Ala I Flavia Singularium

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

The Ala I Flavia Singularium [civium Romanorum] [pia fidelis] ( German  1. Ala the Flavish of the Guard soldiers [of the Roman citizens] [loyal and loyal] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas , inscriptions and brick stamps. With two exceptions, it is referred to in the diplomas and inscriptions as Ala I Singularium .

Name components

• Flavia : the Flavian. The honorary designation refers to the Flavian emperors Vespasian , Titus or Domitian . The addition occurs in the military diploma from 166 and the inscription ( Wagner 2, 72 ).

• Singularium : the guards soldiers.

• 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 appears in most military diplomas and the inscriptions ( AE 1961, 358 , CIL 3, 11909 , CIL 3, 12053 , CIL 5, 875 ).

• pia fidelis : loyal and loyal. Domitian (81-96) gave the Roman armed forces in Germania inferior who remained loyal to him after the suppression of the uprising of Lucius Antonius Saturninus the honorary designation pia fidelis Domitiana . The addition appears in several military diplomas and the inscriptions ( CIL 3, 5912 , CIL 3, 11909 ).

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 Germania and Raetia (in that order). It is listed on military diplomas for the years 78 to 167/168 AD.

The first evidence of an Ala Singularium can be found in Tacitus , who mentions this unit with its Prefect Iulius Briganticus in his Historiae (Book IV, Chapter 70) in connection with events of the Four Emperor's Year . The unit was probably set up by Vitellius . Iulius Briganticus moved with his unit to the side of Vespasian , for which the Ala later received the honorary title Flavia from Vespasian .

A diploma is the first time that the unit is 78 in the province of Germania . In the diploma, the Ala is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Armed Forces in Germania ) that were stationed in the province. Further diplomas, which are dated to 90, prove the unity in the province of Germania superior .

At an unspecified point in time, the Ala was relocated to the province of Raetia , where it is first evidenced by a diploma dated 107. The diploma lists the Ala as part of the troops (see Roman forces in Raetia ) that were stationed in the province. Further diplomas, dated 116 to 167/168, prove unity in the same province.

The Ala was stationed in Raetia until the middle of the 3rd century . It probably went down around 254 due to Germanic invasions.

Locations

Locations of the Ala in Raetia were possibly:

• Celeusum ( Pförring ): The inscription of Aelius Bassianus was found here.

Bricks with the stamp AL I SING ( CIL 3, 11995 ) were found in Regensburg .

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

Ael (ius) Bassianus, a prefect ( CIL 3, 11909 ) Gaius Minicius Italus , a prefect ( CIL 3, 12053 , CIL 5, 875 , CIL 14, 4456 ). He was also prefect of the Cohors I Breucorum , the Cohors V Gallorum and the Cohors II Varcianorum . Iulius Briganticus, a prefect

L (ucius) E [] Gallicus: he is named on the two diplomas of 139 as the commander of the Ala. L (ucius) Marci [us] Avit [us], a prefect ( AE 1961, 358 ). He was also prefect of the Cohors I Syrorum . P (ublius) Comi [nius] Cle [mens], a prefect ( AE 1890, 151 ). He was also prefect of the Cohors V Lingonum .

Others

[] ius, an imaginifer ( CIL 3, 13544 ) [] [D] ecoratus, a soldier: a diploma of 139 ( RMD 5, 386 ) was issued for him. Aelius Sever [us], a Decurio ( CIL 5, 8660 ) Ianuarius, a rider ( BVbl-1995-205 ) L (ucius) Marcius Maternus, a horseman and Decurio ( AE 1961, 358 , AE 1961, 359 )

M (arcus) Vir (ius) Marcellus, a Decurio ( CIL 3, 5938 ) [Pe] tron ​​(ius) Iulianus, a Decurio ( CIL 5, 8660 ) Saturninus, a Decurio ( BVbl-1995-205 ) T (itus) Fl (avius) Patern [u] s, a veteran ( Wagner 2, 72 )

More Alae called Ala Singularium

There were two other alae called Singularium :

• the Ala Flavia Praetoria Singularium . She is documented by military diplomas from 88 to 153 and was stationed in the provinces of Syria and Moesia superior .
• the Ala I Ulpia Singularium . It is documented by diplomas from 153 to 156/157 and was stationed in the province of Syria .

See also

• List of Roman auxiliary units
• Roman armed forces in Germania
• Roman forces in Raetia

Web links

Commons : Ala I Flavia Singularium  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

1. ↑ Paul Holder assumes that the Ala received the pia fidelis award for their participation in the suppression of the uprising of Lucius Antonius Saturninus . John Spaul does not rule this out, but believes it possible that the award was bestowed by Trajan during the two Dacian Wars . According to Farkas István Gergő , in addition to these two occasions, it is also conceivable that the unit received this award for its participation in campaigns against Germanic tribes around 97/98 under Nerva .
2. ^ According to Farkas István Gergő , the installation was carried out by Vitellius; other historians assume that the unit was set up at an earlier date.
3. ↑ ^{a b} The inscription was found near Neustadt an der Donau ; the Ala I Flavia Singularium and the Cohors III Britannorum were stationed in the vicinity . An exact assignment of the listed soldier to one of these units is not possible because the name of the unit is missing in the inscription.
4. ↑ The reading of the inscription ( CIL 3, 5938 ) is controversial. John Spaul and Eric Birley assign Marcus Virius Marcellus to the Ala I Flavia Gemelliana , while Farkas István Gergő assigns him to the Ala I Flavia Singularium .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Paul A. Holder: Exercitus Pius Fidelis: The Army of Germania Inferior in AD 89 In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik . Volume 128 (1999), pp. 237-250, here pp. 237, 240-241 ( PDF ).
2. ^ ^{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. 204-206.
3. ^ 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. 158, 160 tables 2, 4 ( PDF p. 160, 162 ).
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Farkas István Gergő: The Roman Army in Raetia Dissertation, University of Pécs Faculty of Humanities 2015, pp. 131–132, 244–259, 352–358, 483 ( PDF pp. 134–135, 247– 262, 355-361, 486 ).
5. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 78 ( CIL 16, 23 ), 90 ( CIL 16, 36 , RMD 5, 333 ), 107 ( CIL 16, 55 ), 114/200 ( ZPE-178-247 ), 116 ( RMD 3, 155 , RMD 4, 229 ), 128/133 ( AE 2005, 1149 , AE 2005, 1150 ), 129 ( AE 2000, 1138 ), 138/140 ( RMD 2, 94 ), 139 ( RMD 4, 261 , RMD 5, 386 ), 147 ( CIL 16, 94 ), 151/170 ( RMD 1, 51 ), 154/161 ( CIL 16, 117 , RMD 3, 175 ), 156 ( CIL 16, 183 ), 157 ( RMD 3, 170 , RMM 38 ), 159/160 ( AE 2005, 1153 ), 161/163 ( RMD 2, 112 ), 166 ( CIL 16, 121 ) and 167/168 ( RMD 1, 68 ).