Fruits of some recent library research. A potentially embarassing omission from my thesis...
J. Rodriguez Gonzalez 2001 Historia de las legiones Romanas, Madrid
An ambitious attempt to write histories of all of the Imperial legions. If intended as an update of Ritterling 1925, this isn't quite explicit (it would seem to me the only possible starting point, but although R is referenced later, he doesn't get much of a look in in the introductory material)... The main difference is the lack of Ritterling's useful assembling of personnel (well, officers, at least) and evidence for nomenclature etc as the end of each entry. Very much in need of update, but a large job in itself. Based on a 1997 PhD thesis, so unfortunately missing any reference to Le Bohec et al. 2000 Les Legions de Rome sous le Haut-Empire (explicitly looking to update Ritterling). Perhaps this is why a 2nd edition appeared in 2003?
It would be more embarassing were it better, and becomes a little less so on discovering that the Institute of Classical Studies library only got hold of a copy in 2008 (and after a search through COPAC and WorldCat suggests that this is still the only copy to be had in the country). Still, would have liked to have seen it sooner (ie about 5 years sooner!) and will really have to get hold of a copy.
The treatment of the Twentieth legion doesn't entirely impress. He gets off on a bad foot by referring to it as legio XX Valeria throughout; this despite referencing McPake 1981 on the subject and despite reproducing a photograph of CIL VI 3492 = ILS 2288 on the cover of the book (the clue is in the XX VICTR). I wouldn't concur that the legion (or at least the same Twentieth legion) was raised by Caesar in 49BC in northern Italy; nor be quite so sure that 'Valeria' derives from the command of Valerius Messalinus (a possible explanation, but deserving of more argument). Was the legion at Camulodunum in a joint camp of 49.5ha (surely that's the whole town!) with XIIII Gemina? If so, certainly not 'en territorio de los icenios'; that might come as news to the Trinovantes/Catuvellauni. The supposed command of a vexillation in Numidia by Sex. Flavius Quietus is illusory (the point is disposed of by Dobson 1978 Die Primipilares)... I might go on, and may well come back to the subject, but perhaps I'm being picky. An impressive breadth of coverage, perhaps let down by detail. Certainly deserving of a more in depth look.
