Cohors I Aelia Athoitorum

The Cohors I Aelia Athoitorum (or Athoitarum ) [Antoniniana] ( German 1st Aelian cohort from Athos [the Antoninian] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas and inscriptions. The cohort is identical to the Cohors I Aelia Athoitorum et Berecynthorum , which is listed in the inscription ( AE 1979, 554 ).

Name components

Aelia : the Aelian. The honorary designation refers to either Hadrian (117-138) or Antoninus Pius (138-161). A total of nine cohorts with this suffix are known.

Athoitorum or Athoitarum : from Athos . The soldiers of the cohort were presumably recruited in the area of the Athos peninsula when the unit was set up. The variant Athoitarum occurs in the military diplomas .

Antoniniana : the Antoninian. An honorary title that refers to Caracalla (211-217).

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

history

Possibly the origin of the cohort was a local militia that was transformed into a regular unit under Hadrian .

The first evidence of unity in the province of Thracia is based on a military diploma dated to the year 155 AD. In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Thracia ) that were stationed in the province. Further diplomas, dated 155/157 to 166/169, prove unity in the same province.

The last evidence of the cohort is based on an inscription dated 211/217.

Locations

Cohort locations in Thracia may have been:

Kabyle

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known:

Aurelius Julianus, an Actuarius

C (aius) Menius Sabinus, a soldier ( AE 1979, 554 )

Individual evidence

^ ^A ^b ^c ^d Paul A. Holder: Auxiliary units entitled Aelia In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik . Volume 122 (1998), pp. 253-263, here pp. 253-254 ( PDF pp. 3-4 ).
^ 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. 168 table 10 ( PDF p. 170 ).
↑ Werner Eck : Two diplomas for the troops of the province of Thracia, including the earliest under Emperor Domitian In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik . Volume 188 (2014), pp. 250-254, here p. 254 ( online ).
↑ Military diplomas of the years 155 ( AE 2004, 1907 ), 155/157 ( ZPE-188-253 ), 157 ( RMD 5, 417 ), 157/158 ( AE 2004, 1908 ), 160 ( AE 2013, 2188 ), 161 / 162 ( RMD 5, 435 ), 162/163 ( RMD 5, 437 ) and 166/169 ( RMD 5, 439 ).

[pah-1] A ^b ^c ^d Paul A. Holder: Auxiliary units entitled Aelia In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik . Volume 122 (1998), pp. 253-263, here pp. 253-254 ( PDF pp. 3-4 ).

[js-2] 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. 168 table 10 ( PDF p. 170 ).

[we-3] Werner Eck : Two diplomas for the troops of the province of Thracia, including the earliest under Emperor Domitian In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik . Volume 188 (2014), pp. 250-254, here p. 254 ( online ).

[MD-4] Military diplomas of the years 155 ( AE 2004, 1907 ), 155/157 ( ZPE-188-253 ), 157 ( RMD 5, 417 ), 157/158 ( AE 2004, 1908 ), 160 ( AE 2013, 2188 ), 161 / 162 ( RMD 5, 435 ), 162/163 ( RMD 5, 437 ) and 166/169 ( RMD 5, 439 ).