Optio, Cohors II Italica Voluntariorum civium Romanorum, Century II

The Optio of the Second Century, of Cohors II Italica Voluntariorum civium Romanorum is Tiberius Minicius Pius. Born on the Gaul/Germanic Frontier at an Auxiliary Fortlet near Haltern, in 14 AD, he is the son of Quintus Minicius Germanicus, a retired Auxiliary Optio of Second Cohort, Italica, Civium Romanorum and older brother to Titus Minicius Parthicus. His mother is Batavian. Enlisting at the age of 16, Pius saw his first posting with Cohors II Italica just prior to the Cohort being transferred to Judea to the Roman city of Caesarea, just north of Joppa. While stationed there, Pius participated in numerous frontier duties to include patrolling the highways, punishing and putting down rebellious zealots, while providing security details to the local Praefectus. From 66 AD-73 AD Judea flamed out of control and many of the local cities were in open rebellion to the authority of Rome. Pius participated in every major siege and campaign. At the siege of Jopata while on picket duty the Jotapatans attempted to bypass the pickets with a foraging and skirmishing policy, but were foiled in their attempts by Minicius and his fellow alert pickets. Minicius detected them enough in advance to assemble two contubernium worth of II Italica Auxiliaries and hold back the Jotapatans long enough for relief forces to be assembled and beat the foraging and skirmishing party back, subsequently bringing the siege to a quick end, due to lack of provisions and water for the Sicarii. Pius is a religiously devout, dedicated and tireless leader of men which has earned him his cognomen.