Ala I Augusta Gallorum Proculeiana

This article deals with Ala I Augusta Gallorum Proculeiana stationed in the province of Britannia . For other units with this name see Ala Augusta .

The Ala I Augusta Gallorum Proculeiana [Gordiana] [ob virtutem appellata] ( German  1. Ala the Augusteische the Gauls of Proculeius [the Gordian] [awarded for bravery] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas and inscriptions. In the military diploma of 98/114 and some inscriptions it is referred to as Ala Augusta , in other inscriptions as Ala Augusta ob virtutem appellata and in the diploma of 122 as Ala Augusta Gallorum .

The reason for the different name variants is likely to be that in the official documents of the Roman administration, such as B. in the military diplomas, the name was used by which the unit in the officium of the provincial governor was known. Private, unofficial inscriptions such as B. Gravestones and consecration altars, however, used the name by which the unit was usually known.

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 ...

• Augusta : the Augustan tables. The honorary title refers to Augustus .

• Gallorum : the Gaul . The soldiers of the Ala were recruited from the various tribes of the Gauls when the unit was formed.

• Proculeiana : of Proculeius. The Gauls' cavalry units were often named after one of their first commanders. Gaius Proculeius is mentioned as a possible namesake . The addition occurs in the military diplomas from 125 to 158.

• Gordiana : the Gordian. A title of honor that refers to Gordian III. (238-244) refers. The addition appears in an inscription.

• ob virtutem appellata : awarded for bravery. The addition appears in several 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 98/114 to 158 AD.

The unit was probably set up under Augustus . She was probably stationed in Germania in the 1st century AD , as two of her soldiers were recruited from the Treveri tribe . Possibly the Ala was then part of the troops that began to conquer Britain around 43 under the leadership of Aulus Plautius .

The first evidence in Britain is based on a diploma dated 98/114. 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 158, prove unity in the same province.

The last evidence of the Ala is based on an inscription dated to 242.

Locations

Locations of the Ala in Britannia may have been:

• Cilurnum ( Chesters ): two inscriptions have been found here. Presumably the unit was stationed in Chesters around 132.
• Lancaster : two inscriptions were found here. Possibly the Ala was the first unit to be stationed in Lancaster, probably under Quintus Petillius Cerialis around 71/74.
• Luguvalium ( Carlisle ): an inscription was found here.
• Maglona ( Old Carlisle ): several inscriptions have been found here.

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

[?], a prefect ( RIB 905 ) Aemilius Crispinus , a prefect Gaius Geminius Priscus , a prefect Egnatius Verecundus , a prefect Lucius Egnatius Quartus , a prefect [] [Pom] peius Va []: he is named on the diploma of 125 as a commander.

[Pro] pinquos: he is named on the diploma of 126 as a commander. Publius Aelius Magnus , a prefect Publius Sextanius , a prefect Rufinus, a prefect ( RIB 890 ) Septimenus Rusticus , a prefect Tiberius Claudius Iustinus , a prefect

Others

[?], a rider: the diploma of 125 was issued for him. Insus, a rider ( RIB 3185 ) L (ucius) Iul (ius) Apollinaris, a horseman ( RIB 606 ) L (ucius) Val (erius) S [], a Decurio ( RIB-02-01, 02411,081 )

Mae [lo] nius Secundus, a horseman and Sesquiplicarius ( RIB 907 ) T (itus) Aur (elius) Ateco, a curator ( RIB 902 ) Victor, a Decurio ( AE 2006, 750 )

See also

• List of Roman auxiliary units
• Roman forces in Britannia

Web links

• 2523 - ala Augusta. Roman Inscriptions of Britain (RIB), accessed February 9, 2020 . 

literature

• 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 John EH Spaul, units with the name Augusta in their name were set up under Augustus . According to David Shotter, the unit was given the honorary title Augusta by Domitian (81–96).
2. ↑ According to John EH Spaul, this was suggested by Eric Birley .
3. ↑ ^{a b} The assignment of the two commanders to the unit is uncertain.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Inscriptions ( RIB 606 , RIB 890 , RIB 895 , RIB 902 , RIB 905 , RIB 907 , RIB 3185 ).
2. ↑ ^{a b} Inscriptions with ob virtutem appellata ( RIB 893 , RIB 894 , RIB 897 , RIB 946 , RIB 3298 ).
3. ^ Paul A. Holder : A Roman Military Diploma from Ravenglass, Cumbria. In: Bulletin of the John Rylands Library. Volume 79, number 1 (1997), pp. 3–42, here pp. 11–12 ( PDF ).
4. ↑ ^{a b} inscription with Gordiana ( RIB 897 )
5. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 98/114 ( RMD 3, 151 ), 122 ( CIL 16, 69 ), 125 ( AE 2013, 2197 ), 126 ( CIL 16, 88 ), 127 ( RMD 4, 240 ), 132 ( ZPE- 174-189 ), 135 ( CIL 16, 82 ), 145 ( CIL 16, 93 ) and 158 ( RMD 5, 420 ).
6. ↑ ^{a b c} John EH Spaul , Ala², pp. 11, 55-57.
7. ↑ ^{a b} Werner Eck , Paul Holder, Andreas Pangerl: A Diploma for the Army of Britain in 132 and Hadrian's Return to Rome from the East In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE), Volume 174 (2010), pp. 189– 200, here p. 196 ( online ).
8. ^ 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 ).
9. ↑ Inscription from Cilurnum ( RIB-02-01, 02411,081 , RIB 3298 ).
10. ^ Inscriptions from Lancaster ( RIB 606 , RIB 3185 ).
11. ↑ ^{a b c} David Shotter: A Roman Tombstone from Lancaster , pp. 23-28, here pp. 24-25 ( PDF ).
12. ^ Inscription from Luguvalium ( RIB 946 ).
13. ↑ Inscriptions from Maglona ( RIB 890 , RIB 893 , RIB 894 , RIB 895 , RIB 897 , RIB 902 , RIB 905 , RIB 907 ).
14. ↑ ^{a b} Werner Eck, Andreas Pangerl: New diplomas with the names of consuls and governors In: ZPE, Volume 187 (2013), pp. 273–294, here p. 292 ( online ).