Ala Hispanorum Vettonum

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The Ala Hispanorum Vettonum [civium Romanorum] ( German  Ala der Hispanier der Vettonen [the Roman citizens] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas and inscriptions. In the diplomas from 122 to 178 it is referred to as Ala Vettonum Hispanorum , in most of the inscriptions as Ala Vettonum .

Name components

  • Hispanorum Vettonum : the Hispanic of the Vettons . When the unit was set up, the soldiers of the Ala were recruited from the various Hispanic tribes and in particular from the Vettons in the Roman province of Hispania ulterior .
  • civium Romanorum : the Roman citizen. The soldiers of the unit had been granted Roman citizenship at one point in time. However, this did not apply to soldiers who were accepted into the unit after this point in time. They received Roman citizenship only with their honorable farewell ( Honesta missio ) after 25 years of service. The addition appears in the military diplomas from 103 to 122, as well as in inscriptions.

Since there is no reference to the addition of milliaria (1000 men) to the name , the unit was an Ala quingenaria . The nominal strength of the Ala was 480 men, consisting of 16 towers with 30 riders each.

history

The Ala was stationed in the province of Britannia . It is listed on military diplomas for the years 103 to 178 AD.

The unit was probably set up under Augustus , but at the latest during the reign of Tiberius (14-37). She probably stayed in Hispania at first before she was probably moved to Germania between 22 and 43 . Possibly the Ala was then part of the troops that began to conquer Britain around 43 under the leadership of Aulus Plautius .

A military diploma was the first to show that the unit was 103 in Britain. The diploma lists the Ala as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Britannia ) that were stationed in the province. Other diplomas, dated 122 to 178, prove unity in the same province.

The last evidence of the Ala is based on an inscription dated 197/198.

Locations

Locations of the Ala in Britannia may have been:

  • Cicutio ( Y Gaer ): an inscription was found here.
  • Vinovia (Binchester): Inscriptions have been found here.

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

Others

  • Bassus, a horseman ( AE 1986, 426 )
  • Cand [idus], probably a rider (RIB 403)
  • Clemens, probably a Decurio (RIB 403)
  • Eltaominus, a former architect ( AE 2014, 805 )
  • L (ucius) Vitellius Tancinus, a horseman (RIB 159)
  • M (arcus) Aure [lius] [] ocomas, a medicus (RIB 1028)
  • Matugeno Turaedoqu (m) Longinus, a horseman and Sesquiplicarius ( CIL 2, 5866 )

See also

Web links

literature

  • Margaret M. Roxan : The Auxilia of the Roman Army raised in the Iberian Peninsula. Dissertation, 1973 Volume 1 ( PDF ) Volume 2 ( PDF )
  • John EH Spaul : Ala². The Auxiliary Cavalry Units of the Pre-Diocletianic Imperial Roman Army. Nectoreca Press, Andover 1994, ISBN 0-9525062-0-3 .

Remarks

  1. ↑ a b The assignment to the unit is assumed, but is not certain.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Inscriptions with civium Romanorum RIB 159 , RIB 1028
  2. ^ A b John EH Spaul , Ala², pp. 236-237.
  3. ^ Jörg Scheuerbrandt : Exercitus. Tasks, organization and command structure of Roman armies during the imperial era. Dissertation, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau 2003/2004, p. 157 Table 1 ( PDF ).
  4. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 103 CIL 16, 48 , 122 CIL 16, 69 , 131 ZPE-174-189 and 178 RMD 3, 184 , RMD 4, 293 , RMD 4, 294 .
  5. ↑ a b Margaret M. Roxan , The Auxilia, pp. 489-496, 763-764.
  6. ↑ Inscription RIB 730
  7. ↑ Inscription from Cicutio RIB 403
  8. ↑ inscriptions from Vinovia AE 1992, 1137 , RIB 1028 , RIB 1029