Cohors II Flavia Afrorum

The Cohors II Flavia Afrorum ( German 2nd cohort, the Flavian of the (North) Africans ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas , inscriptions and brick stamps.

Name components

Flavia : the Flavian. The honorary designation refers to the Flavian emperors Vespasian , Titus and Domitian .

Afrorum : the (North) African. The soldiers of the cohort were recruited when the unit was established in the territory of the Roman province of Africa ; according to some historians, this recruitment took place among the inhabitants of (present-day) northern Tunisia.

equitata : partially mounted. The unit was a mixed association of infantry and cavalry. The addition appears in an inscription ( AE 1992, 1821 ).

Since there is no evidence of the addition of milliaria (1000 men) to the name , the unit was a Cohors equitata . The nominal strength of the cohort was 600 men (480 infantry and 120 horsemen), consisting of 6 centuries of infantry with 80 men each and 4 tower cavalry with 30 horsemen each.

history

The cohort was stationed in the province of Africa . It is listed on military diplomas for the years 127 to 128/129 AD.

The first evidence of the cohort in the province of Africa is based on military degrees dated to 127. In the diplomas, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Africa ) that were stationed in the province. Another diploma, dated 128/129, proves unity in the same province.

Locations

Cohort locations in the province of Africa may have been:

Si Aioun
Tillibari ( Remada ): In 197, the unit was busy repairing a temple in Remada.
Small fort Henchir Medeina : according to archaeologist David Mattingly, a division of 100 men could have occupied this garrison site.

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known.

Commanders

Aemilius Emeritus ( AE 1909, 104 , CIL 8, 17953 ). He was Decurio of the Ala I Pannoniorum and was delegated as the Praepositus of the cohort and the Numerus Collatus .

L (ucius) Pompeius senior, a prefect (around 150) ( AE 1957, 59 )
M (arcus) Valerius L [epi] dus, a prefect (around 196/197) ( AE 1975, 870 )

Others

Anicius Celer Andronicus, a soldier ( AE 1992, 1821 )
Cassius Iscoesius Valens, a soldier ( AE 1992, 1821 )

L (ucius) Salustius Urbanus, a veteran
Octau [.] Us Victor, a soldier

Individual evidence

^ ^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. 462-463
^ Jörg Scheuerbrandt : Exercitus. Tasks, organization and command structure of Roman armies during the imperial era. Dissertation, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg im Breisgau 2003/2004, pp. 99-101 ( PDF pp. 101-102 ).
↑ Military diplomas of the years 127 ( RMD 5, 368 , ZPE-152-244 ) and 128/129 ( RMD 5, 373 ).

^ David Mattingly : Tripolitania. Batsford, London 2005, ISBN 0-203-48101-1 , p. 158.

^ Yacine-Rabah Hadji: L'épitaphe d´un soldat de la Cohors II Flavia Afrorum in Badias (Limes de Numidia) In: Journal for papyrology and epigraphy . Volume 194 (2015), pp. 294–296, here p. 295 ( online ).

[jsp-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. 462-463

[js-2] Jörg Scheuerbrandt : Exercitus. Tasks, organization and command structure of Roman armies during the imperial era. Dissertation, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg im Breisgau 2003/2004, pp. 99-101 ( PDF pp. 101-102 ).

[MD-3] Military diplomas of the years 127 ( RMD 5, 368 , ZPE-152-244 ) and 128/129 ( RMD 5, 373 ).

[4] David Mattingly : Tripolitania. Batsford, London 2005, ISBN 0-203-48101-1 , p. 158.

[yrh-5] Yacine-Rabah Hadji: L'épitaphe d´un soldat de la Cohors II Flavia Afrorum in Badias (Limes de Numidia) In: Journal for papyrology and epigraphy . Volume 194 (2015), pp. 294–296, here p. 295 ( online ).