Cohors I Flavia Bessorum

The Cohors I Flavia Bessorum [equitata] ( German 1st cohort, the Flavian of the better [partially mounted] ) 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 ...

Flavia : the Flavian. The honorary designation refers to the Flavian emperors Vespasian , Titus and Domitian .

Bessorum : the better . The soldiers of the cohort were recruited from the people of the better on the territory of the Roman province of Thracia when the unit was established .

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 Moesia superior and Macedonia (in that order). It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 93-120.

The first evidence of unity in Moesia superior is based on a diploma dated 93. In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Armed Forces in Moesia ) that were stationed in the province. Other diplomas, dated 100 to 115, prove unity in the same province.

At an unspecified point in time (presumably at the beginning of Hadrian's reign ) the cohort was moved to Macedonia , where it is first evidenced by a diploma dated 120.

The last evidence of unity is based on an inscription dated after 212.

Locations

Locations of the cohort in Moesia superior were possibly:

Tricornium ( Ritopek ): the diploma of 120 was found here.

Locations of the cohort in Macedonia were possibly:

Salonika ( Thessaloniki ): an inscription was found here.

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known.

Commanders

[] us: he is named on the diploma of 101/115 as a commander.
Aulus Aelius Sollemnianus : he is named on the diploma of 120 as a commander.

Gaius Prefernius Licinianus : he is named on a diploma of 100 as a commander.

Others

[?], a foot soldier: the diploma of 101/115 was issued to him.
Aulusenis, a foot soldier: a diploma of 100 ( Chiron-2008-326 ) was issued to him.
Αυρ. Νεικολαος, a ιππευς σινγγυλαρι (rider of the guard) (IGX2,1, 384)

Αυρ. Πεθοδωρος, a ιππευς (IGX2,1, 384)
Iulius Teres, a former centurion ( AE 1974, 587 )
M (arcus) Antonius Times, a foot soldier: the diploma of 120 was issued to him.

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

↑ According to Florian Matei-Popescu, Ovidiu Țentea, the unit was probably set up under Vespasian.
↑ On the diploma, Doruturma , the wife of the discharged soldier, states Tricornium as the place of origin . According to Florian Matei-Popescu, Ovidiu Țentea, the unit was probably stationed here before being relocated to the province of Macedonia .

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Military diplomas of the years 93 ( AE 2014, 1154 ), 100 ( Chiron-2008-326 , CIL 16, 46 ), 101 ( Chiron-2008-329 ), 101/115 ( Chiron-2009-570 ), 111 / 112 ( Chiron-2008-355 ), 115 ( Chiron-2008-363 ) and 120 ( CIL 16, 67 ).

^ ^A ^b John Spaul , Cohors², pp. 339, 341

^ 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 Table 8 ( PDF ).

↑ ^a ^b Florian Matei-Popescu, Ovidiu Țentea, Auxilia, pp. 36–37, 127–129.

↑ ^a ^b inscription (IGX2,1, 384)

↑ ^a ^b Werner Eck , Andreas Pangerl: Moesia and his troops II. New diplomas for Moesia, Moesia inferior and Moesia superior In: Chiron , Volume 39 (2009), pp. 505–589, here pp. 570–571 ( online ) .

↑ Werner Eck, Andreas Pangerl: Moesia and his troops. New diplomas for Moesia and Moesia superior In: Chiron, Volume 38 (2008), pp. 317-387, here p. 326 ( online ).

[NA1-1] According to Florian Matei-Popescu, Ovidiu Țentea, the unit was probably set up under Vespasian.

[ST1-7] On the diploma, Doruturma , the wife of the discharged soldier, states Tricornium as the place of origin . According to Florian Matei-Popescu, Ovidiu Țentea, the unit was probably stationed here before being relocated to the province of Macedonia .

[MD-2] Military diplomas of the years 93 ( AE 2014, 1154 ), 100 ( Chiron-2008-326 , CIL 16, 46 ), 101 ( Chiron-2008-329 ), 101/115 ( Chiron-2009-570 ), 111 / 112 ( Chiron-2008-355 ), 115 ( Chiron-2008-363 ) and 120 ( CIL 16, 67 ).

[jsp-3] A ^b John Spaul , Cohors², pp. 339, 341

[js-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. 164 Table 8 ( PDF ).

[fmp-5] Florian Matei-Popescu, Ovidiu Țentea, Auxilia, pp. 36–37, 127–129.

[IN1-6] scription (IGX2,1, 384)

[we1-8] Werner Eck , Andreas Pangerl: Moesia and his troops II. New diplomas for Moesia, Moesia inferior and Moesia superior In: Chiron , Volume 39 (2009), pp. 505–589, here pp. 570–571 ( online ) .

[we2-9] Werner Eck, Andreas Pangerl: Moesia and his troops. New diplomas for Moesia and Moesia superior In: Chiron, Volume 38 (2008), pp. 317-387, here p. 326 ( online ).