Legio XXI Rapax (Nova Roma)

Centurion Lentulus orders the Legio XXI Rapax to attack the barbarians at the Gardellaca Festival in 2009, a public event co-organized by Nova Roman Pannonia.

Nova Roma's Legio XXI Rapax Pannonica is one of the reenactor units of the Nova Roman Pannonia Provincia, and it is the most active legion and reenactment group within Nova Roma, known for providing Nova Roma and its citizens with public events and programs. The Hungarian Legio XXI Rapax reenactment unit was founded by M. Caecilius Metellus Tocaiensis in 2002. The legion soon became popular in Eastern and Central Hungary, as the first Roman reenactment legion in these areas, and later it developed to be most active group in Nova Roma worldwide.

For a long period, the legion was supported, logistically and financially maintained by the "Gladius Történelmi Hagyományőrző Egyesület," a reenactment corporation in alliance with Nova Roman Pannonia, functioning as the representative of the provincia for business and legal purposes in relationship with the macronational authorities. Currently the legio XXI Rapax is operating within the frames of the "CAPPNR Egyesület" (reenactment corporation), maintained by the governor of Pannonia.

The membership of the legion has recently been involved mostly in Roman civilian reenactment rather than in military reenactment due to the outdated and substandard armor which is going to be fully replaced to meet the highest standards of Roman military reenactment. While the military equipment of the group is of outdated quality, the civilian display is a very accurate reconstruction of the appearance of classical Roman clothing. Members of the legio XXI Rapax, trained by Cn. Cornelius Lentulus, are among the very few individuals of the international reenactment scene who can put on an imperial period larger toga correctly.

The Legio XXI Rapax gave birth to two new legionary units, the Cohors VI Carpathica of Nova Roma, and the Legio X Gemina (this latter is not Nova Roman, but it was first an allied group, and now works independently), which, in turn, was the parent legion of the Legio II Adiutrix, also not a Nova Roman legion, but allied to Nova Roma.

Command

The ceremonial supreme commanders of all legions within Nova Roma are the consules of Nova Roma, and the praetores are the vice-supreme commanders. The provincial ceremonial commander-in-chief of the Legio XXI Rapax (and all other legionary units in Provincia Pannonia), is the governor of Pannonia, the legatus pro praetore Cn. Cornelius Lentulus, and the proquaestor of the provincia Sp. Porcius Gemma is the provincial deputy commander-in-chief.

The actual commander of the Legio XXI Rapax, as the highest ranking officer within the legion, is the tribunus militum M. Caecilius Metellus Tocaiensis. He exercises command through his subordinate operational commanders.

Missions and operations of the legion are directed by the two operational commanders. Cn. Cornelius Lentulus is the centurio of the unit (it is separate from his political position as legatus pro praetore), and Cn. Lentulus as centurio is the operational commander of military performances, education, training, drill and reenanctment. Sp. Porcius Gemma as optio is the operational commander for military camping, material and operational logistics, expeditionary logistics, supply management, food service, inventory control, armor maintenance, financial management, contracting, and overall administration of the unit.

The Nova Roman Legio XXI Rapax with its consecrated flag in Kalisz, International Roman Festival, Poland.

Officers

State Generals (political officers of the republic):

• legatus pro praetore - Cn. Cornelius Lentulus
• proquaestor - Sp. Porcius Gemma

Legionary Officers:

• tribunus militum - M. Caecilius Metellus Tocaiensis (first officer of the legion)
• tribunus militum - Cn. Cornelius Lentulus Alexander
• centurio hastatus prior - Cn. Cornelius Lentulus (operational commander for reenactment)
• optio - Sp. Porcius Gemma (operational commander for logistics and administration)
• tesserarius - Q. Arrius Nauta
• decanus - L. Coponius Caupo
• decanus - M. Valerius Maximus

Training the new generation. The trainees lined up by centurio Lentulus.

• Legio XXI Rapax in Pannonia
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  Change of guard in the legion's camp. Sp. Porcius Gemma at the background.

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  The shield of the officers.

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  Q. Arrius Nauta, of Pannonia, former tribunus plebis prepares to serve as member of the honour guard, and to witness the confarreationes at Sarmatian Days.

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  The Legio XXI Rapax marches with the Legio X Gemina during the Floralia. The Legio X Gemina was formed from the soldiers of the Rapax, and later they became an independent community, not affiliated with Nova Roma.

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  Muster of the Rapax before the commemoration of the 1920th anniversary of the fall of the legion.

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  Bad-ass legionaries of Nova Roma.

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  Armory. Deposition of arms and helmets while on leave, waiting for next order.

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  Our new shields: the scutum of 2014.

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  Expeditionary mission to Regio Marcomannia, the fortress of Fülek (Slovakia). Soldiers wearing the three main types of armor: 'lorica squamata' at left, 'lorica segmentata' in the middle, and 'lorica hamata' at right.

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  The Roman 'lorica segmentata' seen from all aspects on the soldiers of the Rapax. The great M. Metellus M. f. Cyprianus, son of the tribunus, leads the line.

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  C. Villius Vulso, soldier of the Legio XXI Rapax before his transfer to his new unit, the Cohors VI Carpathica.

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  The centurio of the Legio XXI Rapax, Cn. Cornelius Lentulus, with the tribunus, the founder of the legion, M. Caecilius Metellus Tocaiensis.