Cohors II Asturum (Germania)

The Cohors II Asturum [pia fidelis] ( German 2nd cohort of the Asturians [loyal and loyal] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas , inscriptions and brick stamps.

Name components

Asturum : the Asturian . The soldiers of the cohort were recruited from the Asturian people in the area of the conventus Asturum (with the capital Asturica Augusta ) when the unit was established .

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 the military diploma of 150 and the inscription ( CIL 13, 7705 ).

Since there are no references to the additions milliaria (1000 men) and equitata (partially mounted), it can be assumed that it is a Cohors (quingenaria) peditata , a pure infantry cohort. The nominal strength of the unit was 480 men, consisting of 6 Centuries with 80 men each.

history

The cohort was stationed in the provinces Germania and Germania inferior (in that order). It is listed on military diplomas for the years 80 to 152 AD.

The first evidence of unity in Germania is based on a diploma dated 80. In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Armed Forces in Germania ) that were stationed in the province. Further diplomas, dated between 98 and 152, attest to the unity in Germania inferior .

Locations

Locations of the cohort in Germania were possibly:

Bodegraven fort

Bricks with the stamp of the unit ( CIL 13, 12530,13 , CIL 13, 12535,7 ) prove that soldiers of the cohort were seconded to manufacture bricks in the Tegularia transrhenana on the right bank of the Rhine . The inscriptions ( CIL 13, 7693 , CIL 13, 7705 , CIL 13, 7708 ) prove that soldiers of the unit worked in quarries near Brohl .

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known.

Commanders

C (aius) Saturius Secundus, a prefect ( CIL 11, 1437 )
M (arcus) Valer (ius) Propinquus Grattius Cerealis, a prefect ( CIL 2, 4251 ). He was also prefect of the Ala Phrygum and the Ala III Thracum .

T (itus) Statilius Messalinianus, a prefect ( CIL 6, 1850 )

Others

Gemellus, an imaginifer ( CIL 13, 7705 )
Peregrin (us), a soldier ( CIL 13, 12530.13 , CIL 13, 12535.7 )

T (itus) Flavius Tullio, a soldier ( AE 1974, 455 )

Other cohorts with the designation Cohors II Asturum

There was another cohort with this name, the Cohors II Asturum (Britannia) . She is documented by military diplomas from 105 to 130/131 and was stationed in the province of Britannia .

Remarks

↑ ^a ^b The scenario given here follows the explanations of Jan Kees Haalebos . It assumes two different cohorts with this designation: the Cohors II Asturum (Britannia) , which was stationed in the province of Britannia and the Cohors II Asturum (Germania) , which was stationed in the province of Germania . John Spaul and Margaret M. Roxan , on the other hand, assume only one cohort that was stationed in these provinces.
↑ ^a ^b All soldiers for whom it is not clear from the literature or the respective inscription which of the two units it is, were assigned to the Cohors II Asturum (Germania) .

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Margaret M. Roxan : The Auxilia of the Roman Army raised in the Iberian Peninsula Volume 1. (PDF 23.5 MB) discovery.ucl.ac.uk, 1973, pp. 65, 70, 374–381 (68 , 73, 377–384) , accessed on December 29, 2018 (English).
^ 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. 243, 247 ( PDF ).
^ ^A ^b John Spaul: Cohors² The evidence for and a short history of the auxiliary infantry units of the Imperial Roman Army , British Archaeological Reports 2000, BAR International Series (Book 841), ISBN 978-1841710464 , pp. 69-71, 75 -76
^ 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 80 ( CIL 16, 158 ), 98 ( RMD 4, 216 ), 101 ( RMM 9 ), 127 ( RMD 4, 239 , RMM 24 ), 150 ( ZPE-206-207 ) and 152 ( RMM 35 , ZPE-148-262 ).
↑ Jan Kees Haalebos : Traian and the auxiliary troops on the Lower Rhine A military diploma from AD 98 from Elst in the Over-Betuwe (Netherlands) In: Saalburg Yearbook, 2000/50, pp. 31–72 , here pp. 52– 53 ( online ).
↑ ^a ^b Margaret M. Roxan: The Auxilia of the Roman Army raised in the Iberian Peninsula Volume 2. (PDF 9.8 MB) discovery.ucl.ac.uk, 1973, pp. 719–722 (139–142) , accessed on December 29, 2018 (English).

[GE-6] The scenario given here follows the explanations of Jan Kees Haalebos . It assumes two different cohorts with this designation: the Cohors II Asturum (Britannia) , which was stationed in the province of Britannia and the Cohors II Asturum (Germania) , which was stationed in the province of Germania . John Spaul and Margaret M. Roxan , on the other hand, assume only one cohort that was stationed in these provinces.

[AN-9] All soldiers for whom it is not clear from the literature or the respective inscription which of the two units it is, were assigned to the Cohors II Asturum (Germania) .

[mmr1-1] Margaret M. Roxan : The Auxilia of the Roman Army raised in the Iberian Peninsula Volume 1. (PDF 23.5 MB) discovery.ucl.ac.uk, 1973, pp. 65, 70, 374–381 (68 , 73, 377–384) , accessed on December 29, 2018 (English).

[pah-2] 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. 243, 247 ( PDF ).

[jsp-3] A ^b John Spaul: Cohors² The evidence for and a short history of the auxiliary infantry units of the Imperial Roman Army , British Archaeological Reports 2000, BAR International Series (Book 841), ISBN 978-1841710464 , pp. 69-71, 75 -76

[js-4] 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-5] Military diplomas of the years 80 ( CIL 16, 158 ), 98 ( RMD 4, 216 ), 101 ( RMM 9 ), 127 ( RMD 4, 239 , RMM 24 ), 150 ( ZPE-206-207 ) and 152 ( RMM 35 , ZPE-148-262 ).

[jkh-7] Jan Kees Haalebos : Traian and the auxiliary troops on the Lower Rhine A military diploma from AD 98 from Elst in the Over-Betuwe (Netherlands) In: Saalburg Yearbook, 2000/50, pp. 31–72 , here pp. 52– 53 ( online ).

[mmr2-8] Margaret M. Roxan: The Auxilia of the Roman Army raised in the Iberian Peninsula Volume 2. (PDF 9.8 MB) discovery.ucl.ac.uk, 1973, pp. 719–722 (139–142) , accessed on December 29, 2018 (English).