Ala I Gallorum Tauriana

The inscription of Tiberius Claudius Fronto ( ERAEmerita 124 )

The Ala I Gallorum Tauriana [civium Romanorum] [torquata] [victrix] ( German 1. Ala the Gauls of Taurus [the Roman citizens] [awarded with torques ] [the victorious] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas and inscriptions. In the inscriptions ( CIL 8, 2394 , CIL 8, 2395 , CIL 8, 17904 ) it is called Ala I Flavia Gallorum Tauriana , in other inscriptions and in some military diplomas it is called Ala Tauriana .

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 ...

Gallorum : the Gaul . The soldiers of the Ala were recruited from the various tribes of the Gauls when the unit was formed.

Tauriana : of the Taurus. The Gauls' cavalry units were often named after one of their first commanders. Titus Statilius Taurus , a general of Augustus , may be the namesake .

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 military diplomas and inscriptions.

torquata : awarded with torques . The addition appears in military diplomas and inscriptions.

victrix : the victorious. The addition appears in military diplomas and inscriptions.

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 in action in Hispania , Gallia Lugdunensis , Italia , Germania and Mauretania Tingitana . It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 88 to 162/203. Tacitus mentions the unit in his Historiae (Book I, Chapters 59 and 64) as Ala Tauriana .

The unit was probably set up under Augustus. In the 1st century she was stationed in the province of Hispania and probably came to Gaul with Galba in 68 , where she wintered in Lugdunum . After Galba's assassination, the Ala went over to Vitellius and moved with him to Italy. Under Vespasian the Ala was relocated to Germania, where it probably acquired the torquata award during the Batavian uprising around 69/70. Between 70 and 74, the unit returned to Hispania.

At an unspecified point in time, the Ala was then transferred to the province of Mauretania Tingitana , where it is first documented by a diploma dated 88. In the diploma, the Ala is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Armed Forces in Mauretania ) that were stationed in the province. Further diplomas, dated 109 to 162/203, prove unity in the same province.

Locations

Locations of the Ala are not known.

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

Marcus Iulius Agrippa : he is named on the diploma of 122 as a commander.
M (arcus) Plotius Faustus, a prefect ( CIL 8, 2394 , CIL 8, 2395 , CIL 8, 17904 ); he was also prefect of the Cohors III Ituraeorum and tribune of the Cohors I Flavia Canathenorum .
Marcus Sempronius Liberalis : he is named on the diploma of 129/130 as a commander.

Sextus Attius Suburanus Aemilianus , a prefect ( AE 1939, 60 )
Sex (tus) Po [m] peius Sabinus, a prefect ( CIL 3, 12299 )
[T (itus) V] arius [Pr] iscus, a prefect ( AE 1987, 796 ); he was also prefect of the Cohors I Lusitanorum , the Ala I Hispanorum Campagonum and the Ala I Ulpia Contariorum .

Others

Cosuobnus Priscus, a rider ( AE 1922, 14 )
Iulius Longinus Doles, a horseman ( CIL 2, 2984 )
M (arcus) Antonius Maximus: the diploma of 122 was issued to him.

M (arcus) Publilius Saturninus: the diploma of 129/130 was issued to him.
Q (uintus) Sempronius Vitulus, a Decurio (around 31/32) ( ZPE-196-299 , ZPE-200-553 )
Tiberius Claudius Fronto, a veteran and former Signifer or Prodecurio ( ERAEmerita 124 )

Web links

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

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c José Ignacio San Vicente: Galba, el Ala Tauriana y el Ala Sulpicia , HAnt XXXI-2007, pp. 87–110, here pp. 89, 99–103 ( online ).
^ ^A ^b ^c ^d 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. 217-220.
^ 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. 176 Table 18 ( PDF p. 178 ).
↑ Military diplomas of the years 88 ( CIL 16, 159 ), 109 ( RMD 2, 84 ), 114/117 ( CIL 16, 165 ), 121/122 ( CIL 16, 170 ), 122 ( CIL 16, 73 ), 129 / 130 ( CIL 16, 173 ), 135 ( RMD 5, 382 ), 153 ( RMD 5, 409 , RMD 5, 410 , RMM 34 , ZPE-153-202 , ZPE-162-244 ), 156/157 ( CIL 16 , 181 , CIL 16, 182 ), 161 ( RMD 2, 107 ) and 162/203 ( RMD 3, 186 ).

[jsv-1] José Ignacio San Vicente: Galba, el Ala Tauriana y el Ala Sulpicia , HAnt XXXI-2007, pp. 87–110, here pp. 89, 99–103 ( online ).

[jsp-2] A ^b ^c ^d 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. 217-220.

[js-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. 176 Table 18 ( PDF p. 178 ).

[MD-4] Military diplomas of the years 88 ( CIL 16, 159 ), 109 ( RMD 2, 84 ), 114/117 ( CIL 16, 165 ), 121/122 ( CIL 16, 170 ), 122 ( CIL 16, 73 ), 129 / 130 ( CIL 16, 173 ), 135 ( RMD 5, 382 ), 153 ( RMD 5, 409 , RMD 5, 410 , RMM 34 , ZPE-153-202 , ZPE-162-244 ), 156/157 ( CIL 16 , 181 , CIL 16, 182 ), 161 ( RMD 2, 107 ) and 162/203 ( RMD 3, 186 ).