Lucius Antonius Saturninus was governor of Germania Superior during the reign of the emperor Domitian. In the Spring of 89, motivated by a personal grudge against the emperor, he led a rebellion involving the legions XIV Gemina and XXI Rapax, camped in Moguntiacum (Mainz). His Germanic allies were prevented from joining him by a sudden thaw of the river Rhine, and the revolt was quickly put down by Domitian's general Aulus Bucius Lappius Maximus, who afterwards burned Saturninus's letters in an attempt to avoid implicating others. However, Domitian had numerous others executed with Saturninus, displaying their heads on the rostra at Rome. The XXI were sent to Pannonia, and Domitian passed a law prohibiting two legions from sharing the same camp.[1]
References
- ^ Suetonius, Lives of the Twelve Caesars: Domitian 6.2, 7.3; Dio Cassius, Roman History 67.11; Aurelius Victor, Epitome de Caesaribus 11
