Cohors VI Ulpia Petraeorum

The military diploma of the year 139 ( CIL 16, 87 )

The Galata foot soldier diploma ( AE 2011, 1810 )

The Cohors VI Ulpia Petraeorum ( German  6th cohort the Ulpische from Petra ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is evidenced by military diplomas , an inscription and a brick stamp.

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 ...

• Ulpia : the Ulpian. The honorary designation refers to Emperor Trajan , whose full name is Marcus Ulpius Traianus .

• Petraeorum : from Petra . The soldiers of the cohort were recruited from the city of Petra and its surroundings when the unit was set up . After the annexation of the kingdom of the Nabataeans (with the capital Petra ) by Trajan in the year 106 AD, the soldiers of the royal army were taken over into the Roman armed forces, whereby six Cohortes Petraeorum were newly established.

Since there is no evidence of the additions 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 Syria Palestine Province . It is listed on military diplomas for the years 139 to 160 AD.

The first evidence of unity in Syria Palestine is based on a diploma dated 139. In the diploma, the cohort is listed as part of the troops (see Roman forces in Syria ) that were stationed in the province. Other diplomas, dated 142 to 160, prove unity in the same province.

The last evidence of the cohort is based on an inscription dated 219/223.

Locations

Cohort locations in Syria Palestine may have been:

• Emmaus Nikopolis : a brick with the stamp of unity was found here.

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known:

Commanders

• C (aius) Iulius [Avitus Ale] xianus, a prefect ( AE 1963, 42 )
• Claudius Berenicianus : he is named on one of the diplomas of 160 as a commander.

Others

• Galata, a foot soldier: one of the diplomas of 160 ( AE 2011, 1810 ) was issued to him.

See also

• List of Roman auxiliary units
• Roman forces in Syria

Web links

Commons : Cohors VI Ulpia Petraeorum  - 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

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b c} John Spaul , Cohors², pp. 438, 451.
2. ↑ Military diplomas of the years 139 ( CIL 16, 87 ), 142 ( RMM 29 ), 157/158 ( RMD 5, 421 ), 158 ( ZPE-157-190 , ZPE-159-283 ) and 160 ( AE 2005, 1730 , AE 2011, 1810 , RMD 3, 173 , RMM 41 ).
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. 173 Table 15 ( PDF ).
4. ↑ inscription ( AE 1963, 42 )
5. ^ Bricks from Emmaus Nikopolis : stamp COH VI VLP PETR ( AE 1924, 132 ).