Ala I Thracum Mauretana
The Ala I Thracum Mauretana ( German 1st Ala of the Thracians Mauretana ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas , inscriptions and papyri . In the military diploma of 179 it is referred to as Ala I Thracum Mauretanica , in the diploma of 206 and an inscription as Ala Mauretana (or Mauretanica ) and in a papyrus as ἄλη τῶν Μαύρων .
Name components
- Ala : The Ala was a cavalry unit of the auxiliary troops in the Roman army .
- I : The Roman number stands for the ordinal number, the first ( Latin prima ). Hence the name of this military unit is pronounced as Ala prima ...
- 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 .
- Mauretana or Mauretanica : from Mauretania or the Mauritanian. The addition appears in military diplomas and inscriptions, presumably to distinguish them from the other Alae Thracum.
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 Mauretania Caesariensis , Iudaea, and Aegyptus (in that order). It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 86 to AD 206.
The unit probably took part in the conquest of Mauritania under Caligula and Claudius and was then stationed in the province of Mauretania Caesariensis . At an unspecified point in time it was relocated to the province of Iudaea , where it is first evidenced by a diploma dated 86. In the diploma, the Ala is listed as part of the troops (see Roman forces in Syria ) that were stationed in the province. Other diplomas, dated 87 to 90, prove unity in the same province.
The Ala was moved to Aegyptus between 90 and 142 , where it is first recorded for 142. A diploma is the first to prove it in the province for 179. 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 206, proves unity in the same province.
The last record of unity in Aegyptus is based on an inscription dated 288.
Locations
Locations of the Ala in Aegyptus may have been:
- Castra Caesaris (near Alexandria ): an inscription was found here. The unit's stay is documented for 142 by the will of Silvanus and for 199 by the inscription.
- El Qantara : an inscription was found here.
Members of the Ala
The following members of the Ala are known:
Commanders
- Iulius Primus : he is named on two diplomas from 87 as a commander.
Others
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BGU 696
The papyrus, which is dated August 31, 156, contains at the beginning a report on the strength of the crew ( pridianum ) of the Cohors I Augusta Praetoria Lusitanorum . The document then records all personnel changes for the rest of the year, such as the addition of recruits, transfers of soldiers from other units and promotions.
- A. Flavius Vespasianus, he was transferred from the Ala I Thracum Mauretana to the Cohors I Augusta Praetoria Lusitanorum .
CIL 3.14
In an inscription found in Alexandria dated 199, the following Decurios are listed:
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CPL 221
On March 27, 142, Antonius Silvanus, a rider of the unity, deposited his will on several wooden tablets. The following soldiers are listed in the will:
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See also
Web links
literature
- John EH Spaul : Ala². The Auxiliary Cavalry Units of the Pre-Diocletianic Imperial Roman Army. Nectoreca Press, Andover 1994, ISBN 0-9525062-0-3 .
Remarks
- ↑ According to Margaret M. Roxan , the transfer was viewed by some historians as a kind of punishment (or demotion), but Vespasianus could also have returned to his original unit and been promoted to Decurion here.
- ↑ Decurios der Ala Veterana Gallica and Ala I Thracum Mauretana are listed in the inscription . John EH Spaul assigns the Decurios listed here to the Ala I Thracum Mauretana .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Inscription ( CIL 3, 75 )
- ↑ bgu.15.2492 = HGV BGU 15 2492 = Trismegistos 26497 = p.coll.youtie.1.53. Papyri.info, accessed July 22, 2019 .
- ↑ a b c Cornelia Römer : Diploma for a foot soldier from Koptos of March 23, 179 In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik , Volume 82 (1990), pp. 137–153, here p. 144 ( PDF ).
- ↑ Military diplomas of the years 86 ( CIL 16, 33 ), 87 ( SCI-2012-54 , ZPE-170-201 , ZPE-170-205 ), 90 ( RMD 5, 332 ), 179 ( RMD 3, 185 ) and 206 ( AE 2012, 1960 ).
- ↑ a b c John EH Spaul , Ala², pp. 158-159.
- ^ 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 ).
- ↑ a b Inscription from El Qantara ( CIL 3, 13578 )
- ↑ Inscription from Castra Caesaris ( CIL 3, 14 )
- ↑ Werner Eck , Andreas Pangerl: A diploma for the troops of Judea from the year 87 and the question of the uniformity of Roman military administration In: Scripta Classica Israelica , Volume 31 (2012), pp. 53-64, here p. 60 ( online ) .
- ↑ rom.mil.rec.1.64 = HGV ChLA 10 411 = Trismegistos 69913. Papyri.info, accessed on July 22, 2019 (English).
- ↑ Inscription ( CIL 3, 14 )
- ↑ HGV 70160. Papyri.info, accessed on July 22, 2019 (English).
- ↑ inscription ( AE 1948, 168 )
- ↑ Detlef Liebs : The Testament of Antonius Silvanus, Roman cavalryman in Alexandria near Egypt, from the year 142 AD. In: Märker, Klaus u. a. (Ed.): Festschrift for Weddig Fricke on his 70th birthday. Freiburg: Alber , 2000, pp. 113-128 ( online ).