Legio II Traiana Fortis Roman Vexillum

Legio II Traiana Fortis was founded by Emperor Trajan in 105 A.D., along with Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix, for the campaigns against the Dacians, which concluded with the annexation of Dacia to Rome in 106.

Its emblem was the demigod Hercules, a clear reference to strength and military valor. After the victory in Dacia, the legion followed Trajan in the great war against the Parthians, which began in 115, operating on the eastern front of the empire.

In 117, it was transferred to Judea to maintain order after local revolts, a role it would maintain during other periods of provincial unrest. Around 125, II Traiana was sent to Egypt and stationed in Nicopolis, near Alexandria, sharing the camp with XXII Deiotariana. During the Bucolic War, when Egypt revolted against Rome, the legion heroically defended Alexandria, enduring hunger and plague until the arrival of Avidius Cassius in 172; for this episode, it earned the cognomen “Fortis”. Even in the 5th century, documents attest to the presence of II Traiana Fortis in Egypt, testifying to its long history of imperial service.