Miracle of the Thundering Legion

E853094

The Miracle of the Thundering Legion is a legendary event in which a Roman army, reportedly aided by a sudden, divinely sent thunderstorm and rainfall, was saved from defeat during a desperate battle.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf episode in Roman military history ⓘ
legendary event ⓘ
military miracle tradition ⓘ
associatedWithConflict Marcomannic Wars ⓘ
associatedWithMilitaryUnit Legio XII Fulminata ⓘ
associatedWithPeople Marcomanni ⓘ
Quadi ⓘ
Roman army ⓘ
associatedWithReligion Roman paganism ⓘ
early Christianity ⓘ
associatedWithRuler Marcus Aurelius ⓘ
culturalSignificance episode in the Christianization of Roman imperial ideology ⓘ
example of divine aid in battle narratives ⓘ
describedAs event in which a Roman army was saved by a sudden thunderstorm and rainfall ⓘ
effectOnEnemy caused confusion among Marcomanni and Quadi ⓘ
storm reportedly struck enemy forces ⓘ
effectOnRomans provided drinking water to the Roman soldiers ⓘ
revived exhausted troops ⓘ
hasAlternativeName Miracle of the Hail ⓘ
linked to: Miracle of the Rain

Miracle of the Rain ⓘ
Thundering Legion miracle ⓘ
hasDateApproximation late 2nd century CE ⓘ
reign of Marcus Aurelius (161–180 CE) ⓘ
hasDepictionOn Column of Marcus Aurelius ⓘ
hasIconography rain god or divine figure pouring water over Roman soldiers ⓘ
hasKeyFeature hail ⓘ
heavy rainfall ⓘ
lightning ⓘ
sudden thunderstorm ⓘ
hasLocationApproximation region of the Danube frontier ⓘ
territory of the Quadi ⓘ
hasNameOrigin named for the epithet "Fulminata" (armed with lightning) of Legio XII ⓘ
interpretedAs divine intervention ⓘ
interpretedByChristiansAs answer to Christian soldiers' prayers ⓘ
evidence of Christian God's power ⓘ
interpretedByPagansAs favor of pagan gods ⓘ
mentionedBy Cassius Dio ⓘ
Eusebius of Caesarea ⓘ
Tertullian ⓘ
later Christian apologists ⓘ
relatedTo Roman military religion ⓘ
linked to: Roman religion

miracle stories in late antiquity ⓘ
scholarlyDebate historicity of the event is disputed ⓘ
identity of the praying group (Christians or others) is debated ⓘ
possible natural explanation for the storm ⓘ
sourceType ancient literary sources ⓘ
tookPlaceIn Roman Empire ⓘ
usedAs argument in early Christian apologetics ⓘ
imperial propaganda for Marcus Aurelius ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Miracle of the Rain → hasAlternativeName → Miracle of the Thundering Legion ⓘ
Miracle of the Thundering Legion → hasAlternativeName → Thundering Legion miracle ⓘ
linked to: Miracle of the Thundering Legion
Rain Miracle of the Marcomannic Wars → laterName → Miracle of the Thundering Legion ⓘ
Miracle of the XII Fulminata → hasAlternativeName → Miracle of the Thundering Legion ⓘ
Miracle of the XII Fulminata → hasAlternativeName → Miracle of the Thundering Legionaries ⓘ
linked to: Miracle of the Thundering Legion
Thundering Legion → associatedWithEvent → Miracle of the Thundering Legion ⓘ