previous next
lĕgĭo , ōnis, f. 2. lego (prop., a selecting, choosing; hence), transf.,
I.a body of soldiers: “legio, quod leguntur milites in delectu,Varr. L. L. 5, § 87 Müll.
I. Lit., a Roman legion. It consisted of 10 cohorts of foot-soldiers and 300 cavalry, making together between 4200 and 6000 men. As a general rule, the legion was composed of Roman citizens; it was only on the most pressing occasions that slaves were taken into it. The standard was a silver eagle. The legions were usually designated by numerals, according to the order in which they were levied; “though sometimes they were named after the emperor who raised them, or after their leader, after a deity, after some exploit performed by them, etc.: cum legionibus secunda ac tertia,Liv. 10, 18: “undevicesima,id. 27, 14: “vicesima,id. 27, 38: “Claudiana,Tac. H. 2, 84: “Galbiana,id. ib. 2, 86: “Martia,Cic. Phil. 4, 2: “adjutrix,Tac. H. 2, 43: “rapax,id. ib.: “in legione sunt centuriae sexaginta, manipuli triginta, cohortes decem,Gell. 16, 4, 6; cf. Inscr. Orell. Index rerum, s. v. legio.—
II. Transf.
B. In gen., an army, a large body of troops: legio rediit, Enn. ap. Non. 385, 17 (Ann. v. 535 Vahl.): “quia cotidie ipse ad me ab legione epistolas mittebat,Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 56; 83; 2, 2, 22; id. Most. 1, 2, 48: “si tu ad legionem bellator cluis, at ego in culina clueo,id. Truc. 2, 7, 53: “cetera dum legio campis instructa tenetur,Verg. A. 9, 368: “de colle videri poterat legio,id. ib. 8, 605; “10, 120: horruit Argoae legio ratis,Val. Fl. 7, 573.—
2. Trop.: “sibi nunc uterque contra legiones parat,his troops, forces, expedients, Plaut. Cas. prol. 50.
hide Dictionary Entry Lookup
Use this tool to search for dictionary entries in all lexica.
Search for in
hide References (22 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (22):
    • New Testament, Mark, 5.9
    • New Testament, Matthew, 26.53
    • New Testament, Luke, 8.30
    • Cicero, Philippics, 4.2
    • Plautus, Mostellaria, 1.2
    • Plautus, Truculentus, 2.7
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 9.368
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 2.43
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 2.84
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 1.1
    • Plautus, Epidicus, 1.1
    • Plautus, Menaechmi, 1.3
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 27, 38
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 22, 14
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 10, 18
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 10, 17
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 8, 24
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 27, 14
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 6, 32
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 26, 6
    • C. Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica, 7.573
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 16.4.6
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: