Cohors I Cretum

The Cohors I Cretum [sagittariorum or sagittaria] ( German  1st cohort from Crete [the archers] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas , inscriptions and brick stamps.

Name components

• Cretum : from Crete . The soldiers of the cohort were recruited when the unit was set up on the island of Crete.

• sagittariorum or sagittaria : the archer. The addition occurs in military diplomas from 110 to 158/159.

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

history

The cohort was stationed in the provinces of Moesia , Moesia superior and Dacia . It is listed on military diplomas for the years 77/78 to 161 AD.

The first evidence of unity in Moesia is based on a diploma dated 77/78. In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Armed Forces in Moesia ) that were stationed in the province. Further diplomas, dated from 78 to 101, prove unity in the same province (or from 93 in Moesia superior ).

The cohort's participation in the two Dacian wars of Trajan and in other military operations in the new province of Dacia is suspected, but is not certain. The first evidence of unity in the province is based on a diploma dated 110. In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Armed Forces in Dacia ) that were stationed in the province. Another diploma, dated 114, proves unity in the same province.

Probably under Hadrian (117-138), the cohort was moved back to Moesia superior , where it is again proven by diplomas dated 133-161. The cohort may have been stationed in the province during the reign of Decius (249-251).

Locations

Cohort locations may have been:

• Egeta ( Brza Palanka ): two inscriptions were found here.
• Timacum Maius (Niševac): several bricks marked COH I CRET were found here.
• Translederata ( Banatska Palanka ): a brick with the stamp COH I CRET was found here.

Bricks of the unit were found in other places: with the stamp COH I CRE at Ratiaria and with the stamp COH I CRET at Drobeta and Sucidava .

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known.

Commanders

[?], a prefect ( CIL 3, 1163 ) C (aius) Acell (ius) Marron [ius], possibly a prefect ( AE 2012, 1179 )

C (aius) Vibius M [] us: he is named on the diploma of 114 as a commander.

Others

Aur (elius) Caius, a centurion ( AE 1981, 737 ) Gallio, a foot soldier: the diploma of 114 was issued to him.

Ti (berius) Claudius Valerius, a veteran ( AE 1964, 262 )

See also

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

literature

• Florian Matei-Popescu, Ovidiu Țentea: Auxilia Moesiae Superioris , Mega Publishing House 2018, ISBN 978-606-020-063-5 ( online )
• 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. ↑ Vladimir Petrović, Vojislav Filipovic assume that the cohort took part in Trajan's Second Dacian War. Florian Matei-Popescu, Ovidiu Țentea still assumed (2006) that the unit was involved in military operations in Dacia , while (2018) they tend to use the cohort only to monitor the construction site of the Trajan Bridge at Drobeta and the surrounding area was used.
2. ↑ According to Florian Matei-Popescu, Ovidiu Țentea (2006, 2018) it is also conceivable that the cohort would remain stationed in Translederata while the northern bank of the Danube was removed from the jurisdiction of the governor of Dacia and instead subordinated to the governor of Moesia superior .
3. ↑ According to Florian Matei-Popescu, Ovidiu Țentea (2018), the 60 Cretan archers mentioned in a passage in the Historia Augusta (25,16,2) were probably a delegation from the Cohors I Cretum .

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} John Spaul , Cohors², pp. 383, 385.
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. 164, 169 tables 8, 11 ( PDF ).
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Florian Matei-Popescu, Ovidiu Țentea, Auxilia, pp. 49–51, 101–102, 127–134.
4. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 77/78 ( AE 2011, 1118 ), 78 ( RMD 5, 325 ), 93 ( CIL 16, 39 ), 94 ( RMD 5, 335 ), 96 ( RMD 1, 6 ), 100 ( Chiron- 2008-326 , Chiron-2008-340 , Chiron-2008-343 , Chiron-2009-566 , CIL 16, 46 ), 101 ( Chiron-2008-329 ), 110 ( CIL 16, 163 ), 114 ( RMD 4, 226 ), 133 ( RMD 4, 247 ), 137 ( ZPE-194-236 ), 151 ( RMM 31 ), 157 ( Chiron-2008-380 , Chiron-2008-381 , RMD 5, 418 , RMM 37 , ZPE- 165-237 ), 158/159 ( RMD 5, 419 ), 159 ( CIL 16, 111 ), 160 ( RMM 40 ) and 161 ( RMD 1, 55 ).
5. ↑ ^{a b} Vladimir Petrović, Vojislav Filipovic: The First Cohort of Cretans, a Roman Military Unit at Timacum Maius In: BALCANICA XLVI Belgrad, 2015, pp. 33–39, here pp. 35–36 ( online ).
6. ^ ^{A b} Florian Matei-Popescu, Ovidiu Țentea: Participation of the Auxiliary Troops from Moesia Superior in Trajan's Dacian Wars In: Revue d'Archeologie et d'Histoire Ancienne Bucarest, 2006, pp. 127–140, here pp. 136–137 ( Online ).
7. ↑ Inscriptions from Egeta ( AE 1966, 336 , AE 1981, 737 )
8. ↑ tile Timacum Maius ( AE 2015, 1204 ).
9. ↑ brick Translederata ( AE 1912 78 ).
10. ^ Bricks from Ratiaria ( AE 1984, 00742f ).
11. ^ Bricks from Drobeta ( CIL 3, 01703,2 ).
12. ^ Bricks from Sucidava ( AE 1975, 00726b , IDR-02, 00240 ).
13. ^ 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 p. 280 ( online ).