Cohors I Batavorum (Pannonia)

This article deals with the Cohors I Batavorum stationed in the provinces of Pannonia superior and Dacia Porolissensis . For the unit stationed in the province of Britannia , see Cohors I Batavorum (Britannia) .

The Cohors I Batavorum [milliaria] [equitata] [civium Romanorum] [pia fidelis] ( German  1st cohort of the Batavians [1000 men] [partly mounted] [of the Roman citizens] [loyal and loyal] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas and inscriptions.

Name components

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

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

• Batavorum : the Bataver . The soldiers of the cohort were recruited from the Batavian people when the unit was established.

• milliaria : 1000 men. Depending on whether it was 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. The addition appears in military diplomas from 98 to 165 and inscriptions. In military diplomas, with a few exceptions, the symbol is used instead of milliaria . ${\displaystyle \infty }$

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

• civium Romanorum : the Roman citizen. The soldiers of the unit had been granted Roman citizenship at one point in time. However, this did not apply to soldiers who were accepted into the unit after this point in time. They received Roman citizenship only with their honorable farewell ( Honesta missio ) after 25 years of service. The addition appears in military diplomas from 112 to 151 and an inscription.

• 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 military diplomas from 98 to 142 and an inscription.

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 cohort was stationed in the provinces of Pannonia , Pannonia superior, and Dacia Porolissensis (in that order). It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 98-165. Tacitus mentions cohorts of the Batavians both in the Historiae and in his work Agricola (Chapter 36).

The cohort was probably stationed in the province of Germania inferior around 89 AD . The unit was then moved to the province of Pannonia around 92 . The first evidence of unity in Pannonia is based on a diploma dated 98. In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Pannonia ) that were stationed in the province. Further military diplomas, dated 100 to 116, prove the unit in the same province (or from 112 in Pannonia superior ).

At an unspecified point in time, the cohort was moved to Dacia Porolissensis , where it is first evidenced by a diploma dated 123. In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Armed Forces in Dacia ) that were stationed in the province. Further diplomas, dated 130/131 to 165, prove the unity in the same province.

Locations

Locations of the cohort in Dacia may have been:

• Potaissa ( Turda ): two inscriptions were found here.

Locations of the cohort in Pannonia were possibly:

• Solva ( Esztergom ): an inscription was found here.

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known:

Commanders

[] ius Cominianus: he is named on the diploma of 142 as a commander. Αυρηλιος Ουαλεντινος, a tribune (AE 1900,169)

Galeo Tettienus Bellicus : he is named on the diploma of 165 as a commander. Tullius Secundus : he is named on the diploma of 113 as a commander.

Others

[?], a rider: the diploma of 142 was issued for him. Aelius Certus, a Signifer ( CIL 3, 13760 ) Aur (elius) Reatinus, a soldier ( CIL 3, 13766 ) C. Campanius Vitalis, a Centurion ( CIL 3, 839 )

M. Ulpius, a foot soldier: the diploma of 113 was issued to him. M (arcus) Ulp (ius) Aeb [utianus], a soldier ( AE 2003, 1373 ) M (arcus) Ulp [i] us Inam [nus] ( AE 2003, 1373 ) Sextus, a foot soldier: the diploma of 165 was issued to him.

See also

• List of Roman auxiliary units
• Roman forces in Dacia
• Roman forces in Pannonia

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. ↑ According to John Spaul, the members of the unit received Roman citizenship probably during the Dacian wars of Trajan .
2. ↑ Cohorts of the Batavians probably took part in the conquest of Britain under Claudius around 43 AD. According to Tacitus, eight cohorts of Batavians involved in the Batavian revolt under Julius Civilis to 69/70. Whether these cohorts were dissolved or continued to exist after the uprising is a matter of dispute. It is possible that cohorts from Batavern were reorganized after the uprising. Under Gnaeus Iulius Agricola , four cohorts of the Batavians 83 took part in the battle of Mons Graupius .
3. ↑ According to Werner Eck , Andreas Pangerl, the unit was probably relocated to Dacia around 118/119 when Quintus Marcius Turbo reorganized the Dacia province .
4. ↑ The discharged soldier was a Boier . According to Werner Eck, Andreas Pangerl, he was recruited around 117 when the unit was still stationed in Pannonia superior .
5. ↑ The reading of the EDCS is Areatino .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ inscriptions with milliaria ( AE 2003, 1373 , CIL 3, 839 )
2. ↑ inscription with civium Romanorum ( AE 2003, 1373 )
3. ^ ^{A b} Paul A. Holder : Exercitus Pius Fidelis: The Army of Germania Inferior in AD 89 In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE), Volume 128 (1999), pp. 237–250, here pp. 237, 242, 246-248, 250 ( PDF ).
4. ↑ inscription with pia fidelis ( AE 2003, 1373 )
5. ↑ ^{a b c d} John Spaul , Cohors², pp. 205-206, 211
6. ^ Jörg Scheuerbrandt : Exercitus. Tasks, organization and command structure of Roman armies during the imperial era. Dissertation, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau 2003/2004, pp. 161–162, 170 tables 5–6, 12 ( PDF ).
7. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 98 ( CIL 16, 42 ), 100/101 ( RMD 3, 144 ), 112 ( RMD 4, 223 ), 113 ( RMD 2, 86 ), 115 ( ZPE-180-287 ), 116 ( CIL 16, 64 ), 123 ( ZPE-176-236 ), 130/131 ( RMD 5, 378 ), 133 ( RMD 1, 35 ), 136/138 ( RMD 5, 384 ), 142 ( ZPE-191-272 ) , 151 ( RMD 5, 404 ), 164 ( AE 2007, 1764 , AMN-2006 / 07-203 , RMD 1, 63 , RMD 1, 64 , RMD 4, 287 ) and 165 ( CIL 16, 185 ).
8. ↑ Inscriptions from Potaissa ( CIL 3, 13760 , CIL 3, 13766 )
9. ↑ Inscription from Solva ( AE 2003, 1373 )
10. ↑ ^{a b} Werner Eck , Andreas Pangerl: Two new diplomas for the troops of Dacia superior and Dacia Porolissensis In: ZPE, Volume 191 (2014), pp. 269–277, here p. 275 ( online ).
11. ↑ ^{a b} 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. 272-273 ( online ).