Editing Roman conquest of Britain (section)

==Preparations for the invasion under Claudius==

In 43, possibly by reassembling Caligula's troops from 40, [[Claudius]] mounted an invasion force under overall charge of [[Aulus Plautius]], a distinguished senator.<ref>Dio Cassius, ''Roman History'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/60*.html#19 60.19–22] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120717074020/http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/60*.html#19 |date=17 July 2012 }}</ref> A pretext of the invasion was to reinstate [[Verica]], the exiled king of the [[Atrebates]].

It is unclear how many [[Roman legion|legions]] were sent: only the ''{{lang|la|[[Legio II Augusta]]}}'', commanded by future emperor [[Vespasian]], was directly attested to have taken part.<ref>{{citation |author=Tacitus |title=[[Histories (Tacitus)|Histories]] |at=[[s:The Histories (Tacitus)/Book 3#44|3.44]] }}</ref>

The ''{{lang|la|[[Legio IX Hispana|IX Hispana]]}}'',<ref>{{citation |author=Tacitus |title=Annals |at=[[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 14#32|14.32]] }}</ref> the ''{{lang|la|[[Legio XIV Gemina|XIV Gemina]]}}'' (later styled ''{{lang|la|Martia Victrix}}'') and the ''{{lang|la|[[Legio XX Valeria Victrix|XX]]}}'' (later styled ''{{lang|la|Valeria Victrix}}'')<ref>{{citation |author=Tacitus |title=Annals |at=[[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 14#34|14.34]] }}</ref> are known to have served during the [[Boudican revolt]] of 60–61, and were probably there since the initial invasion, but the [[Roman army]] was flexible, with cohorts and auxiliary units being moved around whenever necessary.

Three other men of appropriate rank to command legions are known from the sources to have been involved in the invasion. [[Cassius Dio]] mentions [[Gnaeus Hosidius Geta]], who probably led the ''IX Hispana'', and Vespasian's brother [[Titus Flavius Sabinus (consul AD 47)|Titus Flavius Sabinus the Younger]]. He wrote that Sabinus was Vespasian's lieutenant, but as Sabinus was the older brother and preceded Vespasian into public life, he could hardly have been a [[military tribune]]. [[Eutropius (historian)|Eutropius]] mentions [[Gnaeus Sentius Saturninus (consul 41)|Gnaeus Sentius Saturninus]], although as a former consul he may have been too senior, and perhaps accompanied Claudius later.<ref>[[Eutropius (historian)|Eutropius]], ''Abridgement of Roman History'' {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20190911110401/http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/eutropius/trans7.html#13 7:13]}}</ref>