Cohors I Tungrorum

An inscription found in Castlecary ( RIB 2155 )

The Cohors I Tungrorum [milliaria] ( German  1st cohort of the Tungerer [1000 men] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas , inscriptions, brick stamps , some Vindolanda tablets and the Notitia dignitatum . In the Notitia dignitatum it is referred to as Cohors prima Tungrorum .

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 ...

• Tungrorum : the Tungerer . The soldiers of the cohort were recruited from the Tungerer people in the Roman province of Gallia Belgica 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 military diplomas from 103 to 135/138 and inscriptions. In some military diplomas and an inscription, the sign 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 province of Britannia (and possibly also in the province of Noricum ). It is listed on military diplomas for the years 103 to 161/163 AD. Tacitus mentions cohorts of the Tungerer both in the Historiae (Book II, Chapter 14) and in his work Agricola (Chapter 36).

The unit was probably set up in the Julio-Claudian period in the area of ​​the civitas Tungrorum (in today's Belgium); she was stationed in the province of Germania inferior before AD 69 . In the civil war between Otho and Vitellius , the cohort fought on Vitellius's side; two cohorts of the Tungerer were sent by Fabius Valens to the province of Gallia Narbonensis to fight against the troops of Otho. After the Batavian Revolt , the Tunger cohorts came to Britain with the new governor, Quintus Petillius Cerialis . Under Gnaeus Iulius Agricola , two cohorts of the Tungerer 83 took part in the battle of Mons Graupius and were honored for it.

The first evidence of unity in Britannia is based on a diploma dated 103. In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman Forces in Britannia ) that were stationed in the province. Further diplomas, dated 122 to 161/163, prove unity in the same province. It is uncertain whether a vexillation from the cohort around 133/138 was delegated from Britain to the province of Noricum .

The unit was last mentioned in the Notitia dignitatum with the name Cohors prima Tungrorum for the Borcovicio location. It was part of the troops under the command of the Dux Britanniarum under the direction of a tribune .

Locations

Cohort locations in Britannia may have been:

Brocolitia (Carrawburgh): two inscriptions were found here. Castlecary : an inscription was found here. Vindolanda (Chesterholm): two inscriptions and the Vindolanda tablets were found here.

Vercovicium (Housesteads): several inscriptions have been found here. In addition, the unit is listed in the Notitia dignitatum for that location.

Bricks marked COH I TUN were found at Hare Hill .

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known:

Commanders

[?], a prefect ( RIB 1588 ) [] Paterniu [s]: he is named on the diploma of 146 as a commander. [] rius [] upe [], a prefect ( RIB 1587 ) Desidienus Aemilianus , a prefect Iulius Verecundus , a prefect Priscinus ( Vindolanda 00295 )

Publius Aelius Modestus , a prefect Publius Helvius Pertinax , a prefect ( AE 1988, 894 ) Quintus Florius Maternus , a prefect Q (uintus) Iulius [] sus, a prefect ( RIB 1585 ) Quintus Iulius Maximus , a prefect Quintus Verius Superstis , a prefect

Others

[?]: the diploma of 146 was issued for him. [?], a soldier ( Vindolanda 00295 ) Anicius Ingenuus, a medicus ordinarius ( RIB 1618 ) Crispus, a soldier ( Vindolanda 00295 ) Henoenus, an Optio ( RIB 3331 )

Hurmius Leubasni, a soldier and beneficiarius ( RIB 1619 ) Rufinus, a Centurion ( RIB 3331 ) Saturninus, a centurion ( RIB 3331 ) Thrupo, a centurion ( RIB 1556 ) T (itus) Ann [ius], a centurion ( RIB 3364 )

Vindolanda tablets

→ Main article : Vindolanda tablets

On the Vindolanda board 88/841 there is the following list of the strength of the unit for May 18 of an indefinite year (probably 90 AD):

• Total strength of the unit 752 men, including 6 centurions , under the command of the Prefect Iulius Verecundus.
• 456 absent, including 5 centurions; classified for different tasks, u. A. 337 soldiers were sent to Coria .
• 296 men (including 1 centurion) present at the location; 265 men fit for duty and 31 men unfit for work (sick or wounded).

See also

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

Roman forces in Britannia Roman forces in Noricum

Web links

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

• 2261 - Cohors I Tungrorum. Roman Inscriptions of Britain (RIB), accessed July 24, 2019 . 

literature

• Robert Nouwen: The Vindolanda tablet 88/841 and the cohors I Tungrorum milliaria In: M. Lodewijckx (Ed.) Archaeological and Historical Aspects of West-European Societies. Album amicorum ANDRE VAN DOORSELAER (Acta Archaeologica Lovaniensia Monographiae 8), 1995, pp. 123-134 ( 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. ↑ ^{a b} The cohort had only 6 centurions at its disposal at the time the report on the strength of the crew was drawn up on Vindolanda board 88/841. According to Robert Nouwen (1995) it should actually be regarded as a Cohors quingenaria (consisting of 6 cohorts); possibly the increase to a Cohors milliaria took place at this time . Other historians assume that the unit was already a Cohors milliaria at the time of the battle of Mons Graupius .
2. ↑ ^{a b} According to Robert Nouwen (1995), one of the two Tungerer cohorts mentioned by Tacitus was the Cohors I Tungrorum .
3. ↑ At an unspecified point in time, a vexillation was transferred from a Tungrer cohort to the province of Noricum , where it is proven by two diplomas for 133 and 135/138. Since the diplomas are incomplete, it is a matter of dispute which cohort they were: Both the Cohors I Tungrorum and the Cohors II Tungrorum are eligible .
4. ↑ According to Robert Nouwen, the unit was stationed in Vindolanda from around AD 90 to 122 (possibly to 140).
5. ↑ The inscription is only partially preserved. According to Hubert Devijver and Robert Nouwen, the future emperor was prefect of the Cohors I Tungrorum .
6. ↑ ^{a b} John Spaul gives both names in this form; the reading of the EDCS differs from this.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ inscriptions with milliaria ( RIB 1580 , RIB 1586 , RIB 2155 )
2. ^ ^{A b} John Spaul , Cohors², pp. 207-208, 225-227.
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. 157 Table 1 ( PDF ).
4. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 103 ( CIL 16, 48 ), 122 ( AE 2008, 800 , CIL 16, 69 ), 124 ( CIL 16, 70 ), 127 ( RMD 4, 240 ), 133 ( CIL 16, 174 ), 135 / 138 ( RMD 2, 93 ), 146 ( RMD 2, 97 ) and 161/163 ( ZPE-171-250 ).
5. ^ ^{A b c d e} Robert Nouwen, The Vindolanda tablet 88/841 and the cohors I Tungrorum milliaria, pp. 123-134.
6. ^ Robert Nouwen: The Vexillationes of the Cohortes Tungrorum During the Second Century In: Proceedings of the XVIth International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies, Oxbow Monograph 91, 1997, pp. 461-465, here pp. 461-462 ( online ).
7. ^ Joachim Ott: The commanders of the Noric auxiliary troops. In: Tyche . Contributions to ancient history, papyrology and epigraphy, Volume 10, 1995, pp. 107-138, here p. 113 ( PDF ).
8. ^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Occidentis XL ( online ).
9. ↑ Margaret M. Roxan : Pre-Severan auxilia named in the Notitia Dignitatum In: British Archaeological Reports , Volume 15 (1976), pp. 59-80, here p. 73.
10. ↑ Inscriptions from Brocolitia ( AE 1966, 222 , RIB 1556 )
11. ↑ Inscription from Castlecary ( RIB 2155 )
12. ↑ Inscriptions from Vindolanda ( RIB 3364 , ZPE-186-287 )
13. ↑ Vindolanda tablets ( Vindolanda 00154 , Vindolanda 00295 , Vindolanda 00857 )
14. ↑ Inscriptions from Vercovicium ( RIB 1578 , RIB 1579 , RIB 1580 , RIB 1584 , RIB 1585 , RIB 1586 , RIB 1587 , RIB 1588 , RIB 1589 , RIB 1591 , RIB 1598 , RIB 1618 , RIB 1619 , RIB 3326 , RIB 3331 )
15. ^ Bricks from Hare Hill ( RIB 2477 ).
16. ↑ ^{a b c} Tablet 295. Vindolanda Tablets Online, accessed July 24, 2019 . 
17. ↑ Hubert Devijver : Les "militiae Equestres" de P. Helvius Pertinax . In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik , 75, 1988, pp. 207–214, here p. 210 ( PDF )