Legio II Traiana Fortis Roman Vexillum

The Legio II Traiana Fortis was founded by Emperor Trajan in 105 AD, along with the XXX Ulpia Victrix, for the Dacian campaigns, which concluded with Dacia's annexation 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 empire's eastern front.

In 117, it was transferred to Judea to maintain order after local revolts, a role it would continue to play during other periods of provincial unrest. Around 125, the II Traiana was sent to Egypt and stationed in Nicopolis, near Alexandria, sharing the camp with the 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 the II Traiana Fortis in Egypt, bearing witness to its long history of imperial service.