Ala I Augusta Thracum

The military diploma of Mogetissa dated June 30, 107 AD ( CIL 16, 55 )

The dedicatory inscription of Quintus Fabius Modestus ( CIL 3, 4806 )

The Ala I Augusta Thracum [sagittariorum or sagittaria] ( German 1st Augustan Ala of the Thracians [the archers] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas and inscriptions. In some inscriptions it is referred to as Ala Augusta or Ala I Augusta .

Name components

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

Thracum : the Thracian . The soldiers of the Ala were recruited from the Thracian people on the territory of the Roman province of Thrace when the unit was established .

sagittariorum or sagittaria : the archer. The addition appears in the military diploma of 116.

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 Syria , Raetia, and Noricum (in that order). It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 86 to 151.

The beginnings and early history of the unit are unknown. It was stationed in Syria in the 1st century AD , where it is evidenced by the inscriptions ( AE 1930, 89 , AE 1930, 90 , CIL 3, 14159.1 ) found in Gerasa .

At an unspecified point in time, the unit was relocated to Raetia , where it is first evidenced by a diploma dated 86. The diploma lists the Ala as part of the troops (see Roman forces in Raetia ) that were stationed in the province. Other diplomas, dated 107 to 116, prove unity in the same province.

The Ala was probably withdrawn from Raetia around 117/121 and relocated to the province of Noricum , where it is first documented by the inscription ( CIL 3, 5654 ), which is dated 140/144. She is documented by a diploma as part of the troops in Noricum .

The last evidence of the Ala is based on the inscription ( CIL 3, 4812 ) which is dated to 238.

Locations

Locations of the Ala in Raetia were possibly:

Germanicum ( Kösching ): Presumably the fort was built by the unit around 80, in which it was stationed until it withdrew around 117/121.

Locations of the Ala in Noricum were:

Augustianis ( Traismauer ): The gravestones of Gaius Iulius Agricola and Troucleimarus as well as the inscriptions ( AE 1974, 472 , CIL 3, 5654 ) were found here.

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

Lucius Egnatius Quartus , a prefect . He was also Prefect of Cohors II Claudia and Praepositus of Ala I Augusta Gemina Colonorum .
Q (uintus) Attius Priscus, a prefect ( CIL 5, 7425 ). He was also prefect of the Cohors I Hispanorum , the Cohors I Lusitanorum and the Cohors I Montanorum .

Gaius Geminius Priscus , a prefect ( CIL 5, 6478 ). He was also prefect of the Cohors I Breucorum .
Titus Appalius Alfinus Secundus , a prefect ( CIL 09, 5357 ). He was also Prefect of the Cohors IV Gallorum and Tribune of the Cohors I Aelia Brittonum .

Others

Aur (elius) Potitus, a veteran and former vexillarius ( CIL 3, 4834 )
Bellicius Statutus, a Decurio ( CIL 3, 4839 )
C (aius) Iulius Agricola, a veteran and former custos armorum ( CIL 3, 5655 )
Chartius, a horseman ( AE 1968, 412 )
Doritses, a horseman ( AE 1930, 89 )
Fl (avius) Tacitus ( CIL 3, 4812 )
[Gaius] Vesperus, a Decurio ( AE 1930, 90 )
Iul (ius) Octavus, a Decurio ( CIL 3, 5819 )
[Iulius] Val (erius) [Tenes], an option ( CIL 3, 14159,1 )
[M] emmius ( CIL 3, 5340 )

Q (uintus) Fabius Modestus, a Decurio ( CIL 3, 4806 )
Q (uintus) V [eases] ( CIL 3, 14159.1 )
Se (ntius) Exoratus, a Decurio ( AE 1975, 951 )
Spectatius Viator, a Decurio ( AE 1975, 951 )
Successus, a rider ( CIL 3, 5819 )
Terentius, a Decurion ( AE 1930, 89 )
T (itus) Ael (ius) Quartius, a veteran ( CIL 3, 5655 )
Troucleimarus, a horseman ( AE 1950, 116 )
Ulp (ius) Nativus, a Decurio ( AE 1990, 785 )
Ziemices, a horseman ( AE 1930, 90 )

More Alae with the name Ala I Thracum

There were five other alae with this designation:

the Ala I Thracum (Britannia) . She is documented by military diplomas from 103 to 152 and was stationed in the provinces of Britannia and Germania .
the Ala I Thracum Herculana . It is documented by diplomas from 94 to 206 and was stationed in the provinces of Cappadocia , Syria and Aegyptus .
the Ala I Thracum Mauretana . It is documented by diplomas from 86 to 206 and was stationed in the provinces of Mauretania Caesariensis , Iudaea and Aegyptus.
the Ala I Thracum Veterana . She is documented by diplomas from 86 to 192 and was stationed in the provinces of Raetia , Pannonia superior and Pannonia inferior .
the Ala I Thracum Victrix . It is documented by diplomas from 79 to 163 and was stationed in the provinces of Noricum and Pannonia superior .

Web links

Commons : Ala I Augusta Thracum - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

↑ ^a ^b According to Joachim Ott, Gaius Geminius Priscus and Lucius Egnatius Quartus could have commanded the Ala I Augusta Gallorum Proculeiana instead of the Ala I Augusta Thracum .

↑ Farkas István Gergő assigns Bellicius Statutus to the Ala I Augusta Thracum , while John Spaul assigns him to the Ala I Thracum Veterana .

↑ ^a ^b John Spaul and Farkas István Gergő assign Sentius Exoratus and Spectatius Viator to the Ala I Augusta Thracum , while Ovidiu Țentea assigns them to the Ala I Augusta Ituraeorum .

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 , pp. 228-230.

^ 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. 160 table 4 ( PDF p. 162 ).

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Farkas István Gergő: The Roman Army in Raetia Dissertation, University of Pécs Faculty of Humanities 2015, pp. 133–134, 244–259, 359–364 ( PDF 19.1 MB, pp. 136–137 , 247-262, 362-367 ).

↑ Military diplomas of the years 86 ( ZPE-163-239 ), 107 ( CIL 16, 55 ), 116 ( RMD 4, 229 ) and 151 ( RMM 32 ).

↑ ^a ^b Joachim Ott: The commanders of the Noric auxiliary troops. In: Tyche . Contributions to ancient history, papyrology and epigraphy. Volume 10, 1995, pp. 107-138, here pp. 119-120 ( PDF ).

[AN1-6] According to Joachim Ott, Gaius Geminius Priscus and Lucius Egnatius Quartus could have commanded the Ala I Augusta Gallorum Proculeiana instead of the Ala I Augusta Thracum .

[AN3-7] Farkas István Gergő assigns Bellicius Statutus to the Ala I Augusta Thracum , while John Spaul assigns him to the Ala I Thracum Veterana .

[AN4-8] John Spaul and Farkas István Gergő assign Sentius Exoratus and Spectatius Viator to the Ala I Augusta Thracum , while Ovidiu Țentea assigns them to the Ala I Augusta Ituraeorum .

[jsp-1] 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. 228-230.

[js-2] 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. 160 table 4 ( PDF p. 162 ).

[fig-3] Farkas István Gergő: The Roman Army in Raetia Dissertation, University of Pécs Faculty of Humanities 2015, pp. 133–134, 244–259, 359–364 ( PDF 19.1 MB, pp. 136–137 , 247-262, 362-367 ).