Previously we went over the journey of the 10th Legion through the Gallic Wars. Now, with no time
to rest, the 10th's service was needed more than ever in the coming Civil War between the two triumvirs:
Caesar and Pompey. The 10th was put under the command of Gaius Fabius and sent with
two other Legions towards Hispania to quickly secure important mountain passages; blocking off
Pompey's six best legions in Spain. I'd like to point out a side note that will be important later:
Upon reaching Hispania, Fabius retired some veteran centurions of the 10th legion there
whose 16-year service now came to an end. These men were initially assigned to the 10th legion from
the 9th and 8th and so were considerably older. They were replaced by other men of the 10th who
seemed worthy of the role. One of the centurions that retired was Crastinus; the first centurion
of the 10th legion. He outranked all the other centurions and proved himself many times in the
Gallic campaigns. Remember his name for later. Why Fabius did this was probably because he
thought that the Civil War would be over soon, and perhaps out of the respect he had for these
veterans. So for the first time in almost 10 years, the whole 10th legion returned to Hispania and
were completely different men compared to the recruits they once were. The 10th legion was to
fight it's first Civil War at the battle of Ilerda, against six experienced fellow legions, personally
raised by Pompey. The Pompeian 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Legions were considered elite and dated as
far back as 83 BC and were recruited from Italians. The 1st Legion at this time would even mirror
the tenth in loyalty and fame. The other three were also veterans but were Spaniards, the 6th
having even fought under caesar at the battle of Alesia after Pompey lent to him. On the other side,
half of Caesar's Legions were fresh recruits. The last two had yet to even face an enemy in battle.
Caesar was soon to be reinforced but his force would still on average, be less experienced.
Even without Pompey present, it would be a huge risk to face these veterans of Spain up front, and
Caesar knew this. But the Spanish legions would have had friends and relatives on both sides and
would be reluctant to fight each other. Caesar even writes that men from both sides at some
point started secretly meeting and talking to each other; discussing the civil war and asking about
relatives back home. It wasn't long before some of Caesar's men were even found in the Pompeian camp
and were publicly executed by it's commanders after they found out. This would have included
some men of the 10th. The few hours of peace were short-lived. It was due to Caesar's brilliance
in strategy that he was able to out-position the Pompeians and force them to surrender, after which
he chose to show them mercy and disbanded some of the pompeian legions, making them swear to never
fight against him again. But the 1st and 3rd Legions he sent back to Italy, and he was not aware
that they would soon slip away to join Pompey, only to face him again in the future. Caesar's next move
was to recruit back the previously retired veteran centurions of the 10th Legion into the ranks, as
he was probably displeased that Fabius would have retired such experienced men at such an important
time. The centurions, together with Crastinus, the previous first centurion, had to join the Legion
again. The 10th was now sent to march to Brindisi, where it would begin to cross over to Greece
(that was where Pompey retreated to), and Caesar again chose the 10th to accompany him in the
first wave of landings. After Caesar landed in Greece with nine legions, the battle of Dyrrhachium
followed. In Greece, Pompey mustered a force of up to twelve legions, and outnumbered Caesar's eight.
But this time, it was Caesar's men that were more experienced overall. Here, the tent did not play
a crucial role in the engagement, as it was a full stalemate, and Pompey was reluctant to give
battle against Caesar's more experienced Legions. Pompey was a great strategist himself, and did not
choose to engage them. He instead attacked a weak point, pointed out by some Gauls from Caesar's
army who defected to him. Caesar had to fall back because of this, and the battle was lost.
The next battle was about to be the biggest and one of the most important battles in the Civil
War, and the 10th Legion would be right in the spotlight of it. The two armies met at Pharsalus,
with Pompey occupying a steep hill and again, not engaging Caesar straight up, but waiting it out.
You can probably imagine what kind of thoughts crossed Pompey's men at this point:
Why couldn't they just attack? the Caesarians were severely outnumbered, out supplied, and they
lost the previous engagement at Dyrrhachium not long ago. Perhaps their general did not trust them?
These sorts of rumors would have reached Pompey, and were one of the reasons he ordered his men to come
down from the hill and offer an engagement. This was Caesar's chance. Caesar's old second-in-command
Labienus, who has left him to join Pompey's side, would have known what the 10th legion was capable
of, and informed Pompey that they were a key in this battle. According to Plutarch, all Pompey's cavalry
were given precise orders to target and separate the 10th, along with Caesar, from the other legions.
Caesar was about to demonstrate to Pompey's men as to why their general was so cautious about facing
his Spanish Legions. Caesar's plan was to win with his right flank, so he placed his most reliable
10th legion there. Pompey countered this by placing his proud 1st legion directly in front of them.
This was the same legion that fought at Ilerda a few months back. But Pompey would have known that as
elite as the 1st would have believed themselves to be, they lacked the experience that the 10th
Legion would have had by this time. Caesar, standing right behind the 10th legion, as he normally did,
also ordered 120 volunteers of the 10th legion to stand ahead and lead the charge. He did this
knowing that the fresher units in the center would be motivated by the performance of his
famous Legion. One of the men who volunteered was the previously mentioned Crastinus, the ex-first
centurion of the legion. The same guy who got discharged and then recruited back into the
Legion. The man was said to turn to his comrades and inspire them once more before leading the charge;
telling them that this one last battle remains before they earned their freedom.
He then turned to Caesar and told him that he will earn his gratitude today, dead or alive, and he will
be victorious. It would have been a great honor for the other men to stand by Crastinus and lead the
charge, after all he led them through every battle since their very recruitment back in 61 BC.
When the order was given, the two armies clashed, and the two favored legions clashed violently, as Crastinus
led the charge of the 10th legion and fought bravely, before being stabbed by a gladius in
the mouth. Why the centurion volunteered for such a suicide mission is unknown, and some historians
such as Ross Cowan believed that he offered himself as a sacrifice to the gods, in exchange
for Caesar winning the battle that was so heavily stacked against his favor. Regardless, the body
of the centurion was found after the battle and buried separately from the rest, along with several
decorations for bravery and courage. At Pharsalus, Caesar brilliantly routed the Pompeian cavalry
with the charge of a hidden fourth line, and then together with the cavalry, rushed to assist the
10th Legion; charging into the Pompeian exposed left flank. Pompeii's 1st legion stood bravely,
but was soon forced to fall back, causing a wave of panic throughout the rest of the army, as the
10th Legion now attacked them in the open flank, and their best 1st legion was now on the run.
The whole Pompeian force was soon to be in full retreat. That day, Pompey experienced his first ever
military defeat in his career, having reluctantly agreed to an engagement that he himself was
not fully confident of. And guess what! The 10th Legion was again, a crucial part of this victory.
What I want to achieve with these Legion analyses, is to give you a different perspective on battles.
Not just from a general view, like "Caesar won Pharsalus with his right flank", but actually the
thought process that went into placing the 10th on the right, and where Caesar got the confidence
that they would succeed in this task and be the major anchor of this entire battle. Well now, we
can look back at their history and say for sure: When fighting the Germans at the battle of Vosges,
the 10th was also on the right, but it took them MUCH effort before they slowly started pushing
the enemy back. After this, they would have gained a lot of pride and confidence in themselves, having
pushed back such a fierce tribe as this Suebi. Then, take a look at the ambush of the Sabis river:
the 10th again, were told to charge, and this time they were even MORE successful, and chased
the enemy all the way across the river, then they rear-charged the main Nervii force
and pushed them back too. Again, this added to their confidence and fearlessness. This pattern
that kept occurring in battles made the 10th very good at one thing - pushing the enemy back, and they
did this more effectively than any other Legion, and this was their "trademark", if you will.
Now, look at their opponents: the 1st legion. Proud and disciplined, but the majority of their skill comes
from campaigning in Hispania against Spaniards that employed "hit-and-run" tactics, and rarely
engaged in full open battles, unlike the Gauls and Germans. So they wouldn't be as experienced as the
10th legion would be at stopping a full-on charge. These were some of the many small details both
generals had to consider before this battle, and you could tell that it wouldn't take a military
genius like Caesar to think of placing the 10th on the right at Pharsalus as well, and let them
just do what they do best. In fact, this was such an obvious move that before the battle even started,
Labienus informed Pompey that Caesar would be on the right with his 10th Legion, and THIS is where
Caesar's genius truly came to play - in creating a hidden infantry line to protect the 10ths flank.
Everything from there, he fully relied on the 10th, and as expected, they didn't let him down..
Caesar's next steps were to chase down Pompey in further Greece. He chose to do so with his fresher
Legions, and sent Mark Antony along with the 12th and his original four Spanish Legions (7,8,9,10), 10th
included, back to Italy where they encamped in the Field of Mars, presumably to await their rewards.
Unfortunately for the veterans, Antony did not have the authority to disband and reward
them. This could only be done by Caesar himself, who is now soon to be sieged in Egypt for many months.
All the while, the Spanish veteran Legions waited for Caesar to arrive and disband them,
but no word of him arrived. Many started to presume he was dead, and if that was the case,
no one was entitled to give them their hard-earned bonuses. These thoughts would have been in the
minds of these men for months, and eventually, it turned into a full-out mutiny. the Legions (except the 7th) went on
a complete looting spree; breaking into the homes of Roman citizens and taking goods for themselves.
What made the situation even more dangerous is that there was no army anywhere near Rome
that could stand up to these Spanish veterans "gone rogue". Antony himself was too scared to go
anywhere near them, and all the ambassadors he sent to negotiate with them were chased off, fearing for
their lives. The Legions developed such a taste for spoils and anger, that according to Plutarch,
they even killed some former Praetors (Roman commanders). As the months passed by, it became
known that Caesar had arrived in Rome, but even this did not stop the looting. Caesar was setting
up for an invasion of Africa, and needed his best Legions among him. He sent an ambassador to parlay
with the Legions, but he was chased off from the camp. There was nothing left to do but for Caesar
to personally attend the camp. According to Appian, Caesar walked through the main gate along with
some other officers. He walked past the mutineers and right up to the stairs of the tribunal, where
he could see them all. A lot of the men, recognizing their old commander, saluted him with honor.
He stood there silently for a few moments, until there was complete silence around him.
"State your demands", he said, to which no one seemed to reply. A few voices were soon heard demanding
for payment and retirement, and to go back to their homes. In a calm voice, Caesar replied: "very well, all
of you were discharged". For a few moments there was nothing but silence, until some of the men urged
him to say something else, and not to end it in this way after all the years they served together.
"My citizens", he said to them and paused for a few moments, this was the first time in
16 years that Caesar has referred to them by anything but "my fellow soldiers", and this had
guilty and shameful effects on the veterans. "I will pay you everything I promised", he continued,
"but only after I win the war with the legions that are currently serving me, and only after those
Legions have been fully paid for their service". A huge sense of emotional guilt struck the soldiers.
They never expected that after 16 years of serving Caesar and earning such respect from him, it would
end with him looking down at them, and even comparing them to mere citizens with full
disappointment in his eyes. How could they proudly claim they belong to a Legion that will forever be
known as a disappointment to its nation? How could some fresh Legion steal their glory and be hailed
as victors of the whole war when it was them that once did the unthinkable, crushing anyone in their
path? They were the ones that won the battles that mattered. Caesar turned his back on his men
and headed for the stairs to leave. He was met with voices asking him to stay and to punish the few
guilty, and that the others were ready to serve him. "I will not punish any man here", Caesar responded,
"it pains me that even the 10th Legion, whom I have continually praised and honored over the years
could be involved in agitation of this kind.. This Legion alone I discharge from the army. The rest
of you can join me, but when I return from Africa, I will have them rewarded as well as the rest of you".
The men from the other legions cheered Caesar's response, happy to regain their reputation once
again. However the 10th Legion, having prior to this held the highest reputation, felt the guiltiest.
They were now no longer one of four disgraced Legions, they were now the ONLY disgraced Legion -
a title their pride could not bear, after being spoiled by years of praise. Some men of the 10th
begged Caesar to reconsider, and take them to Africa. Some even begged him to decimate them
as punishment, but to take the rest. Caesar, seeming reluctant, finally agreed to take the 10th with
him and to not punish anyone. Obviously, Caesar was not reluctant about this. For he had just in a
simple speech, or according to Tacitus, by a single word: "citizens", convinced three of his best Legions
to fight and die for him in another campaign that could last years. This goes to show just how much
these veterans valued their pride and honor, typical of many romans, and that they wouldn't
even agreed to see their families after almost two decades and receive a hefty amount of pay,
if it meant living in shame and disgracing their Legion's title. The 10th Equestris was back in the
field, more committed and loyal than ever. In 47 BC, Caesar landed at the port of Sousse, in Africa.
He had some cohorts of the 10th, and his veterans of the 5th *and some fresh Legions*. Most of the 10th Legion was still on
its way from Sicily with the other three spanish Legions (7, 8, 9). Along Caesar's march, he was caught in the
open by his previous second in command Labienus, who he has not seen since Pharsalus. Labinus's force
was mostly cavalry and local infantry, but he had an overwhelming amount of them. Caesar's men were
out foraging for supplies and just barely were able to get into formation as the locals attacked.
Labienus' superior numbers eventually managed to surround them. Caesar had to order a circular
Orbis formation. Labienus, seeking revenge for the battle of Pharsalus, started mocking the legionaries;
saying Caesar got them in a very bad situation, and calling out the men as they were mere recruits
and didn't know what they were doing. After all, most of the Legions present were indeed recruits,
but some men of the 10th legion were also present there, and one of them yelled out in defense of
his honor, that he was not a raw recruit, but a veteran of the 10th Legion. Labienus laughingly
replied that he did not see the standards of the 10th legion present. This is because most of them
had not arrived yet. To this, the man responded by stepping out of formation, removing his helmet, and
throwing his javelin across the air and hitting Labienus' horse right in the chest; killing it
instantly beneath him. He would have had to being carried away by his bodyguards. "Perhaps that will
help you recognize a soldier of the 10th", he added. The cheering Romans were reinvigorated, and under
Caesar's command, fought off the now wavering enemies, and were just able to escape. They were
soon to win the battle of Thapsus against Scipio, where the 10th held the right flank and smashed
through the enemies left, as usual. But this time they went on a complete rampage and slaughtered
everybody, including those who surrendered to them. Nevertheless, this battle concluded
the African campaign, sending the remaining Pompeians fleeing to Hispania, where it all began.
The next battle would be there, and would conclude the Civil War. Caesar took his best legions to link
up with the fresh ones already there. According to some sources, the 10th by now would have numbered
less than half of its original 6 000 recruited men. This would be the same for almost all his
other veteran legions. The Pompeian Legions outnumbered Caesar's greatly, but they were raw
recruits. Despite their superior numbers, they had no idea what men they were about to fight against;
grizzled and battle-hardened veterans in their 40s who were tested by all imaginable challenges
of war, for decades. One could only imagine how indifferent they probably were to taking life,
given their complete rampage at Thapsus.. The recruits would be up against the real challenge.
They were led by Gnaeus Pompeius, the oldest son of Pompey, and none other than Labienus, who seemed to
always escape every battle, desperately fighting for the Pompeian cause. Caesar's men had to cross
a river and charge upwards, having to stop due to countless javelins and arrows from the Pompeians
rained on them. The charge only renewed when Caesar himself picked up a sword and shield and charged
ahead of his men, telling them that they will be forever shamed if he dies to the recruits ahead of
him. The 10th legion, stationed as always on the right, charged with the other legions to protect
their general, and fought for hours. As always, the 10th Legion was making the most progress,
striking fear into the fresh recruits fighting ahead of them. Labenus even had to call off some
Legions on his right wing to aid his crumbling left. His unexperienced legions in the center must
have mistook this as a call to retreat, as some of them started pulling back, until the entire force
was on the run. Despite being one of the smallest Legions in size, these veterans of Gaul, Spain,
Greece, and Africa, were once again the anchor of the battle, concluding the Civil War. The battle was
so violent, that Caesar would have later said that in all his battles, he fought for victory, but at
Munda he fought for his life. He also said that at Munda, the charge of the 10th Legion deprived the
Pompeian Legions of their confidence. The Civil War was finally at an end. The 10th legion was finally
discharged and got all of its promised pay, along with the other legions. The ranks were refilled
with more raw recruits from Spain, and some of the previous veterans decided to stay and re-enlisted
for another 16 years of service. The legion was now stationed in Spain under Lepidus, its new
governor. The 10th soon found itself under another civil war right after Caesar's assassination. The
Legion's first battle was at Philippi, under Mark Antony, against Brutus and Cassius, two of Caesar's
assassins. The 10th ended up on the victorious side. After Philippi was the 10th Legion's
final battle: the naval battle of Actium. The 10th Legion sided with Mark Antony and against Octavian.
If you count Dyrrhachium as a tactical *retreat*, Actium was the 10th legion's first real defeat.
It was also their last battle. They surrendered to Octavian, who ordered them to march against Mark
Antony in Egypt. In around 29 BC, the 10th Legion was to be discharged, but Octavian delayed it.
The 10th responded to this by starting a riot. Octavian was already on not-so-good terms with the
10th, since they fought against him, and now he responded by discharging the whole Legion
and removing its title of "Equestris". He soon ordered other recruits to be raised into the
10th Legion, most probably from Spain, and to be stationed in Syria for many years to come.
I suppose you can argue that this soon to be "10th Gemina" would be its new self, but many would argue,
me included, that the 10th Equestris died with its name. It no longer had any veterans in it from the
former conflicts, and even its centurions would have been drawn up from different Legions. The
only tie the Legion had to its former self was its number. So just like that, in one swift order, the
story of the famous 10th Equestris came to an end. Its accomplishments and battles have shaped more
of the future than you'd think. It was the Legion that fought its way into fame and glory in one of
the most crucial periods of late antiquity, giving birth to one of the greatest Empires to ever exist,
that shaped much of our world today... You now know everything there is to know of Caesar's best
Legion. Subscribe and drop a like if you enjoyed! More videos are on the way. Thank you for watching.