Defending Roman Crimea

The Roman frontier in Crimea is one of the more obscure regions in the history of the Roman Empire, yet it was a significant area of military concern, particularly from the 1st to the 3rd centuries AD.

Crimea had been colonised by the Greeks as early as the 6th century BC, and it was known for its Greek city-states, including the Cimmerian Bosporus and the Taurian Chersonese. Over time, the Kingdom of Bosporus emerged as the dominant power in the region, and by the 2nd century BC, it became a Roman client state, though it retained its independence.

Despite being briefly made a Roman province under Nero in the mid-1st century AD, the Bosporus remained a loyal vassal kingdom for the majority of Roman history. To help secure this frontier, Rome sent detachments of troops known as Vexillations, which were drawn from various legions stationed across the empire.

These detachments were named after the *Vexillum*, the standard that identified their unit, and their role was to bolster local forces and defend the region against threats.

In the 1st century AD, Vexillations from the Legio I Italica were already active in defending Greek towns along the Taurian Chersonese. By the 2nd century AD, additional Vexillations from Legio V Macedonica and Legio XI Claudia were also stationed in the area. The commander of these detachments was known as the *Praepositus Vexillationibus Ponticis apud Scythiam et Tauriam* (Commander of the Pontic detachments in Scythia and Tauria), a high-ranking officer responsible for overseeing Roman forces in the region.

The legions stationed in the Balkans were ideally placed to respond to crises in the Bosporus due to their proximity, allowing Roman commanders to rapidly deploy forces when necessary. The Roman commanders sent to this frontier included figures like Tiberius Plautus Felix Ferruntianus, a Tribune of Legio I Italica, known through a Roman inscription.

As was typical in Roman military practice, the Vexillations from the legions were supplemented by auxiliary units, which provided specialised support, further strengthening the Roman presence in the region. These forces worked in concert to secure the frontier and maintain Roman influence over the Bosporan Kingdom and its surrounding territories.

The article first appeared in Mamta Shakya. 

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