Cohors I Morinorum

The Cohors I Morinorum ( German 1st cohort of the Morinians ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas and inscriptions. In the inscription ( AE 1972, 148 ) it is referred to as Cohors I Morinorum et Cersiacorum .

Name components

Morinorum : the Moriner . The soldiers of the cohort were recruited from the Morin people on the territory of the Roman province of Gallia Belgica when the unit was established .

et Cersiacorum : and the Cersiacer. In Cersiacorum it is probably a mistake for Gesoriacum , one of the main places of the Morini.

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

history

The cohort was probably formed after the suppression of the Batavian Uprising together with other auxiliary units and probably came to Britain with Quintus Petillius Cerialis .

The first evidence of unity in the province of Britannia is based on a military diploma dated to AD 103. In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Britannia ) that were stationed in the province. Other diplomas, dated 122 to 178, prove unity in the same province.

The unit is mentioned for the last time in the Notitia dignitatum with the designation Cohors prima Morinorum for the Glannibanta location. It was part of the troops under the command of the Dux Britanniarum under the direction of a tribune .

Locations

Cohort locations in Britain may have been:

Glannoventa ( Ravenglass ): 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)] Mulvius Ofillius Rest [it] utus, a prefect (around 70/78) ( AE 1972, 148 ); he was also prefect of the Ala I Vespasiana Dardanorum .
Q (uintus) Servilius Pacuvianus, a prefect ( CIL 3, 2049 )

Individual evidence

^ ^A ^b 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 978-1841710464 , pp. 175, 186.

^ 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. 157 table 1 ( PDF p . 159 ).

↑ Military diplomas of the years 103 ( CIL 16, 48 ), 122 ( AE 2008, 800 , CIL 16, 69 ), 132 ( ZPE-174-189 ) and 178 ( AE 2004, 1901 , RMD 3, 184 , RMD 4, 293 and RMD 4, 294 ).

↑ Notitia Dignatatum table and map. (PDF 1 MB) Newcastle University , accessed on January 31, 2017 (English).

^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Occidentis XL ( online ).

[jsp-1] A ^b 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 978-1841710464 , pp. 175, 186.