman legion|legion]] of the [[Imperial Roman army]]. It was founded by [[Augustus]] around 41 BC. The legion was destroyed in the [[Battle of the Teutoburg Forest]] (September 9, 9). The legion's symbol and ''cognomen'' are unknown.

This legion was probably created to deal with [[Sextus Pompey]], the last opponent of the [[second triumvirate]], garrisoned in Sicily and threatening [[Grain supply to the city of Rome|Rome's grain supply]].

Following the defeat of [[Mark Antony|Antony]] and [[Cleopatra VII of Egypt|Cleopatra]] in the [[battle of Actium]] (31 BC), the legion was stationed in [[Gaul]]. In the end of the 1st century BC, the Seventeenth was sent to the Germania [[Roman provinces|provinces]] in the Rhine and was stationed in Castra Vetera ([[Xanten]]). In AD 5, the provinces were pacified and [[Publius Quinctilius Varus]] was assigned governor and commander of the Germania army.

On September 9, [[Arminius]], leader of the [[Cherusci|Cheruscan]] allies, reported a rebellion in the Rhine area. Without suspecting the information received, Varus took his three legions, the XVII along with [[Legio XVIII|XVIII]] and  [[Legio XIX|XIX]], and headed west. On 9 September, near modern [[Osnabrück]], the [[Cheruscii]] led by Arminius ambushed the governor's army. All three legions were destroyed in what is known as the [[battle of the Teutoburg Forest]] and their [[aquila (Roman)|eagle standards]] lost. The eagle standards were recovered by the Romans in later years.

After its destruction, the Romans never used this legion number again.

== Attested members ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Name
!Rank
!Time frame
!Province
!Source
|-
|Lucius Eggius
|[[Praefectus castrorum]]
|AD 9
|[[Germania Antiqua]]
|''[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Velleius_Paterculus/2D*.html Velleius Paterculus, ii. 119]''
|}

==See also==
*[[List of Roman legions]]

==External links==
*[https://www.livius.org/articles/legion/legio-xvii/? livius.org account of Legio XVII]
{{Roman Legion|}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Legio Xvii}}
[[Category:Roman legions|17]]
[[Category:40s BC establishments]]
[[Category:1st-century BC establishments in the Roman Republic]]
[[Category:AD 9 disestablishments]]
[[Category:0s disestablishments in the Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in the 1st century BC]]
[[Category:Augustus]]