08 Julius Caesar's 8th Gallica Roman Legion Shirt

This Legion was formed sometime before 59 BC, as by 58 it was already another of Caesar's older Legions. It was one of the oldest Legions in the entire Roman Imperial Army. It served throughout Caesar's Gallic Campaigns, and inscriptions even mentions Gallic warriors being accepted within its ranks at some point. During the Civil War with Pompey, the Legion fought at Corfinum and Brindisi, at Dyrrhachium, and at Pharsalus. After Pharsalus, the Legion's troops were given their pensions and land in Campania, but several would still serve with Caesar in Africa. After Caesar's murder, most of the troops were again re-enlisted by Caesar's heir, Octavian, under whom they fought at Modena and at Philippi. They also fought against the rebel pirate Sextus Pompeius, and at Actium against Marc Antony. When Octavian became Augustus, the Legion was sent to Tunisia, and later to the Balkans. In 6 AD, it served under Tiberius against the Marcomanni, and afterwards in the war against the Pannonians. In late 44, Emperor Claudius moved the Legion to Moesia, and it then aided in the conquest of Britain. Under Nero, it fought against the Sarmatians, Dacians, and Roxolani. It would soon garrison a strategic crossing point of the Middle Rhine, where it would stay for more than three centuries. Known for its engineering skills, some of the Legion's troops would help build Hadrian's Wall in Britain. In 213, it fought against the Germanic Alamanni, and in 233, against the Persian Sasanians. The Legion was still in Germania Superior at the beginning of the 5th century, when it was sent to the Rhine to defend against the Visigoth invaders. Like most Caesarian units, its emblem was the bull.