Cohors II Aurelia Dardanorum

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The tombstone of Flavius ​​Bithus and Aurelius Hermogenes ( AE 1964, 268 )

The Cohors II Aurelia Dardanorum [Antoniniana] [Gordiana] [pia fidelis] [milliaria] [equitata] ( German  2nd cohort of the Dardans [the Antoninian] [the Gordian] [pious and loyal] [1000 men] [partly mounted] ) a Roman auxiliary unit . It is documented by inscriptions.

Name components

  • Aurelia : The honorary title refers to Emperor Mark Aurel .
  • Dardanorum : the Dardaner . The soldiers of the cohort were recruited from the Dardan people on the territory of the Roman province of Moesia Superior when the unit was established .
  • Antoniniana : the Antoninian. The addition comes u. a. in the inscription ( AE 1903, 288 ).
  • Gordiana : the Gordian. The name refers to Gordian III. (238-244). The addition appears in the inscription ( AE 1952, 191 ).
  • pia fidelis : pious and faithful. The addition appears in the inscription ( CIL 3, 10255 ).
  • milliaria : 1000 men. Depending on whether it is an infantry cohort ( Cohors milliaria peditata ) or a mixed association of infantry and cavalry ( Cohors milliaria equitata ), the nominal strength of the unit was either 800 or 1040 men. In the inscriptions, the symbol is used instead of milliaria .
  • equitata : partially mounted. The unit was a mixed association of infantry and cavalry. The addition comes u. a. in the inscription ( AE 1903, 288 ).

The unit was a Cohors milliaria equitata . The nominal strength of the unit was therefore 1040 men, consisting of 10 Centurien infantry with 80 men each and 8 tower cavalry with 30 riders each.

history

The unit was set up by Marcus Aurelius , probably around 169/170 AD together with the Cohors I Aurelia Dardanorum .

Locations

One location of the cohort in Moesia Superior was Timacum minus (Ravna). Inscriptions prove the presence (of parts) of the cohort in Ravna around 199, 212, 214/222 and 242.

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known.

Commanders

The commanders all had the rank of tribune .

Others

  • Flavius ​​Bitus, possibly identical to Flavius ​​Bithus ( AE 1995, 1311 )
  • Flavius ​​Firminus, as heir to Clement probably also a member of the cohort ( AE 1995, 1317 )
  • Fl. Vales, a soldier ( AE 1902, 31 )
  • L. Egnatius Aristia [nus] Superus
  • M. Aur. Salvianus, a Centurion ( AE 1910, 94 )
  • T. Ae [l]. Martial. ( AE 1903, 290 )
  • T. Flavius ​​Maximus, a veteran
  • T. Iulius Saturninus, a veteran

The following veterans are mentioned in inscriptions and may also have been members of the cohort:

  • Dassius
  • M. Aurelius Severus
  • Sal. Valens
  • Septimius Felix

Uncertainties

John Spaul thinks it is likely that the Cohors II Aurelia Nova was the predecessor of the Cohors II Aurelia Dardanorum and is therefore identical to it. The Cohors II Aurelia Nova was probably stationed in Stojnik while the unit was still in training. After that, the unit was transferred to Ravna. Ovidiu Țentea / Florian Matei-Popescu consider the Cohors II Aurelia Nova and the Cohors II Aurelia Dardanorum to be different units.

See also

Web links

Commons : Cohors II Aurelia Dardanorum  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c 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. 350-351
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Ovidiu Țentea, Florian Matei-Popescu: Alae et Cohortes Daciae et Moesiae. A review and update of J. Spaul's Ala and Cohors In: Acta Musei Napocensis 39-40 / I Cluj-Napoca, 2002-2003 (2004), pp. 259-296, here pp. 280-281 ( online ).