The “Legio XII” was founded by Caius Julius Caesar in 58 BC during his first proconsulate in Gaul, in order to enlarge the number of soldiers given him by the senate. He decided to enrol Gallic people from the North of Italy, promising them the Roman citizenship after the period of service.

In his work “De Bello Gallico” about the war in Gaul, Caesar mentioned several actions with the Legio XII as a protagonist. An example is when the Legion was able to withstand for a long time when Gallic people, Germans and Belgians surrounded its encampment. As the enemies filled the moat around the camp and were ready for the final attack, the legionaries went out from the main gate in close ranks and succeeded in routing the attackers.

The fighting unit followed Caesar during his conquering of Gaul, during the Civil War in Italy and took part in the victorious battle in Pharsalus in 48 BC. When Caesar died, the legion was drafted into Marc Anthony’s command and fought in Actium in 31 BC.

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With the Empire the Legion took the name of “Fulminata” (illustrious) and was sent to east. There are several documents about its presence in the main battles there, where it both won and lost. The most negative event was the loss of its “eagle” - the characteristic sign of every fighting unit – during the Judaic riot in 66/70 AD. On the other hand the legion showed its courage when suppressed C. Avidius Cassius’s rebellion in 175 AD and received from the emperor Marcus Aurelius the title of “Firma Constans” (firm and reliable).

During the civil war in 193 AD the XII Legio sided with Pescennius Nigrus against Septimius Severus. It supported the proconsul of Syria Asellius Aemilianus, Nigrus’ partisan.

Later, the Legio XII Fulminata was mentioned in Christian Martyrologies. During Valerian’s persecution in 259 AD, a centurion was sentenced to death and then made a saint. Sixty years later during Licino’s fierce persecution, forty legionaries refused to take part in a Christians’ massacre, and were punished with death. They are still remembered by the Orthodox Church as the “Forty Martyrs of Sebastae”.

The last accounts about the Legio XII Fulminata are to be found in the “Notitia Dignitatum” from the 5Th century AD.

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Among the most important archaeological discoveries about the Twelfth there is a headstone found in Baku, Azerbaijan, in the second half of the 19th century.
The headstone has the inscription: