Ala I Flavia Agrippiana

The Ala I Flavia Agrippiana [sagittariorum or sagittaria] ( German 1st Flavian Ala des Agrippa [the archers] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas and inscriptions.

Name components

Flavia : the Flavian. The honorary designation refers to the Flavian emperors Vespasian , Titus or Domitian .

Agrippiana : of Agrippa's. The soldiers of the Ala were recruited by Herod Agrippa II when the unit was established on the territory of the kingdom . Agrippa supported Vespasian with soldiers during the Jewish War . Presumably the two auxiliary units named Flavia Agrippiana were set up by Vespasian after the end of the Jewish War; named Agrippiana , Agrippa was to be honored for his loyalty to Rome and especially to Vespasian.

sagittariorum or sagittaria : the archer. The addition occurs in the military diplomas of 144.

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 Syria Province . It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 129-153.

The unit was probably set up with the Ala II Flavia Agrippiana during the reign of Vespasian ; this possibly happened around 72 in connection with the incorporation of Commagene into the Roman Empire. Presumably from this point on, the Ala was stationed in Syria on the Euphrates border .

The unit is documented for the first time in Syria by diplomas . The diplomas list the Ala as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Syria ) that were stationed in the province. Further diplomas, dated 144 to 153, prove 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 Syria may have been:

Tille: Bricks with the stamp of unity were found here.

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

M (arcus) Valerius Lollianus, a prefect ( CIL 3, 600 ); he was also prefect of the Cohors I Apamenorum .

Valerius Gaianus, a Duplicarius ( AE 1933, 212 )

Another ala with the name Ala Agrippiana

There were two other alae with this designation:

the Ala Agrippiana Miniata . She is documented by military diplomas from 122 and was stationed in the province of Britannia .
the Ala II Flavia Agrippiana . It is evidenced by an inscription.

Remarks

↑ The scenario given here follows the explanations of Edward Dabrowa . It assumes three different units called Ala Agrippiana : the Ala Agrippiana Miniata , which was stationed in the provinces of Germania and Britannia , and the Ala I Flavia Agrippiana and the Ala II Flavia Agrippiana , both of which were stationed in the east of the Roman Empire . John Spaul does not rule out the existence of various units, but considers this to be unlikely on the basis of the limited evidence.

↑ The inscription was found in Syria and therefore assigned to the Ala I Flavia Agrippiana .

Individual evidence

^ ^A ^b Edward Dabrowa: Ala Flavia Agrippiana et Ala II Flavia Agrippiana In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE) Volume 59 (1985), pp. 227-233, here pp. 230-232 ( online ).
↑ Military diplomas of the years 129 ( AE 2006, 1845 , AE 2006, 1847 , AE 2006, 1852 , ZPE-183-236 ), 144 ( ZPE-188-255 , ZPE-193-253 ) and 153 ( AE 2006, 1841 ) .
^ ^A ^b Axel Gebhardt: Imperial Politics and Provincial Development: Studies on the Relationship between Emperors, Army and Cities in Syria in the Pre-Severian Period Akademie Verlag GmbH, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-05-003680-X , pp. 50–51.
↑ ^a ^b 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 ).
↑ John EH Spaul: Ala The Auxiliary Cavalry units of the pre-Diocletianic Imperial Roman Army. Nectoreca Press, Andover 1994, ISBN 0-9525062-0-3 , pp. 24-26.

[GE-3] The scenario given here follows the explanations of Edward Dabrowa . It assumes three different units called Ala Agrippiana : the Ala Agrippiana Miniata , which was stationed in the provinces of Germania and Britannia , and the Ala I Flavia Agrippiana and the Ala II Flavia Agrippiana , both of which were stationed in the east of the Roman Empire . John Spaul does not rule out the existence of various units, but considers this to be unlikely on the basis of the limited evidence.

[AN-7] The inscription was found in Syria and therefore assigned to the Ala I Flavia Agrippiana .

[ed-1] A ^b Edward Dabrowa: Ala Flavia Agrippiana et Ala II Flavia Agrippiana In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE) Volume 59 (1985), pp. 227-233, here pp. 230-232 ( online ).

[MD-2] Military diplomas of the years 129 ( AE 2006, 1845 , AE 2006, 1847 , AE 2006, 1852 , ZPE-183-236 ), 144 ( ZPE-188-255 , ZPE-193-253 ) and 153 ( AE 2006, 1841 ) .

[ag-4] A ^b Axel Gebhardt: Imperial Politics and Provincial Development: Studies on the Relationship between Emperors, Army and Cities in Syria in the Pre-Severian Period Akademie Verlag GmbH, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-05-003680-X , pp. 50–51.

[rh-5] 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 ).

[jsp-6] John EH Spaul: Ala The Auxiliary Cavalry units of the pre-Diocletianic Imperial Roman Army. Nectoreca Press, Andover 1994, ISBN 0-9525062-0-3 , pp. 24-26.