Ala I Augusta Xoitana

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The Ala I Augusta Xoitana ( German  1st Augustan Ala Xoitana ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas , inscriptions and papyri . The Ala is identical to the Ala Augusta , which is listed in military diplomas issued in the province of Aegyptus for the years 83-105 AD. In the papyrus CPL 212 it is called Ala Xoitana .

Name components

  • Augusta : the Augustan tables. The honorary title refers to Augustus .
  • Xoitana : from Xois . The Ala was stationed in Xois.

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 Aegyptus and Syria (in that order). It is listed on military diplomas for the years 83-153 AD.

The unit was probably stationed in the province of Aegyptus after its formation . The first reliable evidence in Aegyptus is based on a diploma that is dated to 83. In the diploma, the Ala is listed as part of the troops (see Roman forces in Aegyptus ) that were stationed in the province. Another diploma, dated 105, proves unity in the same province.

At an unspecified point in time between 105 and 129 the unit was relocated to Syria Province . The first secured evidence in Syria is based on diplomas dated to 129. The diplomas list the Ala as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Syria ) that were stationed in the province. Another diploma, dated 153, proves unity in the same province.

A vexillation of the Ala took part in the Parthian War of Lucius Verus (161-166). It is listed in the inscription ( CIL 3, 600 ) as part of the units that were under the direction of Marcus Valerius Lollianus . The inscription says that Lollianus was the commander in Mesopotamia over sections of selected riders of the Alen [..] and the cohorts .

Locations

Locations of the Ala in Aegyptus may have been:

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

Others

  • Dicacus, a Decurio
  • Fronto, a Decurio
  • L. Caecilius Secundus, a horseman
  • L. Cornelius Antas
  • L. Vettius Diogenes
  • M. Antonius Dionysius
  • M. Marcius, a Decurio

See also

Remarks

  1. ↑ John Spaul assigns L. Egnatius Quartus to Ala I Augusta Xoitana . In the two inscriptions in Greek, the unit is referred to only as Ala Augusta .

Individual evidence

  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. 50-51.
  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. 174 table 16 ( PDF p. 176 ).
  3. ↑ a b Peter Weiß : The auxiliaries of the Syrian army from Domitian to Antoninus Pius. An interim balance sheet after the new military diplomas In: Chiron Communications of the Commission for Ancient History and Epigraphy of the German Archaeological Institute Volume 36 (2006), pp. 249–298, here pp. 273–274, 276–277.
  4. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 83 ( CIL 16, 29 ), 105 ( RMD 1, 9 ), 129 ( AE 2006, 1845 , AE 2006, 1852 ) and 153 ( AE 2006, 1841 ).
  5. ↑ Paul Holder: Auxiliary deployment in the reign of Trajan In: DACIA , 2006, pp. 141-174, here pp. 151-152 ( online ).
  6. ↑ Rudolf Haensch , Peter Weiß : A difficult way. The road construction inscription by M. Valerius Lollianus from Byllis. In: Communications from the German Archaeological Institute. Roman department . Volume 118, 2012, pp. 435–454, here pp. 441–442 and pp. 448–449 ( online ).