ANTHONY BIRLEY ON THE ARMENIAN WAR AND STATIUS PRISCUS

Pasted below are jpeg images of selections drawn from the above volume by Anthony Birley. The most important of these, for those of us exploring the possibility that Lucius Artorius Castus might have gone with Statius Priscus to Armenia, are the passages relating to the composition of the Roman force brought to bear against Armenia, as well as the probable movement of Priscus from Britain to Armenia.

Those who argue that legionary vexillations would not have been brought from as far away as Britain ignore some important facts.  First, an entire legion under Sedatius Severianus had been lost in the East.  Furthermore, a substantial force had been sent from Europe.  It is clear that extra troops were needed.  Exercerbating this dearth was the deplorable condition of the eastern armies in general.  To quote first from M.C. Bishop's LUCIUS VERUS AND THE ROMAN DEFENCE OF THE EAST:

"Although a legion in Cappodocia had allegedly been wiped out in AD 162, neighboring Syria still held three legions, but these were found to be in a poor state." 

After a legion was wiped out under Sedatius Severianus, the exercitus Syriacus under L. Attidius Cornelianus was defeated. 

And, third, Priscus, whether ahead of his troops or not, could have moved fairly rapidly to Armenia.  It is not at all unreasonable to assume he took some British troops with him.  In fact, he probably would either have been ordered to do so, or took them as a military escort.