Category:Legion

Le"gion, n. Etym: [OE. legioun, OF. legion, F. légion, fr. L. legio, fr. legere to gather, collect. See Legend.]

1. (Rom. Antiq.)

Defn: A body of foot soldiers and cavalry consisting of different numbers at different periods, -- from about four thousand to about six thousand men, -- the cavalry being about one tenth.

2. A military force; an army; military bands.

3. A great number; a multitude. Where one sin has entered, legions will force their way through the same breach. Rogers.

4. (Taxonomy)

Defn: A group of orders inferior to a class. Legion of honor, an order instituted by the French government in 1802, when Bonaparte was First Consul, as a reward for merit, both civil and military.

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---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Legion - A regiment of the Roman army, the number of men composing which differed at different times. It originally consisted of three thousand men, but in the time of Christ consisted of six thousand, exclusive of horsemen, who were in number a tenth of the foot-men. The word is used (Matthew 26:53; Mark 5:9) to express simply a great multitude.