Cohors I Fida Vardullorum

The altar of Cassius Sabinianus

A building inscription of the cohort, found in Bremenium ( RIB 1280 )

The Cohors I Fida Vardullorum [milliaria] [equitata] [civium Romanorum] [Antoniniana] [Severiana Alexandriana] ( German  1st cohort the loyalty of the Varduller [1000 men] [partly mounted] [the Roman citizens] [the Antoninian] [the Severian Alexandrian] ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas and inscriptions. In two military diplomas and some inscriptions it is referred to as Cohors I Vardullorum .

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 ...

• Fida : loyalty. The addition appears in military diplomas from 98 to 178 and inscriptions.

• Vardullorum : the Varduller . The soldiers of the cohort were recruited from the Varduller tribe in the area of ​​the conventus Cluniensis (with the capital Clunia ) in northern Tarraconensis 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 122 to 158 and inscriptions. In the military diplomas and some inscriptions, the symbol is used instead of milliaria . ${\displaystyle \infty }$

• equitata : partially mounted. The unit was a mixed association of infantry and cavalry. The addition occurs in inscriptions.

• civium Romanorum : the Roman citizen. The soldiers of the unit had been granted Roman citizenship at one point in time. However, this did not apply to soldiers who were accepted into the unit after this point in time. They received Roman citizenship only with their honorable farewell ( Honesta missio ) after 25 years of service. The addition appears in military diplomas from 98 to 124 and inscriptions.

• Antoniniana : the Antoninian. An honorary title that refers to Caracalla (211-217) and Elagabal (218-222). The addition appears in two inscriptions.

• Severiana Alexandriana : the Severian Alexandrian. An honorary title that refers to Severus Alexander (222-235). The addition appears in an inscription.

The unit was a Cohors milliaria equitata . The nominal strength of the unit was therefore 1040 men, consisting of 10 Centurien infantry with 80 men each and 8 tower cavalry with 30 riders each.

history

The cohort was stationed in the province of Britannia . It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 98-178.

The first evidence in Britain is based on a diploma dated 98. The diploma lists the unit as part of the forces (see Roman Forces in Britannia ) that were stationed in the province. Further diplomas, dated 105 to 178, prove unity in the same province. It is possible that a vexillation from the cohort around 145 was sent to another province.

The last evidence of unity in Britannia is based on an inscription dated 253.

Locations

Cohort locations in Britannia may have been:

• Bremenium (High Rochester): numerous inscriptions have been found here.
• Castlecary : an inscription was found here.
• Coria ( Corbridge ): two inscriptions have been found here.
• Jedburgh : two inscriptions were found here.
• Longovicium (Lanchester): three inscriptions have been found here.

A vexillation of the cohort erected an altar at Meilenkastell 19 . On the Vindolanda plate 88/944 equites Vardulli are listed, who are probably delegated riders from the cohort who were in Vindolanda .

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known.

Commanders

[?], a prefect ( CIL 11, 5038 ) [] Sittius [], a prefect ( CIL 8, 5532 ) [] Verus : he is named on the diploma of 139/190 as a commander. Aurelius Quintus , a tribune Caepio Charitinus , a tribune Calpurnius , a tribune Cassius Sabinianus , a tribune Flavius ​​Severinus , a tribune Gaius Quintius Severus , a tribune Honoratus, a tribune ( RIB 1291 ) Iul (ius) Melanio, a tribune ( RIB 1273 )

Iulius Severinus , a tribune Lucius Caecilius Optatus , a tribune Publius Aelius Erasinus , a tribune Publius Calpurnius Victor Q (uintus) Statius [], a tribune ( AE 1908, 23 ) [Ru] finus, a tribune ( RIB 1271 , RIB 1288 ). He was also prefect of the Cohors I Augusta Lusitanorum and the Cohors I Breucorum . Suubr (ius) Apollinaris, a Princeps ( RIB 792 ) Titus Flavius ​​Titianus , a tribune Titus Licinius Valerianus , a tribune Trebius Verus , a prefect

Others

Iul (ius) Carantus, a singularis consularis ( RIB 1266 ) Iul (ius) Firminus, a Decurio ( RIB 1269 ) Iulius S (), a centurion ( RIB 1287 )

P (ublius) D () V () ( RIB 1421 ) Saturninus: the diploma of 139/190 was issued to him.

See also

• List of Roman auxiliary units
• Roman forces in Britannia

Web links

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

• 2263 - Cohors I Vardullorum. Roman Inscriptions of Britain (RIB), accessed September 10, 2019 . 

literature

• Margaret M. Roxan : The Auxilia of the Roman Army raised in the Iberian Peninsula. Dissertation, 1973 Volume 1 ( PDF 1 ) Volume 2 ( PDF 2 )
• 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. ↑ According to John Spaul , the addition is unusual because it is almost always used together with the ethnic name of the cohort. According to Margaret M. Roxan , the unit may have received the Fida award around 69/70 during the Batavian Uprising .
2. ↑ According to Margaret M. Roxan, the cohort was probably divided between two castles; one part was stationed in Castlecary (on Antoninuswall ), while the other part of the cohort remained on Hadrian's Wall (possibly near Mile Fort 19 ).
3. ↑ According to Paul A. Holder, the Longovicium fort was built by the cohort in the middle of the 2nd century.
4. ↑ ^{a b c} Normally a Cohors milliaria was commanded by a tribune, while a Cohors quingenaria was led by a prefect.
5. ↑ According to the RIB, Princeps is the name of a centurion or decurion who, as acting commander, temporarily took over command of the unit. In the inscription ( RIB 792 ) the name of the unit is abbreviated as CIV ; the cohort is therefore either the Cohors I Vardullorum or the Cohors I Vangionum . John Spaul assigns Apollinaris to the Cohors I Vangionum .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Military diplomas ( CIL 16, 82 , RMD 5, 420 ) and inscriptions ( RIB 1128 , RIB 1262 , RIB 1272 , RIB 1285 , RIB 1288 , RIB 1421 )
2. ↑ ^{a b c} Margaret M. Roxan , The Auxilia, pp. 65-66, 298-304, 691-696.
3. ↑ Inscriptions with milliaria ( RIB 1076 , RIB 1083 , RIB 1128 , RIB 1263 , RIB 1279 , RIB 1281 , RIB 2118 , RIB 2149 )
4. ↑ Inscriptions with equitata ( RIB 1076 , RIB 1083 , RIB 1128 , RIB 1263 , RIB 1279 , RIB 2118 , RIB 2149 )
5. ↑ Inscriptions with civium Romanorum ( RIB 1076 , RIB 1083 , RIB 1128 , RIB 1263 , RIB 1279 , RIB 2118 , RIB 2149 )
6. ↑ Inscriptions with Antoniniana ( RIB 1279 , RIB 1280 )
7. ^ Inscription with Severiana Alexandriana ( RIB 1281 ).
8. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 98 ( CIL 16, 43 ), 105 ( CIL 16, 51 ), 122 ( AE 2008, 800 , CIL 16, 69 ), 124 ( CIL 16, 70 ), 127 ( ZPE-162-225 ), 135 ( CIL 16, 82 ), 139/190 ( CIL 16, 130 ), 145 ( CIL 16, 93 ), 158 ( RMD 5, 420 ) and 178 ( RMD 3, 184 , RMD 4, 293 , RMD 4, 294 , ZPE-156-254 ).
9. ^ ^{A b c} John Spaul , Cohors², SS 98, 105-107.
10. ^ 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 ).
11. ↑ RW Davies: Roman Scotland and Roman auxiliary units , pp. 168–173, here pp. 169–170 ( PDF ).
12. ↑ Inscription ( RIB 1273 )
13. ^ Paul A. Holder : A Roman Military Diploma from Ravenglass, Cumbria. In: Bulletin of the John Rylands Library. Volume 79, number 1 (1997), pp. 3–42, here p. 19 ( PDF ).
14. ↑ Inscriptions from Bremenium ( AE 2003, 1051 , RIB 1262 , RIB 1263 , RIB 1265 , RIB 1266 , RIB 1267 , RIB 1268 , RIB 1269 , RIB 1270 , RIB 1271 , RIB 1272 , RIB 1273 , RIB 1279 , RIB 1280 , RIB 1281 , RIB 1285 , RIB 1286 , RIB 1287 , RIB 1288 , RIB 1291 )
15. ^ Inscription from Castlecary ( RIB 2149 )
16. ↑ Inscriptions from Coria ( RIB 1121 , RIB 1128 )
17. ↑ Inscriptions from Jedburgh ( RIB 2117 , RIB 2118 )
18. ↑ Inscriptions from Longovicium ( RIB 1072 , RIB 1076 , RIB 1083 )
19. ↑ Inscription at Meilenkastell 19 ( RIB 1421 )
20. ↑ Vindolanda tablet ( Vindolanda 00181 )
21. ↑ Tablet 181. Vindolanda Tablets Online, accessed September 11, 2019 . 
22. ^ The Roman Army: Military Units. Vindolanda Tablets Online, accessed September 11, 2019 .