Ala II Ulpia Auriana

The Ala II Ulpia Auriana ( German 2. Ala the Ulpische des Aurius ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is documented by inscriptions and Arrian's work Ἔκταξις κατὰ Ἀλάνοον .

Name components

Ulpia : the Ulpian. The honorary designation refers to Emperor Trajan , whose full name is Marcus Ulpius Traianus .

Auriana : of Aurius.

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 established by Trajan (98-117); presumably the new unit was formed around a core of members of the Ala I Hispanorum Auriana . At an unspecified time, the unit was relocated to the province of Cappadocia , possibly due to the Parthian War of Trajan. The unit was part of the armed forces that Arrian mobilized for his campaign against the Alans (Ἔκταξις κατὰ Ἀλάνοον) around 135 AD. Arrian mentions a unit in his report, which he calls οἱ τῆς εἴλης ᾗτινι Αὐριανοὶ ὄνομα.

The unit is mentioned for the last time in the Notitia dignitatum with the name Ala Auriana for the Dascusa site. She was part of the troops under the command of the Dux Armeniae .

Locations

Locations of the Ala in Cappadocia were:

Dascusa: The unit is listed in the Notitia dignitatum for this location.

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

M (arcus) Ulpius Andromachos, a prefect ( AE 1996, 1630 ). He was also prefect of the Ala Siliana .

Others

[] rius, a Decurio ( CIL 3, 6743 )
Iul (ius) Phil [ip] pus, a duplicarius ( CIL 3, 6743 )

Τιβεριος Κλαυδιος Ναταρελος, a δεκουριον

Another ala with the name Ala Auriana

There was another Ala with this name, the Ala I Hispanorum Auriana . She is documented by military diplomas from 61 to 159/160 and was stationed in the provinces of Illyricum (or Pannonia ), Noricum and Raetia .

Remarks

↑ See Ala I Hispanorum Auriana for alternative explanations of Auriana .

Individual evidence

^ ^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 , p. 61.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Michael Alexander Speidel : The Development of the Roman Forces in Northeastern Anatolia. New evidence for the history of the exercitus Cappadocicus. , Special print from: MA Speidel, Heer und Herrschaft im Römischen Reich der Hohen Kaiserzeit, Stuttgart 2009, pp. 595–631, here pp. 602, 607 ( online ).
↑ ^a ^b ^c 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. 60 ( PDF p. 62 ).
↑ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Orientis XXXVIII ( online ).

[NA-1] See Ala I Hispanorum Auriana for alternative explanations of Auriana .

[jsp-2] 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 , p. 61.

[mas-3] Michael Alexander Speidel : The Development of the Roman Forces in Northeastern Anatolia. New evidence for the history of the exercitus Cappadocicus. , Special print from: MA Speidel, Heer und Herrschaft im Römischen Reich der Hohen Kaiserzeit, Stuttgart 2009, pp. 595–631, here pp. 602, 607 ( online ).

[js-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. 60 ( PDF p. 62 ).

[ND-5] Notitia dignitatum in partibus Orientis XXXVIII ( online ).