Ala I Asturum

This article covers the Ala I Asturum stationed in the provinces of Moesia and Dacia . For the unit stationed in the province of Britannia , see Ala I Hispanorum Asturum .

The tombstone of Tiberius Claudius Saturninus ( AE 1988, 998 )

The Ala I Asturum ( German  1. Ala of the Asturians ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas , inscriptions and brick stamps.

Name components

• Ala : The Ala was a cavalry unit of the auxiliary troops in the Roman army .

• I : The Roman number stands for the ordinal number, the first ( Latin prima ). Hence the name of this military unit is pronounced as Ala prima ...

• 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 ).

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 provinces of Germania , Moesia inferior and Dacia inferior (in that order). It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 99-150.

The unit was probably set up under Augustus or Tiberius and then moved to the Rhine. It was probably moved from Germania to Moesia under Claudius or Vespasian . The first evidence in Moesia is based on an inscription that is dated 31/100. The unit is documented for the first time in 99 Moesia inferior by diplomas . The diplomas list the Ala as part of the troops (see Roman Armed Forces in Moesia ) that were stationed in the province. Further diplomas, dated 105, prove unity in the same province.

The Ala probably took part in the two Dacian Wars of Trajan and was then stationed in the new province of Dacia . The first evidence in Dacia inferior is based on a diploma dated 125/126. In the diploma, the Ala is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Armed Forces in Dacia ) that were stationed in the province. Other diplomas, dated 129/130 to 150, prove the unity in the same province.

The last evidence of unity in Dacia is based on an inscription dated 209/211.

Locations

Locations of the Ala in Dacia inferior may have been:

• Boroșneu Mare Castle : a brick with the stamp of unity was found here.
• Cigmău Castle : an inscription was found here.
• Hoghiz Castle : Bricks marked with the stamp of unity were found here.

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

[Ae] l (ius) Gem (inus) Ant (onius), a prefect ( CIL 3, 1393 ) C (aius) Nonius Caepianus, a prefect ( CIL 11, 393 ). He was also prefect of the Cohors III Brittonum and Praepositus of the Numerus Equitum Electorum Ex Illyrico . Flavius ​​Nonianus : he is named on a diploma of 146 as a commander.

Lucius Baebius Iuncinus , a prefect Lucius Seius Avitus : he is named on a diploma of 105 as a commander. Tiberius Iulius Agricola : he is named on two diplomas of 99 as a commander. Titus Prifernius Paetus Memmius Apollinaris , a prefect

Others

Albanus, a horseman ( CIL 13, 2613 ) Aurelius Teres, a veteran ( IDRE-02, 00353 ) C (aius) Valerius Saturninus, a Decurio ( CIL 11, 393 ) L (ucius) Pontiu [s] Seneca, a Decurio ( AE 1981, 786 ) Meticus, a soldier: a diploma of 99 ( CIL 16, 45 ) was issued to him. Primus, a soldier: a diploma of 99 ( RMM 8 ) was issued to him.

Thiampo, a soldier: a diploma of 146 ( ZPE-176-225 ) was issued to him. Ti (berius) Bassus, a veteran and former Decurio ( ILN 56 ) Ti (berius) Claudius Saturninus, a veteran and former Duplicarius ( AE 1988, 998 ) Urbanus, a soldier: a diploma of 105 ( RMM 11 ) was issued to him. Victor, a horseman ( AE 1990, 732 )

See also

• List of Roman auxiliary units
• Roman forces in Dacia
• Roman forces in Moesia

Web links

Commons : Ala I Asturum  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

• Margaret M. Roxan : The Auxilia of the Roman Army raised in the Iberian Peninsula. Dissertation, 1973 Volume 1 ( PDF 1 ) Volume 2 ( PDF 2 )
• 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. ↑ According to Florian Matei-Popescu, the unit was probably stationed in Germania inferior , as the 99 discharged soldier Primus was an Ubier .
2. ^ Supplement by Margaret M. Roxan.
3. ↑ Florian Matei-Popescu, Margaret M. Roxan and John Spaul read M. Aurelius Teres . The reading of the EDCS is Aurelius Teres .
4. ↑ Ovidiu Țentea, Florian Matei-Popescu give the name as Ti. Bassus Decimus .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Florian Matei-Popescu: The Roman Army in Moesia Inferior , Conphys Publishing House, Bucharest, 2010, ISBN 978-973-750-177-6 , pp. 167-169 ( online ).
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Margaret M. Roxan , The Auxilia, pp. 65, 67, 312-319, 700-702.
3. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 99 ( AE 2008, 1195 , CIL 16, 45 , RMM 8 , ZPE-180-295 ), 105 ( AE 2004, 1256 , RMM 11 ), 125/126 ( AE 2009, 1035 ), 129/130 ( RMD 5, 376 ), 140 ( RMD 1, 39 ), 146 ( RMD 4, 269 , ZPE-176-225 ) and 150 ( AMN-2006 / 07-192 ).
4. ↑ ^{a b} John EH Spaul , Ala², pp. 37-38.
5. ^ 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. 166, 171 tables 9, 13 ( PDF ).
6. ↑ Inscription ( IScM-02, 00172 ).
7. ↑ Inscription ( CIL 3, 1393 ).
8. ↑ brick Boroşneu Mare : stamp AL AL F AS ( IDR-03-04, 00328 ).
9. ^ Inscription from Cigmău ( CIL 11, 393 ).
10. ^ Bricks from Hoghiz : stamps AL AS ( CIL 3, 08074,01a ) and AIA ( CIL 3, 08074,01b , CIL 3, 08074,01b ).
11. ↑ Werner Eck , Andreas Pangerl: Diplomas for the Army in Dakien In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik , Volume 176 (2011), pp. 221-233, here p. 229 ( online ).
12. ^ Ovidiu Țentea, Florian Matei-Popescu: Alae et Cohortes Daciae et Moesiae. A review and update of J. Spaul`s Ala and Cohors In: Acta Musei Napocensis 39-40 / I, Cluj-Napoca, 2002–2003 (2004), pp. 259–296, here pp. 261–262 ( online ) .