Cohors I Bosporanorum

The Cohors I Bosporanorum (or Bosporiana ) [milliaria] [equitata] [sagittariorum or sagittaria] ( German 1st cohort of the Bosporans [1000 men] [partially mounted] [the archers] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is documented by military diplomas , inscriptions and Arrian's work Ἔκταξις κατὰ Ἀλάνοον .

Name components

Bosporanorum or Bosporiana : the Bosporan. The soldiers of the cohort were recruited when the unit was established on the territory of the Bosphoran Empire , which was dependent on Rome .

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 occurs in the Notitia dignitatum .

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

sagittariorum or sagittaria : the archer.

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 province of Cappadocia . It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 99-101.

The unit was set up under Augustus and was stationed in Galatia from the middle of the 1st century . It was first proven in 99 in the province of Galatia et Cappadocia by a military diploma . In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Armed Forces in Cappadocia ) that were stationed in the province. Another diploma, dated 101, proves unity in the same province. Then she was part of the armed forces that Arrian mobilized for his campaign against the Alans (Ἔκταξις κατὰ Ἀλάνοον) around 135. Arrian mentions in his report a unit that he calls οἱ Βοσπορανοί.

The unit is mentioned for the last time in the Notitia dignitatum with the name Cohors miliaria Bosporiana for the location Arauraca . She was part of the troops under the command of the Dux Armeniae .

Locations

Cohort locations may have been:

Arauraca: The unit is listed in the Notitia dignitatum for this location.

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known.

Commanders

C (aius) Caristani [us] Fronto Caesianus Iullus, a prefect ( AE 1914, 260 , AE 2001, 1918 )
C (aius) Hosidius Severus, a Prefect ( IAM-S, 00859 , IAM-S, 00860 , IAM-S, 00861 , MEFR-1990-239 ). He was also prefect of the Cohors IIII Raetorum and the Ala Claudia Nova .
Flavius Varus Calvisianus Hermocrates, a prefect (AE 1893, 99)
Lamprocles

M (arcus) Aemilius Pius, a prefect ( AE 1998, 128 )
Tiberius Claudius Ilus , a prefect (CIL 10, 270 *)
Τιβ. Κλαυδιος Κρισπιανος, a επαρχος
Τιτος ΦΛαουιος Ουαριος Καλουησιανος (IGR 4.1323)

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

↑ ^a ^b According to Jörg Scheuerbrandt , the Cohors I Bosporanorum and the Cohors I Numidarum on Arrian's campaign with their riders protected the flanks of the vanguard during the march.
↑ According to Jörg Scheuerbrandt, Lamprocles was the commander of the cohort during the Arrian campaign.
↑ The inscription says II Bosforanor . Since a Cohors II Bosporanorum is not otherwise occupied, it should have been the Cohors I Bosporanorum .

Individual evidence

↑ Werner Eck , Andreas Pangerl: The fourth diploma for the province of Galatia et Cappadocia, issued in 99 In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik , Volume 192 (2014), pp. 238–246, here p. 244 ( online ).

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Michael Alexander Speidel : The Development of the Roman Forces in Northeastern Anatolia. New evidence for the history of the exercitus Cappadocicus. , Special print from: MA Speidel, Heer und Herrschaft im Römischen Reich der Hohen Kaiserzeit, Stuttgart 2009, pp. 595–631, here pp. 602, 605, 612 ( online ).

↑ Military diplomas of the years 99 ( ZPE-192-238 ) and 101 (unpublished).

↑ ^a ^b 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. 62, 66 ( PDF ).

^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Orientis XXXVIII ( online ).

↑ John Spaul , Cohors², pp. 339-340, 343.

[NA1-1] According to Jörg Scheuerbrandt , the Cohors I Bosporanorum and the Cohors I Numidarum on Arrian's campaign with their riders protected the flanks of the vanguard during the march.

[AN1-8] According to Jörg Scheuerbrandt, Lamprocles was the commander of the cohort during the Arrian campaign.

[AN2-9] The inscription says II Bosforanor . Since a Cohors II Bosporanorum is not otherwise occupied, it should have been the Cohors I Bosporanorum .

[we1-2] Werner Eck , Andreas Pangerl: The fourth diploma for the province of Galatia et Cappadocia, issued in 99 In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik , Volume 192 (2014), pp. 238–246, here p. 244 ( online ).

[mas-3] Michael Alexander Speidel : The Development of the Roman Forces in Northeastern Anatolia. New evidence for the history of the exercitus Cappadocicus. , Special print from: MA Speidel, Heer und Herrschaft im Römischen Reich der Hohen Kaiserzeit, Stuttgart 2009, pp. 595–631, here pp. 602, 605, 612 ( online ).