Cohors I Thracum milliaria

This article covers the Cohors I Thracum milliaria stationed in the provinces of Syria , Syria Palestine and Arabia . For other units with this name see Cohors I Thracum .

A military diploma from AD 160 ( AE 2011, 1810 )

The Cohors I Thracum milliaria ( German  1st cohort of the Thracian milliaria ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas , inscriptions, brick stamps and the Notitia dignitatum . In the military diploma of 88 it is referred to as Cohors I milliaria , in an inscription as Cohors I milliaria Thracum and in the Notitia dignitatum as Cohors prima miliaria Thracum .

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 ...

• Thracum : the Thracian . The soldiers of the cohort were recruited from the Thracian people on the territory of the Roman province of Thrace when the unit was established .

• 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 appears in the military diplomas from 88 to 186, in two inscriptions and on bricks. In the military diplomas from 139 to 186, in the two inscriptions and on the bricks, the symbol is used instead of milliaria . ${\displaystyle \infty }$

Since there is no reference to the addition of equitata (partially mounted) to the name , it can be assumed that it is a Cohors milliaria peditata , a pure infantry cohort. The nominal strength of the unit was 800 men, consisting of 10 Centuries with 80 men each.

history

The cohort was stationed in the provinces of Syria , Syria Palestine, and Arabia (in that order). It is listed on military diplomas for the years 88-186 AD.

The first evidence of unity in Syria is based on a diploma dated 88. In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Armed Forces in Syria ) that were stationed in the province. Other diplomas, dated 91 to 93, prove unity in the same province.

At an unspecified date, the unit was relocated to the province of Syria Palestine , where it is first evidenced by a diploma dated 139. Further diplomas, dated 158 to 186, prove unity in the same province.

In the 3rd or 4th century the cohort was moved to the province of Arabia . The unit was last mentioned in the Notitia dignitatum with the name Cohors prima miliaria Thracum for the Adtitha site. She was part of the troops under the command of the Dux Arabiae .

Locations

Unit locations in Arabia and Syria Palestine may have been:

Adtitha: The unit is listed in the Notitia dignitatum for this location. Eleutheropolis ( Beit Guvrin ): two bricks with the stamp of unity were found here. Hebron : a brick with the stamp of unity was found here.

En Gedi : a delegation from the unit was stationed here on May 6, 124, according to a papyrus. Between May 6, 124 and April 16, 128 the delegation was presumably withdrawn.

In Aleppo an inscription of the unit has been found.

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known:

Commanders

[] Bassus: he is named on a diploma from 91 ( Chiron-2006-221 ) as a commander. L (ucius) Nonius [Can] didus, a tribune ( AE 2007, 1616 )

Ποπλιος Κλαυδιος Πολλιω, a επαρχος (IGR 4.1565)

Others

[?], a foot soldier: a diploma of 91 ( Chiron-2006-221 ) was issued to him.

Μαγωνιος Ουαλενς (Magonius Valens), a centurion

See also

List of Roman auxiliary units List of military units in the Notitia dignitatum

Roman forces in Arabia Roman forces in Syria

Web links

Commons : Cohors I Thracum milliaria  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

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 assumes that the Cohors I Thracum milliaria is identical to the Cohors I milliaria .
2. ↑ The scenario given here assumes that the Cohors I Thracum milliaria can be distinguished from both the Cohors I Thracum (Arabia) and the Cohors I Thracum (Iudaea) .
3. ↑ The papyrus represents a contract between the Centurion Magonius Valens and a certain Judah ; Valens had lent Judah money and Judah confirms in the papyrus that he has pawned a piece of land in Ein Gedi as security for it.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Inscription from Aleppo ( ZPE-60-113 ).
2. ↑ Inscription with milliaria ( AE 2007, 1616 , ZPE-60-113 ).
3. ↑ Bricks with milliaria ( AE 2014, 1400 , ZPE-35-171 , ZPE-188-305 ).
4. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 88 ( CIL 16, 35 ), 91 ( Chiron-2006-221 , RMD 1, 4 ), 93 ( ZPE-165-219 ), 139 ( CIL 16, 87 ), 158 ( ZPE-159-283 ), 160 ( AE 2005, 1730 , AE 2011, 1810 , RMD 3, 173 , RMM 41 ) and 186 ( RMD 1, 69 ).
5. ^ ^{A b} John Spaul , Cohors², pp. 353-354, 359-360.
6. ^ 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. 172–173 Tables 14–15 ( PDF ).
7. ↑ ^{a b} Michael P. Speidel : A Tile Stamp of Cohors I Thracum Milliaria from Hebron / Palestine In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (ZPE), Volume 35 (1979), pp. 170–172, here pp. 170–171 ( Online ).
8. ^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Orientis XXXVII ( online ).
9. ↑ Margaret M. Roxan : Pre-Severan auxilia named in the Notitia Dignitatum In: British Archaeological Reports , Volume 15 (1976), pp. 59-80, here pp. 65, 74.
10. ^ Bricks from Eleutheropolis : Stamp C T ${\displaystyle \infty }$ ( AE 2014, 1400 , ZPE-188-305 ).
11. ↑ Boaz Zissu, Avner Ecker: A Roman Military Fort North of Bet Guvrin / Eleutheropolis? In: ZPE, Volume 188 (2014), pp. 293-312, here pp. 304-305 ( online ).
12. ^ Bricks from Hebron : Stamp C T ${\displaystyle \infty }$ ( ZPE-35-171 ).
13. ↑ ^{a b} p.babatha.11 = HGV P.Yadin 1 11 = Trismegistos 23489. Papyri.info, accessed on October 14, 2019 (English). 
14. ↑ ^{a b} Hannah M. Cotton : Courtyard (s) in Ein-Gedi: P.Yadin 11, 19 and 20 of the Babatha Archive In: ZPE, Volume 112 (1996), pp. 197–201, here pp. 197– 198 ( online ).
15. ^ ^{A b} Werner Eck , Andreas Pangerl: Syria under Domitian and Hadrian: New Diplomas for the Auxiliary Troops of the Province In: Chiron , Volume 36 (2006), pp. 205–247, here pp. 219–221 ( online ).
16. ↑ §43 Magonius Valens. Database of Military Inscriptions and Papyri of Early Roman Palestine, accessed October 14, 2019 .