Cohors I Flavia Numidarum

This article deals with the Cohors I Flavia Numidarum stationed in the provinces of Moesia inferior and Lycia et Pamphylia . For the unit stationed in the provinces of Syria and Cappadocia , see Cohors I Numidarum .

The Cohors I Flavia Numidarum [equitata] ( German  1st cohort the Flavian of the Numidians [part 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 .

• Numidarum : the Numid. The soldiers of the cohort were recruited in Numidia when the unit was set up .

• 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 inferior and Lycia et Pamphylia (in that order). It is listed on military diplomas for the years 97 to 178 AD.

The unit was probably set up under Vespasian (69–79) or Domitian (81–96). The first evidence in the province of Moesia inferior is based on a diploma dated 97. 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 from 105 to 157, prove unity in the same province.

At an unspecified point in time, the cohort was moved to the province of Lycia et Pamphylia , where it is first evidenced by a diploma dated 162. Other diplomas, dated 165/166 to 178, prove unity in the same province. Lycia et Pamphylia belonged to the Roman provinces in which only one or two auxiliary units were stationed, which took over general police and administrative tasks there. In the diplomas, the Cohors I Flavia Numidarum is listed as the only unit from which soldiers were discharged.

The last evidence of the cohort is based on an inscription dated 238.

Locations

Locations of the cohort in Lycia et Pamphylia were possibly:

• Perge : two inscriptions were found here.
• Side : an inscription was found here.

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known.

Commanders

Fabius Postumus , a tribune : he is named on the diploma of 162 as a commander. Iulius Festus , a tribune: he is named on the diploma of 178 as a commander.

L (ucius) Manlius []: he is named on the diploma of 125/129 as a commander.

Others

[?], a Cornicularius that was promoted to Decurio ( ZPE-131-251 ) Aurelius Agapomenus, a soldier

Flavius ​​Valens, a centurion (IGR I 465) Valerius Valens, a horseman: the diploma of 178 was issued to him.

See also

• List of Roman auxiliary units
• Roman forces in Moesia

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. ↑ The scenario given here is based on two different cohorts: the Cohors I Numidarum , which was stationed in the provinces of Syria and Cappadocia , and the Cohors I Flavia Numidarum , which was stationed in the provinces of Moesia inferior and Lycia et Pamphylia .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 97 ( Chiron-2009-510 ), 105 ( RMM 10 ), 111 ( RMD 4, 222 ), 120 ( Chiron-2009-533 , ZPE-207-219 ), 125/129 ( RMD 5, 375 ), 127 ( RMD 4, 241 , ZPE-165-232 ), 135 ( Chiron-2009-541 ), 140 ( Chiron-2008-302 ), 145 ( RMD 3, 165 ), 146 ( RMD 4, 270 ), 157 ( Chiron-2007-222 , RMD 1, 50 ), 162 ( RMD 1, 67 ), 165/166 ( RMD 5, 438 ) and 178 ( CIL 16, 128 ).
2. ^ ^{A b} John Spaul , Cohors², pp. 466, 473.
3. ^ 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. 166 table 9 ( PDF ).
4. ^ 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. 289-290 ( online ).
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Julian Bennett : The Roman Army in Lycia and Pamphylia , ADALYA X, 2007, pp. 131–151 here pp. 135, 141–144, 148 ( PDF ).
6. ↑ ^{a b} inscription from Side ( AE 1966, 459 ).
7. ↑ ^{a b} inscriptions from Perge ( AE 2000, 1453 ); the inscription of Aurelius Agapomenus is written in Greek.
8. ↑ Werner Eck : M. Gavius ​​Crispus Numisius Iunior as proconsul of Lycia-Pamphylia in an inscription from Perge In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik , Volume 131 (2000), pp. 251-257, here pp. 254-255 ( online ) .