Legio VII Claudia was founded by Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in 65 BC in Hispania,

present day Spain. It was one of the four legions that took part in Gaius Julius Caesars invasion
of Gaul in 58 BC. The legions symbols included bull and a lion, as well as all the other Caesars
legions. The famous statesman, general and author mentions the legion when speaking of the
Battle of the Sabis in 57 BC, where he defeated the tribe of Nervians. The legion also took part
in two expeditions in Britain in 55 and 54 BC, and later operated in the vicinity of Lutecia,
present day Paris, during the crisis caused by Vercingetorix, a Gallic chieftain.

In the course of the civil war between former triumvirs Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and
Gaius Julius Caesar, the legion fought in the Battle of Ilerda, present day Lrida in Spain, and
also took place in the Siege of Dyrrhachium, and battle of Pharsalus, in present day Albania and
Greece.1 The last campaign where Caesar used the legion was the African campaign in 46 BC.

Following the death of Gaius Julius Caesar in 44 BC, the veterans of the legion join
Gaius Octavius Augustus, who is later to become the very first Roman emperor. It is possible
that upon legions reformation under Octavian it took nickname Paterna, often translated as the
old one. The legion fought many battles under Octavians leadership, including operations near
Modena, Philippi and Perugia. In the following years, the legion probably took part in battle of
Actium in 31 BC, where Octavian defeated Marc Anthony. Octavian transferred the legion to
Galatia in Asia Minor. It remains unclear whether the nickname Macedonica originates from this
period, or from the period when legion took part in battle of Philippi in 42 BC.

Settlement on Balkans was probably carried out in years following the Pannonian
uprising and battle in the Teutoburg Forest, meaning after 9 AD. The legion was primarily
stationed in Burnum in Dalmatia, present day Croatia. The big event in 42 AD, when Lucius
Arruntius Camillus Scribonianus, the governor of the province, revolted against new Roman
emperor Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, gave the legion honorary title Claudia
Pia Fidelis, as it remained loyal to the emperor and ended the rebellion.

The legion is transferred to Moesia in 56 or 57 AD, and stationed in Viminacium, present

day Kostolac in Serbia, where it permanently remained. It was the legion that started the building
of camp in Viminacium. The legion was also involved in second battle of Cremona in 69 AD,

1
Ubaciti godine u snimak, bez da se nabrajaju usmeno svaki put
that ensured Titus Flvius Caesar Vespasinus Augustus becoming an emperor, and later took
part in Trajans Dacian Wars from 101 AD. It was Tiberius Claudius Maximus, a solider from
Legion VII Claudia that brought the head of Decebalus, the last king of Dacia, to emperor
Trajan.

Lucius Septimius Severus Augustus, a governor of Pannonia Superior province was

proclaimed emperor in 193 AD, and the 7th marched on Rome with him, where he defeated
Marcus Didius Severus Julianus Augustus, and secured his new title. The Legion VII Claudia is
also mentioned on several inscriptions from the eastern campaigns against Partians and Persians.
Following the rebellion of general Postumus in 258 AD, the legion again fought for the emperor,
this time Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus Augustus, and was honored with titles Pia VI
Fidelis VI, yet it remains unknown when was the legion honored with titles from Pia II Fidelis II
to Pia V Fidelis V. In 273 AD, the soldiers of the 7th are amongst four more legions included in
road construction in Jordan, which is confirmed by an inscription from Qasr al-Azraq in present
day Jordan. Later, in the course of the 4th century AD, the legion is still stationed in Viminacium,
and in charge of guarding the middle Danube region.

Numerous inscriptions and finds from Viminacium point out a great popularity of oriental
deity Mithras amongst the members of Legion VII Claudia. Members of the legion originated
from different places and ethnical or social background, which is confirmed by an inscription
from Viminacium, that lists soldiers which were recruited in 169, and dismissed in 195 AD. The
inscription consists of 270 veteran names, of which most originate from Moesia Superior,
present day Serbia and Macedonia. Most of the soldiers come from towns Scupi near present day
Skoplje in Macedonia, Ratiaria near Arar in present day Bulgaria, and Remesiana, present day
Bela Palanka in Serbia. Veteran names have Thracian and Illyrian, and to a lesser extent Celtic
and Eastern origins. An interesting inscription from Pompeii speaks of one of the soldiers from
the 7th legion and states: ''Floronius, privileged soldier of the 7th legion, was here. The women
did not know of his presence. Only six women came to know, too few for such a stallion''.