Caesar's 10th Legion - The Original Equestrian Unit

I know you are ALL waiting with baited breath to hear what I found out about the Caesar’s 10^th Legion – Legio X Equestris NOT to be confused with Legio X Gemina as it was bugging me.

Legio X Equestris were supposed to be foot soldiers, but in 58/57 BC Caesar wanted to quell any Germanic rebellion.  Can’t have those guys getting any ideas in their heads.  So he tries to overwhelm them by show of force with the 10^th.  I mean they just defeated the Gallic campaign, cmon!  He goes into the Rhine area and before he could pounce King Ariovistus of the Suebi calls for a parlee.  Caesar, who didn’t trust his Aedian Cavalry substitutes some of the soldiers from the 10^th in their place.  (Again, the 10^th were to be foot soldiers.)  He is able to put the Suebi down to rest and the 10^th get their reputation as cavalry! 

But, the 10^th was disbanded in 45 BC after Caesar’s untimely demise.  They were reconstituted by Lepidus, one of the guys in charge with Octavian, hunting down Caesar’s killers.  They also follow Mark Anthony during the Parthian Campaign where they lose in the  Battle of Actium.  These guys settle in Patra.  The legion rebels at some point, they did for Caesar too for lack of pay/extended years of service, and Octavian takes away their cognomen Equestris.  End of Legio X Equestis.

They were reconstituted again by Octavian in 42 BC as Legio X Gemina and stationed in Spain.   I will leave their story here.  AhhhHaaa….  It falls into place now.  These were Republican legions…  Republic/Empire shift.  Fantastic.  Mystery solved.  Moving on with the work of the day.