Cohors VI Nerviorum

The inscription ( RIB 2145 )

The Cohors VI Nerviorum ( German  6th Cohort of the Nervier ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas , inscriptions and the Notitia dignitatum . In the Notitia dignitatum it is referred to as Cohors sexta Nerviorum .

Name components

• Cohors : The cohort was an infantry unit of the auxiliary troops in the Roman army .

• VI : The Roman number stands for the ordinal number the sixth ( Latin sexta ). Hence the name of this military unit is pronounced as Cohors sexta ...

• Nerviorum : the Nervier . The soldiers of the cohort were recruited from the Nervier tribe in the Roman province of Gallia Belgica when the unit was established .

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

history

The cohort was stationed in the province of Britannia . It is listed on military diplomas for the years AD 98-145.

The first evidence of unity in Britain is based on an inscription dated 51/90 AD. The cohort is documented for the first time in 98 through a military diploma. 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 145, prove unity in the same province.

The unit is mentioned for the last time in the Notitia dignitatum with the name Cohors sexta Nerviorum for the Virosido 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:

Aesica (Great Chesters): an inscription was found here. Rough Castle (on Antonine Wall ): two inscriptions have been found here.

Virosidum (Brough-by-Bainbridge): several inscriptions have been found here. In addition, the unit is listed in the Notitia dignitatum for that location.

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known.

Commanders

[] Classicus, a prefect ( WT 00033 ) Flavius ​​Betto , a centurion of Legio XX Valeria Victrix

Gaius Iulius Barbarus , a prefect Lucius Vinicius Pius , a prefect

Others

• Iulius Martinus, a centurion ( RIB 3216 )

See also

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

Roman forces in Britannia

Web links

Commons : Cohors VI Nerviorum  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• 2530 - Cohors VI Nerviorum. Roman Inscriptions of Britain (RIB), accessed November 14, 2019 . 

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 inscription is on one of the Bloomberg plaques (No. 33) that were found during excavations in London between 2010 and 2014.
2. ↑ According to the RIB, the Classicus from Bloomberg plate 33 is probably Iulius Classicus ; he was possibly through the mediation of Iulius Classicianus , who had become procurator of the province of Britannia 61 , commander of the Cohors VI Nerviorum .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 98 ( ZPE-189-233 ), 122 ( CIL 16, 69 ), 124 ( CIL 16, 70 ), 127 ( RMD 4, 240 ), 130/131 ( ZPE-156-246 ), 135 ( CIL 16, 82 ) and 145 ( CIL 16, 93 ).
2. ^ ^{A b} John Spaul , Cohors², pp. 207-208, 223-224.
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. ↑ inscription ( WT 00033 ).
5. ^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Occidentis XL ( online ).
6. ↑ Margaret M. Roxan : Pre-Severan auxilia named in the Notitia Dignitatum In: British Archaeological Reports , Volume 15 (1976), pp. 59-80, here p. 73.
7. ↑ Inscription from Aesica ( RIB 1731 ).
8. ^ Inscriptions from Rough Castle ( RIB 2144 , RIB 2145 ).
9. ↑ Inscriptions from Virosidum ( RIB 722 , RIB 723 , RIB 3215 , RIB 3216 ).