Ala I Pannoniorum Sabiniana

The inscription of Aemilius Balaesus ( EE 8, 128 )

The Ala I Pannoniorum Sabiniana ( German 1st Ala of the Pannonians of Sabinianus (?) ) Was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas and inscriptions. It is referred to as Ala Sabiniana in two inscriptions and in the Notitia dignitatum .

Name components

Pannoniorum : the Pannonian . The soldiers of the Ala were recruited from the various tribes of the Pannonians in the area of the Roman province of Pannonia when the unit was established .

Sabiniana : of Sabinianus (?). This nickname often led to the assumption that the first commander of the troops was called "Sabinianus". From the Pannonian Savaria (Szombathely) an inscription is known that names the prefect Titus Cnoris Sabinianus, who commanded a lancer unit there. Perhaps it is the same officer who also led the Halton Chesters horse troops. A claim by the Frenchman Louis Le Roux from 1911, which was refuted in German research by the ancient historian Konrad Kraft (1920-1970) in 1951, that the named commander was T. Pontius Sabinus from the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117-138) been, but holds up to this day. According to John EH Spaul (1926-2018) the Ala was named after Caius Nymphidius Sabinus . This Sabinus was mentioned in 65 AD during the reign of Emperor Nero (54-68) as Praetorian prefect in Rome and was associated with a donor inscription from the Pannonia superior dedicated to Emperor Hadrian.

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 province of Britannia . It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 98-178.

The unit was probably set up during the reign of Tiberius . The first evidence in Britannia is based on a diploma dated 98. The diploma lists the Ala as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Britannia ) that were stationed in the province. Other diplomas, dated 122 to 178, prove unity in the same province.

The unit is mentioned for the last time in the Notitia dignitatum with the name Ala Sabiniana for the Hunnum location. It was part of the troops under the command of the Dux Britanniarum , under the direction of a prefect .

Locations

Locations of the Ala in Britannia may have been:

Arbeia ( South Shields ): Inscriptions have been found here.
Onnum ( Halton Chesters ): an inscription was found here. In addition, the unit is listed in the Notitia dignitatum for that location.

Other inscriptions have been found elsewhere in Britain.

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

[?], a prefect ( AE 1992, 1794 ); he was also prefect of the Ala I Scubulorum .
[] Pallas: he is named on the diploma of 98 as the commander of the Ala.

C (aius) Nymphidius Sabinus, a prefect ( CIL 3, 4269 )

Others

[?]: the diploma of 98 was issued to him.
Aemilius Balaesus, a signifer ( EE-08-02, 00128 )

[C] ornelius [C] ornelianus, a horseman ( CIL 6, 3249 )
[M] essorius Magnus, a duplicarius ( RIB 1433 )

More Alae with the name Ala I Pannoniorum

There were three other Alae with this designation, see Ala I Pannoniorum .

Web links

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

2528 - ala Sabiniana. Roman Inscriptions of Britain (RIB), accessed February 18, 2018 .

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 John Spaul, the Ala was named after Caius Nymphidius Sabinus , who was perhaps one of the unit's first commanders.

Individual evidence

↑ Inscriptions ( EE-08-02, 00128 , RIB 1433 )

^ Konrad Kraft : On the recruitment of ales and cohorts on the Rhine and Danube . Bernae Aedibus A. Francke, Bern 1951, p. 34.

↑ Elmar Schwertheim , Hans Wiegartz (1936–2008) (Ed.): New Research on Neandria and Alexandria Troas Vol. 1, Research Center Asia Minor in the Department of Ancient History of the Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster, Habelt, Bonn 1994, ISBN 3- 7749-2638-7 , pp. 194-195.

↑ ^a ^b ^c John EH Spaul , Ala², pp. 189-190.

^ 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. 157 Table 1 ( PDF ).

↑ Military diplomas of the years 98 ( ZPE-189-233 ), 122 ( CIL 16, 69 ), 127 ( RMD 4, 240 ) and 178 ( RMD 3, 184 , RMD 4, 293 , RMD 4, 294 )

^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Occidentis XL ( online ).

↑ inscriptions from Arbeia ( AE 1997, 01002a , RIB-02-01, 02411,086 )

↑ Inscription from Onnum ( RIB 1433 )

↑ Inscriptions ( RIB-02-01, 02411,085 , RIB-02-01, 02411,087 )

↑ ^a ^b Werner Eck , Andreas Pangerl: A third Constitution of Trajan for the Army in Britannien of February 20, 98 In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik , Volume 189 (2014), pp. 233-240, here pp. 236-237 ( Online ).

[NA1-12] According to John Spaul, the Ala was named after Caius Nymphidius Sabinus , who was perhaps one of the unit's first commanders.

[IN1-1] Inscriptions ( EE-08-02, 00128 , RIB 1433 )

[2] Konrad Kraft : On the recruitment of ales and cohorts on the Rhine and Danube . Bernae Aedibus A. Francke, Bern 1951, p. 34.

[3] Elmar Schwertheim , Hans Wiegartz (1936–2008) (Ed.): New Research on Neandria and Alexandria Troas Vol. 1, Research Center Asia Minor in the Department of Ancient History of the Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster, Habelt, Bonn 1994, ISBN 3- 7749-2638-7 , pp. 194-195.

[jsp-4] John EH Spaul , Ala², pp. 189-190.

[js-5] 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. 157 Table 1 ( PDF ).