451 
LEG 
appearance of an enemy, they threw afide their baggage; 
and by eafy and rapid evolutions converted the column 
of march into an order of battle. The flingers and 
archers Ikirmilhed in the front; the auxiliaries formed the 
firft line, and were feconded or fuitained by the ftrength 
of the legions; the cavalry covered the flanks, and the 
military engines were?'placed in the rear. 
As to the number of the legions, we may compute, that 
the legion, which was itfelf a body of 6831 Romans, 
might, with its attendant auxiliaries, amount to about 
12,500 men. The peace-eftablilhment of Adrian and his 
fucceffors was compofed of no lef's than 30 of thefe for¬ 
midable brigades ; and moil probably formed a handing 
force of 375,000 men. Under Conflantine and his fuc- 
ceffors, the legions were very confiderably reduced. When 
/even legions, with feme auxiliaries, defended the city of 
Amida again!! the Perfians, the total garrifon, with the 
inhabitants of both fexes and the peafants of the deferted 
country, did not exceed the number of 20,000 perfons. 
Hence we may infer, that the conllitution of the legion¬ 
ary troops, to which they partly owed their valour and 
difeipline, was difl'olved by Conflantine; and that the 
bands of Roman infantry, which hill affumed the fame 
names and the fame honours, confided only of 1000 or 
1500 men. Neverthelefs, the fuccefl'ors of Conflantine 
indulged their love of oftentation, by bluing their orders 
to 132. legions, inferibed on the mufter-roll of their nu¬ 
merous armies. Under them the complete force of the 
military eftablithment was computed at 645,000 foldiers. 
Gibbon . 
Legion, Theban, is a name given by fome authors to a 
legion of Roman foldiers, who, refolving not to factifice 
to idols, fuffered martyrdom under the emperors Diocle- 
fian and Maximilian, about the year of Chrift 297. But 
the whole account of them feerns to be fabulous. 
Legion, Thundering , or Chrijlian, a name given to a body 
of Chriflian foldiers in the army of the Roman emperor 
Marcus Antoninus, who (it is faid) by their prayers drew 
from heaven a refrefhing fliower upon the army of Mar¬ 
cus Antoninus, ready to perifh with third, when that em¬ 
peror was at war with the Marcomanni. This remarka¬ 
ble event (which gave to the Chriftians, to whom it was 
attributed, the name of the thundering legion, on account 
of the thunder and lightning that deflroyed the enemy, 
while the fliower revived the fainting Romans) has been 
mentioned by many writers ; but, whether it was really 
miraculous or not, has been much difputed among learn¬ 
ed men. Some think that the Chriftians, by a pious fort 
of miftake, attributed this unexpected and feafonable 
fliower, which laved the Roman army, to a miraculous in- 
terpofition; and this opinion is, indeed, fupported by the 
weightieil reafons, as well as by the mofl refpeflable au¬ 
thorities. Let us (fays Mofheim) dillinguifh what is 
doubtful in this (lory, from that which is certain. It is 
certain, that the Roman army, enclofed by the enemy, 
and reduced to the moll deplorable, and even defperate, 
condition, by the third under which they languifhed in a 
parched defert, was revived by a fudden and unexpended 
rain. It is alfo certain, that both the heathens and the 
Chriftians looked upon this event as extraordinary and 
miraculous ; the former attributing it to Jupiter, Mer¬ 
cury, or the power of magic ; the latter to Chrift, inter- 
pofing thtis unexpectedly, in confequence of their prayers. 
It is ilill further beyond all doubt, that a confiderable 
number of Chriftians ferved, at this time, in the Roman 
army ; and it is extremely probable, that, in fuch trying 
circumftances of calamity and dillrefs, they implored the 
merciful inlerpofition and fuccour of their God and Sa¬ 
viour. And, as the Chriftians of thefe times looked upon 
all extraordinary events as miracles, and aferibed to their 
prayers all the uncommon and lingular occurrences of an 
advantageous nature that happened to the Roman empire, 
it will not appear furprifing, that, upon the prefent occa- 
fion, they attributed the deliverance of Antoninus and his 
army to a miraculous interpofition which they had ob- 
L E G 
tained from above. But, on the other hand, it mull be 
carefully obferved, that it is an invariable maxim, univer- 
fally adopted by the wife and judicious, that no events 
are to be eileemed miraculous, which may be rationally 
attributed to natural caufes, and accounted for by a re- 
courfe to the ordinary difpenfations of providence; and,, 
as the unexpected fliower, which reftored the expiring 
force of the Romans, may be eafily explained without 
riling beyond the.ufual and ordinary courfe of nature, 
the conclufion is manifeft; nor can it be doubtful in 
what light we are to confider that remarkable event. 
Mojheim's Eccl. Hijl. cent. ii. ch. 1. 
LE'GION of HON OUR. See the article Knight¬ 
hood, vol. xi. p. 823. 
LE'GIONARY, adj. Relating to a legion. Contain¬ 
ing a legion. Containing a great indefinite number.—• 
Too many applying themfelves betwixt jeft and earned:, 
make up the legionary body of error. Brown's Vulgar 
Err ours. 
LEGISLATION, f. [from legijlator, Lat.] The ad 
of giving laws.—Pythagoras joined legjlation to his philo- 
fophy,.and, like others, pretended to miracles and revela¬ 
tions from God, to give a more venerable function to the 
laws he prelcribed. Littleton. 
LEGISLATIVE, adj. Giving laws; lawgiving.—The 
poet is a kind of lawgiver, and thole qualities are proper 
to the legijlative llyle. Dryden. 
Their legijlative frenzy they repent. 
Enacting it Ihou-ld make no precedent. Dcnhant. 
LEGISLATOR, f. A lawgiver; one who makes laws 
for any community.— It fpoke like a legijlator ; the thing, 
fpoke was a law’. South. 
Heroes in animated marble frown, 
And legjlators feem to think in ftone. Pope. 
The principal ancient legiflators are—Mofes, legiflator 
of the Hebrews; Mercurius Trifmegiftus, and Bocchyris, 
of the Egyptians; Italus, of the QEnotrians; Thefeus, 
Draco, and Solon, of the Athenians; Zoroafter, of the 
Badtrians ; Charondas, of the Cappadocians ; and Cha- 
rondas, or Phaleas, of the Carthaginians: Androdamas, 
of the Chalcidians; Eudoxus, of the Cnidians; Phido,. 
of the Corinthians; Minosj^of the Cretans; Pythagoras, 
of the Crotoniates, and moll of the cities of the Graecia 
Major; Parmenides and Zeno, of Elea, in Lucania; Xa- 
molxis, of the Getae; Phoroneus of the Greeks; Bac¬ 
chus, of the Indians; Saturn, of Italy; Macarius, of the 
Ifie of Lelbos; Zaleucus, of the Locrians; Nicodorus 
Atnleta, of the city of Mutina; Hippodamia, of Miletus; 
Charondas, of Rheggio; Lycurgus of the Lacedaemoni¬ 
ans; Archytas, of Tarentum ; Philolaus, of the Thebans, 
At Rome the people were in a great meafure their own 
legiflators; though Solon may be laid, in fome fenfe, to 
have been their legiflator, as the decemviri, who were 
created for the making of laws, borrowed a great number 
from thofe of Solon. See the article Law, p. 337-365. 
LEGISLA'TORSHIP, f. Power of making laws.— 
There ought to be a difference made between coming out 
of pupilage, and leaping into legjlatorjhip. M. of Halifax, 
LEG'ISLATRESS, J. A female lawgiver. 
LEGISLATURE,/! The power that makes laws.—- 
Without the concurrent confent of all three parts of the 
legjlature, no law is, or can be, made. Hale's Com. Lazo. 
LEGITIMACY, f. [from legitimate .] Lawfulnefs of 
birth.—In refpeft of his legitimacy, it will be good. Ayliffe. 
—Genuinenefs; not fpurioufnefs.—The legitimacy or rea¬ 
lity of thefe marine bodies vindicated, I now inquire by 
what means they were hurried out of the ocean. Wood » 
ward. 
LEGITIM ATE, adj. (from legitimus, Lat. legitime, Fr.] 
Born in marriage ; lawfully begotten.—An adulterous per- 
fon is tied to make provifion for the children begotten in 
unlawful embraces, that they may do no injury to the legi¬ 
timate by receiving a portion. Taylor , 
Legitimate 
