Legio XIII Gemina Roman Vexillum

The Legio XIII Gemina was one of the most famous units of the Roman army, inextricably linked to the figure of Julius Caesar.

It was recruited in 57 BC in preparation for campaigns against the Belgic tribes of Gaul, participating in operations at Sabis, Gergovia, and, in all likelihood, the siege of Alesia. With this legion, Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 49 BC, starting the civil war against Pompey, during which the unit always remained loyal to its commander until the victory at Pharsalus.

Disbanded at the end of the conflict, it was re-established by Octavian in 41 BC to confront Sextus Pompey and then received the nickname Gemina, because it was reinforced with veterans from other legions after the war against Antony and the Battle of Actium. In the imperial age, it was sent to garrison Illyricum, then Pannonia, and finally Dacia, based in Apulum (modern Alba Iulia), where it remained for centuries as a pillar of the Danubian limes until the last attestations in the 5th century AD.