Ala I Brittonum

The military diploma of 139 AD

The Ala I Brittonum [civium Romanorum] [veterana or veteranorum] ( German 1. Ala of the British [the Roman citizen] [the veteran] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas and inscriptions.

Name components

Brittonum : the British. The soldiers of the cohort were recruited from the various British tribes in the Roman province of Britannia when the unit was established .

civium Romanorum : the Roman citizen. The soldiers of the unit had been granted Roman citizenship at one point in time. However, this did not apply to soldiers who were accepted into the unit after this point in time. They received Roman citizenship only with their honorable farewell ( Honesta missio ) after 25 years of service. The addition occurs in military diplomas from 123 to 162.

veterana or veteranorum : the veteran or the veteran. The addition appears in the inscription ( CIL 8, 9764 ).

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 Pannonia and Dacia . It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 71 to AD 162.

The unit was established before 70, possibly during the reign of Nero (54-68). It was probably initially stationed in the province of Pannonia . The Ala possibly took part in the Pannonian Wars of Domitian (81–96) as well as in the Dacian Wars of Trajan (98–117). Presumably she was stationed in the province of Dacia superior after the Dacian Wars . One of the diplomas from 123 proves that the unit was relocated from Dacia superior to Dacia Porolissensis this year ( translatis in Dacia Porolisensi ).

The first reliable evidence of unity in the province of Pannonia Inferior is based on a diploma dated 146. The diploma lists the Ala as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Pannonia ) that were stationed in the province. Other diplomas, dated 148 to 162, prove unity in the same province.

It is possible that the Ala (or a vexillation of the same) was temporarily moved to Mauretania Caesariensis around 149/150 in order to take part in the suppression of an uprising.

Locations

Locations of the Ala in Pannonia may have been:

Alta Ripa ( Tolna ): The inscriptions of Claudius Celer and Marcus Domitius Secundinus were found here.

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

M (arcus) Minicius Marcellinus: he is named on one of the diplomas of 123 ( RMD 1, 21 ) as a commander.

M (arcus) Coelius Honoratus: he is named on the diploma of 71 as a commander.

Others

C (aius) Cominius Cominianus, a horseman ( AE 2005, 1263 )
Cersus: the diploma of 71 was issued to him.
Cl (audius) Celer, a veteran ( AE 1960, 15 )
Glavus: one of the diplomas of 123 ( RMD 1, 21 ) was issued to him.

M (arcus) Domiti (us) Secundinus, a Decurio ( CIL 3, 3305 )
M (arcus) Ulp (ius) Crescentinus, a rider ( AE 1968, 31 )
Marcus Ulp (ius) Faustianus, a librarius ( CIL 8, 9764 )

Web links

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

Remarks

↑ The diploma of 71 is not completely preserved and the province in which the unit was stationed does not appear from the diploma.
↑ According to Tatiana Alexandrovna Ivleva , it is not certain that the unit is listed in the diploma of 139, as there are different readings on this.

Individual evidence

^ ^A ^b John Spaul: Ala² The Auxiliary Cavalry Units of the Pre-Diocletianic Imperial Roman Army , Nectoreca Press 1994, ISBN 978-095-250620-1 , pp. 72-73.
^ 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. 163, 170 tables 7, 12 ( PDF p. 165, 172 ).
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Tatiana Alexandrovna Ivleva: Britons abroad: the mobility of Britons and the circulation of British-made objects in the Roman Empire Dissertation, Leiden University 2012, pp. 67–71, 475–479 ( online ).
↑ Military diplomas of the years 71 ( RMD 5, 324 ), 123 ( RMM 22 , RMD 1, 21 ), 139 ( CIL 16, 175 ), 146 ( ZPE-171-229 ), 148 ( CIL 16, 179 , CIL 16, 180 ), 159 ( CIL 16, 112 , CIL 16, 113 ), 161/163 ( RMD 2, 113 ) and 162 ( ZPE-173-223 , ZPE-173-234 ).

↑ ^a ^b Werner Eck : A civil rights constitution of Vespasian from the year 71 AD and the raising of British auxiliary units In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik , Volume 143 (2003), pp. 220–228, here pp. 223–225 ( Online ).

[GE1-5] The diploma of 71 is not completely preserved and the province in which the unit was stationed does not appear from the diploma.

[GE2-6] According to Tatiana Alexandrovna Ivleva , it is not certain that the unit is listed in the diploma of 139, as there are different readings on this.

[jsp-1] A ^b John Spaul: Ala² The Auxiliary Cavalry Units of the Pre-Diocletianic Imperial Roman Army , Nectoreca Press 1994, ISBN 978-095-250620-1 , pp. 72-73.

[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. 163, 170 tables 7, 12 ( PDF p. 165, 172 ).

[tai-3] Tatiana Alexandrovna Ivleva: Britons abroad: the mobility of Britons and the circulation of British-made objects in the Roman Empire Dissertation, Leiden University 2012, pp. 67–71, 475–479 ( online ).

[MD-4] Military diplomas of the years 71 ( RMD 5, 324 ), 123 ( RMM 22 , RMD 1, 21 ), 139 ( CIL 16, 175 ), 146 ( ZPE-171-229 ), 148 ( CIL 16, 179 , CIL 16, 180 ), 159 ( CIL 16, 112 , CIL 16, 113 ), 161/163 ( RMD 2, 113 ) and 162 ( ZPE-173-223 , ZPE-173-234 ).

[we1-7] Werner Eck : A civil rights constitution of Vespasian from the year 71 AD and the raising of British auxiliary units In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik , Volume 143 (2003), pp. 220–228, here pp. 223–225 ( Online ).