Ala II Asturum

The Ala II Asturum [Antoniniana] ( German  2. Ala der Asturer [the Antoninianische] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas and inscriptions.

Name components

• Asturum : the Asturian . When the unit was set up, the Ala soldiers were recruited from the Asturian people in the area of ​​the conventus Asturum (with the capital Asturica Augusta ).

• Antoniniana : the Antoninian. An honorific designation that refers to Caracalla (211-217) or Elagabal (218-222). The addition occurs in the inscriptions (RIB 1465, 1466).

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 believed to be around 19 BC. Set up. It was probably moved to the Rhine under Augustus . Around 42/43 AD the unit then appears in the province of Pannonia , where it was probably used to monitor the Danube border between Aquincum and Intercisa . At an unspecified time before 122 the unit was moved to Britannia , where it remained until the end of Roman rule.

The Ala is listed on military diplomas for the years 61 to 130/131. The diploma of 61 was issued to the troops in the Illyricum province . The term Illyricum is still used in the diploma , although the province was already divided into Illyricum superius (later Dalmatia ) and Illyricum inferius (later Pannonia ) under Augustus .

The first evidence in the province of Britannia is based on diplomas dated to 122. The diplomas list the Ala as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Britannia ) that were stationed in the province. Other diplomas, dated 127 to 130/131, prove unity in the same province.

The unit is mentioned for the last time in the Notitia dignitatum with the designation Ala secunda Asturum for the location Cilurnum. It was part of the troops under the command of the Dux Britanniarum , under the direction of a prefect .

Locations

Locations of the Ala in Pannonia may have been:

• Intercisa ( Dunaújváros ): The tombstone of Tiberius Claudius Pintamus was found here.

Locations of the Ala in Britannia may have been:

• Bremetennacum ( Ribchester ): The inscription (RIB 586) was found here.
• Cilurnum ( Chesters ): The inscriptions (RIB 1462–1466, 1480) were found here. It is also listed in the Notitia dignitatum for this location.

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

Aelius Longinus , a prefect Cornelius Qu [], a prefect ( CIL 6, 3514 )

Septimius Nilus , a prefect

Others

Ael (ius) Gemellus, a Decurio (RIB 1480) Albanus, a horseman ( CIL 13, 2613 ) Aurelius Severus, a Decurio (RIB 1453) Aventinus, a curator (RIB 1480) Marcus Aurelius Victor (RIB 1481)

M (arcus) Ingenuius Asiati [cus], a Decurio (RIB 586) Receptus, a Sesquiplicarius ( CIL 3, 14349.08 ) [Ti (berius)] Claudius Pint [am] us, a horseman ( AE 1992, 1458 ) T (itus) Iulius Bellicus, a Decurio ( CIL 3, 15205,3 )

See also

• List of Roman auxiliary units
• Roman forces in Britannia

Web links

• 1910 - ala II Asturum. Roman Inscriptions of Britain (RIB), accessed February 17, 2018 . 

Remarks

1. ↑ Margaret M. Roxan assumes that this happened during the reign of Vespasian , while Narciso Santos Yanguas suspects that the unit was not moved until after 105.
2. ↑ Narciso Santos Yanguas adds to Qu [adratus] , Margaret M. Roxan on the other hand to Qu [ietus] .
3. ↑ Narciso Santos Yanguas assigns Albanus the Ala II Asturum to, John Spaul however, the Ala I Asturum .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Margaret M. Roxan : The Auxilia of the Roman Army raised in the Iberian Peninsula Volume 1. (PDF 23.5 MB) discovery.ucl.ac.uk, 1973, pp. 65-67, 334-341 (68–70, 337–344) , accessed February 18, 2018 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Narciso Santos Yanguas: El Ala II de los Astures en el Ejército Imperial Romano , pp. 87-100 ( online ).
3. ^ ^{A b} John EH Spaul: Ala². The Auxiliary Cavalry Units of the Pre-Diocletianic Imperial Roman Army. Nectoreca Press, Andover 1994, ISBN 0-9525062-0-3 , pp. 42-44.
4. ^ 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 Tables 1 ( PDF p. 159 ).
5. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 61 ( RMD 4, 202 ), 122 ( AE 2008, 800 , CIL 16, 69 ), 127 ( RMD 4, 240 ) and 130/131 ( ZPE-156-246 ).
6. ↑ Notitia Dignatatum table and map. (PDF 1 MB) Newcastle University , accessed on October 17, 2017 (English). 
7. ^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Occidentis XL ( online ).
8. ↑ Margaret M. Roxan: The Auxilia of the Roman Army raised in the Iberian Peninsula Volume 2. (PDF 9.8 MB) discovery.ucl.ac.uk, 1973, pp. 126-128 (705-707) , accessed on February 18, 2018 (English).