Cohors II Thracum (Aegyptus)

This article covers the Cohors II Thracum stationed in the provinces of Iudaea and Aegyptus . For other units with this name see Cohors II Thracum .

The military diploma of 90 AD ( RMD 5, 332 )

The Cohors II Thracum [equitata] ( German  2nd cohort of the Thracians [partially mounted] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas , inscriptions, papyri and the Notitia dignitatum . In the Notitia dignitatum it is referred to as Cohors secunda Thracum .

Name components

• Cohors : The cohort was an infantry unit of the auxiliary troops in the Roman army .

• II : The Roman number stands for the ordinal number, the second ( Latin secunda ). Hence the name of this military unit is pronounced as Cohors secunda ...

• Thracum : the Thracian . The soldiers of the cohort were recruited from the Thracian people on the territory of the Roman province of Thrace when the unit was established .

• Nerve . The addition occurs in the military diploma of 157/161 and possibly stands for Nervia , Nerviana or Nerviorum .

• equitata : partially mounted. The unit was a mixed association of infantry and cavalry.

Since there is no evidence of the addition of milliaria (1000 men) to the name , the unit was a Cohors quingenaria 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 provinces of Iudaea and Aegyptus (in that order). It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 86 to AD 206.

The first evidence of unity in the province of Iudaea is based on diplomas dated to 86. In the diplomas, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Iudaea ) that were stationed in the province. Other diplomas, dated 87 to 90, prove unity in the same province.

At an unspecified point in time, the unit was relocated to the province of Aegyptus , where it is first evidenced by a diploma dated 105. In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Aegyptus ) that were stationed in the province. Further diplomas, dated 157/161 to 206, prove unity in the same province.

The unit is mentioned for the last time in the Notitia dignitatum with the name Cohors secunda Thracum for the Muson location. She was part of the troops that were under the High Command of the Comes limitis Aegypti .

Locations

Cohort locations in Aegyptus may have been:

Luxor : the unit was stationed here on December 29, 143, according to a papyrus. An ostracon dated July 2, 167 also refers here.

Muson: the unit is listed in the Notitia dignitatum for this location. Syene ( Aswan ): the unit was stationed here on May 16, 131, according to a papyrus.

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known:

Commanders

Caecilius Maior : he is named on the diploma of 179 as a commander. Claudius Montanus : he is named on the diploma of 86 as a commander.

Τ. Φ. Ατταλιανος Κο [υ] αδρατος, a επαρχος

Others

[] νιος Διοδωρος, a soldier Αουσταλις, a centurion C (aius) Petroniu [s] Valens, a soldier and beneficiarius ( CIL 3, 12074 ) Caecill (ianus), a centurion ( CIL 3, 12074 ) Κλαύδιος Ποσιδώνιος (Claudios Posidonios), a χιλίαρχος Μαξιμος, a σημεαφορος

Νωνιος, a horseman Οκτασος, a centurion Plution, a foot soldier: the diploma of 179 was issued to him. Seuthe, a rider: the diploma of 86 was issued for him. Ζωσιμος Ναρκισος, a soldier

Papyrus SB X 10530

The papyrus, dated December 29, 143, lists the following members of the cohort:

Ammonios, a soldier Αυρηλεις Μ [] Αντω [νιος], a εκατονταρχης Φλαουιος Jul. Apollonius, a horseman

Ιουλιος Σιλουανος, a Optio Λουκιος Ακυλας, a σημιαφορος Κλαυδιος, a εκατονταρχης Μαρκος, a λιβραριος Σουλπικ̣ [ιος]

The papyrus is an acknowledgment of receipt signed by the mother of the late soldier Ammonios. Ammonios served in the unit of the Centurion Κλαυδίος. On the back of the papyrus are the signatures of the witnesses.

Papyrus P.Wisc. I 14

In the papyrus , dated May 16, 131, the following members of the cohort are listed:

Aemilius, a horseman Kartilius, a Decurio

Valens, a rider

The papyrus is a contract that regulates the division of the property of the late soldier Valens between his wife and the creditors. Valens served in the tower of Decurios Kartilius. Aemilius served in the same unit as Valens and was one of the believers.

See also

List of Roman auxiliary units List of military units in the Notitia dignitatum

Roman forces in Aegyptus Roman forces in Iudaea

Web links

Commons : Cohors II Thracum (Aegyptus)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

• 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 978-1-84171-046-4

Remarks

1. ↑ In the (incomplete) military diploma from 157/161 there is AC NERV in one line . It is controversial whether AC stands for THRAC and thus possibly for the Cohors II Thracum or whether another unit should be added here. The addition NERV is also supplemented differently; it does not appear anywhere else in the Cohors II Thracum .
2. ↑ The scenario given here is based on two cohorts: the Cohors II Thracum (Aegyptus) , which was stationed in the provinces of Iudaea and Aegyptus , and the Cohors II Thracum (Syria) , which was stationed in the province of Syria .
3. ↑ The ostracon is an acknowledgment of receipt. Claudios Posidonios, a Decurio (according to BerlPap), acknowledges Horion, Eras' son, that he has delivered a load of chaff to heat the baths.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Cornelia Römer : Diploma for a foot soldier from Koptos of March 23, 179 In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik , Volume 82 (1990), pp. 137–153, here pp. 147, 150, 153 ( PDF ) .
2. ↑ Margaret M. Roxan : Roman Military Diplomas 1985–1993 (= University of London, Institute of Archeology. Occasional Publications, Volume 14). Institute of Archeology, London 1994, p. 247, No. 66 * 184.
3. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 86 ( AE 2005, 1731 , CIL 16, 33 ), 87 ( SCI-2012-54 , ZPE-170-201 ), 90 ( RMD 5, 332 ), 105 ( RMD 1, 9 ), 157 / 161 ( CIL 16, 184 ), 179 ( RMD 3, 185 ) and 206 ( ZPE-208-237 ).
4. ^ ^{A b} John Spaul , Cohors², pp. 353-354, 369-370.
5. ^ Jörg Scheuerbrandt : Exercitus. Tasks, organization and command structure of Roman armies during the imperial era. Dissertation, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg im Breisgau 2003/2004, pp. 173–174, tables 15–16 ( PDF ).
6. ^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Orientis XXVIII ( online ).
7. ↑ Margaret M. Roxan: Pre-Severan auxilia named in the Notitia Dignitatum In: British Archaeological Reports , Volume 15 (1976), pp. 59-80, here p. 73.
8. ↑ ^{a b} p.col.8.221 = HGV P.Col. 8 221 = Trismegistos 17631 = columbia.apis.p256 = sb.10.10530. Papyri.info, accessed November 22, 2019 . 
9. ↑ ^{a b} o.wilck. 927 = HGV O.Wilck. 927 = Trismegistos 77403. Papyri.info, accessed on November 22, 2019 (English). 
10. ↑ ^{a b} pap.choix. 6 = HGV P.Wisc. 1 14 = Trismegistos 16820 = wisconsin.apis.5390 = p.wisc.1.14. Papyri.info, accessed November 22, 2019 . 
11. ↑ P. 4156: Tax receipt for chaff. Berliner Papyrusdatenbank (BerlPap), accessed on November 25, 2019 .