Ala II Flavia Hispanorum

The inscription ( AE 1976, 288 )

The Ala II Flavia Hispanorum [civium Romanorum] [Galliana Volusiana] ( German  2. Flavian Ala of the Hispanics [the Roman citizens] [the Gallian Volusian] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is documented by inscriptions.

Name components

• Flavia : the Flavian. The honorary designation refers to the Flavian emperors Vespasian , Titus or Domitian .

• Hispanorum : the Hispanic . When the unit was established, the Ala soldiers were recruited from the various Hispanic tribes in the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis .

• 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 occurs in the inscriptions ( AE 1935, 35 , AE 1961, 338 , AE 1963, 16 , AE 1967, 237 , CIL 2, 2600 ).

• Galliana Volusiana : the Gallian Volusian. A title of honor that refers to Trebonianus Gallus (251-253) and his son Volusianus . The addition appears in the inscription ( AE 1976, 288 ).

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 Hispania Tarraconensis province for the duration of its existence . It was probably set up under one of the Flavian emperors; However, it cannot be ruled out that an already existing Ala II Hispanorum was subsequently awarded the honorary title Flavia for special merits. Around the middle of the 2nd century the unit (or a vexillation of the same) was probably temporarily relocated to Mauretania to take part in the suppression of an uprising.

The last evidence of the Ala is based on the inscription ( AE 1976, 288 ), which is dated to 252/253.

Locations

Locations of the Ala in Hispania Tarraconensis were:

• Petavonium ( Rosinos de Vidriales ): The inscriptions ( AE 1937, 166 , AE 1963, 16 , AE 1967, 237 , AE 1976, 288 ) were found here.

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

Λ. Ουειβιος Λεντυλος (Lucius Vibius Lentulus), an eparch Lucius Versenus Aper , a prefect ( AE 1937, 166 ) M (arcus) Fabius Mettianus, a prefect ( AE 1935, 35 ); he was also prefect of the Cohors III Bracaraugustanorum .

M (arcus) Sellius Honoratus, a prefect ( AE 1963, 16 ) Tib (erius) Iunius quadratus, a prefect ( CIL 2, 2600 )

Others

C (aius) Cornelius Serenus, a horseman ( AE 1961, 338 ) [C] alpurnius Reburrinus, a horseman ( EE 9, 277 ) [Do] mitius [] us, a rider ( AE 1961, 338 ) G (aius) Aemil (ius) Valens, a horseman ( CIL 2, 5610 ) L (ucius) Campilius Paternus, a horseman ( CIL 2, 5682 )

[P] rimanus, a Decurio ( CIL 2, 5610 ) Val (erius) Lascivus, a horseman ( CIL 8, 21050 ) Valeri (us) Marcel [linus], a Decurio ( AE 1966, 188 ) V [al (erius)] Sempronian (us), a Decurio ( CIL 2, 2554 )

See also

• List of Roman auxiliary units

Web links

Commons : Ala II Flavia Hispanorum  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

1. ↑ According to Margaret M. Roxan , the Ala secunda Hispanorum , which is mentioned in the Notitia dignitatum , is not identical to the Ala II Flavia Hispanorum .
2. ↑ According to Margaret M. Roxan , the subsequent award is more convincing, since in the other case one would also expect an Ala I Flavia Hispanorum , but there is no evidence of its existence.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 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. 147–155 (150–158) , accessed on May 31, 2018 (English). 
2. ↑ John EH Spaul: Ala. The Auxiliary Cavalry Units of the Pre-Diocletianic Imperial Roman Army. Nectoreca Press, Andover 1994, ISBN 0-9525062-0-3 , pp. 147-149.
3. ↑ 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. 635-637 (56-58) , accessed on May 31, 2018 (English).