Comes Italiae
The Comes Italiae (literally: "Count of Italy") was in late antiquity the commander of mobile intervention troops ( Comitatenses ) of the Western Roman army, which operated in the heartland of the empire, Italy .
The title Comes was usually given to members of the highest rank of the nobility (vir spectabilis) or the closest confidante of the emperor. In the late Roman army, he transferred himself to the commanders of the mobile field armies or officers who were entrusted with temporary special commands (Comes rei militaris) . His direct superior was the Magister peditum praesentalis (= the present one) of the West for the infantry and the Magister equitum praesentalis for the cavalry.
Known comites by name: Ricimer (mid-5th century)
His area of responsibility (tractus) essentially extended to the cities and forts in northern Italy and the barriers in the Julian Alps . The operational area of the Italian field army also included the other Italian provinces ( intra italiam ):
- Liguria (Liguria and Western Piedmont)
- Transpadana ( Piedmont and Lombardy )
- Venetia et Histria ( Veneto , Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige )
- Aemilia ( Emilia-Romagna )
- Tuscia , ( Etruria et Umbria , today Tuscany and Umbria )
- Flaminia ( Picenum and the former Ager Gallicus , Marche region)
- Latium et Campania (Coast of Lazio and Campania )
- Samnium ( Abruzzo , Molise and Irpinia )
- Apulia et Calabria ( Apulia )
- Lucania et Bruttium ( Basilicata and Calabria )
- Sicilia ( Sicily and Malta )
- Corsica et Sardinia ( Corsica and Sardinia )
development
Guido Clemente believes that the comitiva was established between 401 and 405. During this time the Alpine region was the scene of the battles against Alaric I and Radagais . The Italian field army was considered to be the most powerful in the western empire during this decade. After the Magister militum himself had taken command of the army in Italy, the office was abolished. Arnold HM Jones suspects that the Comes Italiae with the establishment of the Comes Illyrici , whose area of responsibility u. a. included the provinces of Noricum and Raetia , became superfluous. Around 456, the later Magister militum , Flavius Ricimer , could have held the office of Comes of Italy, since Emperor Avitus entrusted him with the defense of the Vandals in Corsica and the securing of grain deliveries for the city of Rome from Africa and Sicily.
Written sources
The office is only known from the Notitia Dignitatum Occidentum . In the absence of other contemporary sources, tracing its history is extremely difficult and is for the most part pure speculation. In the chapter of the Comes , neither its administrative staff (officium) nor troop units, their commanding officers, or fortress towns or forts in which they were stationed are given. Presumably they were part of the armies of the Magister peditum or the Magister equitum and were therefore also administered by their administration. The Comes and the indication of its area of responsibility also appear in the chapter of the Magister peditum .
A remarkable detail of the illustration of his area of responsibility in the Notitia Dignitatum Occ. are two walls reinforced with towers and battlements. Probably a representation of the fortifications of Claustra Alpium Iuliarum , the full development of which was only completed in the 4th century. Above all, they should protect the highways through the Birnbaumer Wald . The route across the Julian Alps was the fastest route into Italy for intruders from the northeast. The barricades and forts there were probably no longer occupied by Roman soldiers when the Notitia Dignitatum was drawn up. The representation of the Castrum Italia is supposed to symbolize the jurisdiction of this Comes for all provinces or military bases on the Italian peninsula. It could also mean an old Roman veterans' colony, the fortress and trading town of Aquileia . Because of its key position, it has long served as a bulwark against incursions from enemies from the north.
troops
Which units were under his direct command is unknown due to a lack of relevant written sources. The shield patterns were handed down in the western Notitia Dignitatum . The units listed below belonged to the Italian army of the Magister Peditum . They served to protect the Italian provinces and could have been subordinate to the Comes Italiae in the event of a crisis . The bulk of the Western Roman army was made up of infantrymen, although archers and mounted archery units are also frequently mentioned in the sources. Most of the infantry units were set up under Diocletian and Constantine. The cavalry units probably comprised between 500 and 1000 men (including the stable boys). The origins of the soldiers in the Italian field army are very different: grave inscriptions from Aquileia and Concordia from the 4th and early 5th centuries mention a. a. Batavians , Herulers , Salfranken and Vandals . However, the ethnic composition of the non-Roman units was - in most cases - more and more mixed up over time.
Fabricae
In the chapter of the Magister officiorum four locations for arms factories ( fabricae ) are listed for Italy :
- Veronensis scutatria et armorum (shields and weapons in Verona),
- Mantuana loricaria (body armor in Mantua),
- Cremonensis scutaria (shields in Cremona),
- Ticinensis arcuaria (arrow bow at Ticino)
- Lucensis spatharia (swords in Lucca)
Distributio Numerorum
According to the ND Occ. the following units may have been available to the comes :
Guard units / cavalry
| units | comment | Illustration |
|---|---|---|
| Comitatenses - Vexillationes palatina | ||
| Comites seniores |
Comites means companions or followers; this meant in particular the emperor's entourage. An inscription that may mention the Comites seniores (or a similar troop) comes from the burial ground of Colonia Iulia Concordia (today Portogruaro in the province of Veneto , Italy). The inscription mentions a Centenarius , Flavius Roveos, which - extended by the missing letters - can perhaps be resolved as "equitum comit [um] seni (orum) sagit (tariorum)". Another unit of
The shield pattern is kept very simple, red border on an indigo or purple background, the shield boss is quartered with the same colors. It is not surprising that an elite unit carried such a simple shield design. In contrast to the stationary Limitanei , the field armies were always on the move and had to access equipment from changing sources of supply, the imperial fabricae (arms factories) distributed all over the empire . Shields were often badly damaged in battle and often replaced by new ones. It is therefore likely that the Comitatenses did not like elaborate painting . This also fits in with a mention by the chronicler Ammianus Marcellinus , according to which the Comitatenses were often involved in fights in the 4th century. |
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| Equites promoti seniores | The name Promoti means "advanced, promoted" and was probably originally given as an award to merited soldiers. Later, selected legion riders were known under this term, which in the 3rd century were combined under Gallienus to form an independent cavalry army. Obviously, this later led to the formation of numerous promotional units, as the troop lists of the Notitia show. But they were mostly in the ranks of the limitanei . The Equites promoti seniores could also have been assigned from a legion to the imperial comitatus in the 3rd century . A unit of the same name was - as the highest ranking - in the army of the Magister Militum Praesentalis I (Eastern Empire). As with all eastern cavalry units, however, the shield pattern of the eastern Equites promoti seniores has nowhere been passed down. The shield pattern of the western Equites promoti seniores is also kept very simple, a red background with a shield boss quartered in white and blue. It is very similar to the shield patterns of the Equites sagittarii Parthi iuniores and the Taurunenses . These only differ in that their shield boss was colored white or black. The sign of the Equites promoti iuniores had a purple background. | |
| Equites brachiati seniores |
Brachiati could be derived from bracelets ( bracciale ) and pants ( bracae ) - popular with the Celts . Except for the above Unity five others of this name are known from the Notitia: the
The shield pattern of the unit shows a dark green background and red border, with a white, two-headed, zoomorphic , motif in the center. The latter are common in the Notitia, especially in the Auxilia Palatina . The Equites Brachiati seniores are the only cavalry unit in the Notitia that have such a motif. Only the Equites Mauri alites des Magister equitum Galliarum had a similar painting on their shields, although the two animal heads were not connected to each other. Zoomorphic motifs are otherwise known from image sources in Northern Europe, such as B. the Swedish Torslunda bronze plaque from the 6th century. |
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| Equites cornuti seniores | The name Cornuti means "the horned ones". This cavalry troop can be found in both the Italian and the Gallic field army, while its sister unit, the Equites Cornuti iuniores , does not appear there for reasons unknown today (transcription errors?). Perhaps the iuniores were part of the Gallic army and the seniores were part of the Italian army. The shield pattern is again quite simple, white ground, with blue shield bosses surrounded by a red band. In contrast to the infantrymen of the Cornuti seniores , however, it does not seem to have any connection with the standard designation. | |
| Comites Alani | The unit also belonged to the emperor's closest entourage. All of these units were mounted. The Alani were a branch of the equestrian people of the Sarmatians who originally settled in the north of the Caucasus and later had to flee to the west from the Huns . During this time the Western Notitia was also updated (approx. 395–420). The Alans joined the Vandals and finally reached Spain and Portugal with them . Some of them may have settled in Gaul as well . The Alani Comites were probably initially recruited from these Alan tribes. Sarmatians were also in Italy (see below). The shield pattern shows a kind of red column on a white background, which extends from the lower edge to the shield boss, surrounded by a white band. The symbol is very similar to that of the Equites constantes Valentinianenses seniores (see below). | |
| Equites constantes Valentinianenses iuniores | Their names probably refer to the imperial dynasty under which they were established. Either Valentinian I or Valentinian II , in the time of Valentinian I (west) and Valens (east) the Roman army was divided between the two halves of the empire. A recruitment under Valentinian III. therefore does not appear plausible. Constantes means persistent, steadfast. This honorary name could have been awarded to the soldiers either for extraordinary achievements in combat or for their loyalty in one of the numerous civil wars. According to Otto Seek, they are probably identical to the Equites constantes Valentinianenses seniores under the Magister equitum . |
Guard units / infantry
| units | comment | Illustration |
|---|---|---|
| Comitatenses - Auxilia palatina | ||
| Mattiarii iuniores | Mattiarii is probably derived from Mattiobarbuli (or Plumbatae ), small darts weighted with lead, carried on the inside of the shield (Vegetius 1.17). Martiobarbuli means "little barbs of Mars". The shield pattern of its sister unit, the Mat (t) iarii seniores , one of the Legiones Palatina units in the army of the Magister Militum Praesentalis I (Eastern Empire), differs significantly from that of the western unit. In the army of the Magister Militum Praesentalis II (Eastern Empire) there were also soldiers of the Mat (t) iarii seniores. The shield sign shows a shield boss quartered in indigo and white, which is bordered in red. The edge of the shield is also kept in red. The ground is divided into six, radially arranged sectors, which are colored alternately yellow and blue. Such sector patterns can be found in three other Western legions: the
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| Cornuti seniores |
Cornuti possibly means "the horned ones". According to the chronicler Ammianus Marcellinus , the Cornuti - together with the Brachiati - were notorious for their terrifying war cry ( baritus ). In the Notitia occ. the Brachiati seniores are listed immediately after the Cornuti , while the Brachiati iuniores were under the command of the Magister Militum praesentalis I (Eastern Empire). It is believed that they originally belonged to the elite units of the army of Constantine I, and u. a. were involved in the destruction of his opponent Maxentius in 312 (Battle of the Milvian Bridge). Under Julian the Apostate they were in Gaul and were deployed on the Rhine border since 355. In 357 they took part under their tribune Bainobaudes in an attack on the Alamanni, who had plundered Roman territory and later holed up on a small island in the Rhine. In the same year Julian led the Cornuti into the Battle of Argentoratum . When the Alemannic cavalry forced the Roman horsemen to flee, they stopped Cornuti and Brachiati until Julian was able to reassemble his cavalry to counterattack. Although the Romans were victorious, the Cornuti tribune , Bainobaudes, was killed. Some researchers believe that on a relief of the Siege of Verona (312) on the Arch of Constantine completed in 315 , soldiers of the Cornuti can be seen. One wears a helmet decorated with horns. These "horns" could also represent feathers. A winged Victoria can be seen above the shield hump . Below are two horned creatures facing each other. Possibly ibex, Michael Speidel thinks they are dragons. It could be that the original shield pattern of the Cornuti is shown on this relief even before they were divided into eastern and western divisions. However, this interpretation is anything but certain, as it is not known whether the relief actually comes from the time of the Arch of Constantine. Some of the decorative elements of the triumphal arch were obviously taken from demolished buildings of earlier times. The shield pattern shows a white background with an - apparently - zoomorphic motif which, however, seems to be missing the heads. Similar motifs are used in the western empire by two other Auxilia-Palatina units:
The shield pattern of the western Cornuti Juniores shows no similarity, in contrast to that of the Sagittarii Nervii , which clearly suggests a reference to the shield painting of the eastern Cornuti . Another Cornuti unit (auxilia palatina) appears in the Notitia under the command of the Magister Militum praentalis II (Eastern Empire). Their shield pattern somewhat resembles that of the western Cornuti seniores . |
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| Brachiati seniores | Other Brachiati units are known from the Notitia: the
The unit of the Magister Equitum Galliarum could be identical to the Brachiati listed in the infantry list of the Magister Peditum . An inscription mentioning a Numeri Brachiatorum was found in the burial ground of Colonia Iulia Concordia (Portogruaro, Italy). The deceased, Flavius Odiscus, was - given the location of the burial ground in Italy and the stationing of the (western) Equites Brachiati iuniores in Gaul - a member of the Brachiati seniores or the Equites Brachiati seniores . The shield pattern of the Brachiati seniores has a blue background, surrounded by a red border with a yellow, zoomorphic motif in the center. In this version, the heads are probably also missing, as is the case with the Cornuti seniores and the Petulantes seniores . |
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| Petulantes seniores | Petulantes means "moody, stubborn" or "brave". The Petulantes are mentioned several times in the Chronicle of Ammianus Marcellinus . It is possible that they fought on the side of Emperor Constantine I in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (312). He may also have had them depicted on his triumphal arch in Rome . In the 4th century they were an elite unit in the army of Julian the Apostate , the Caesar of the West. At that time they were used in Gaul and on the Rhine border. The number of their soldiers was around 500 men. To be more effective, they were united with the Celtae during campaigns . According to Diocletian's strategic principle, the new military provinces were each occupied by two legions. In the departments that were withdrawn from these units for the field army, the principle of double troops applied in order to strengthen morale through internal competition. In the list of troops Notitia are Petulantes seniores immediately before the Celtae seniores listed. Together with them they stepped u. a. near Sanctium ( Raetia ) to meet the Alamanni . In 357 the Petulantes were also involved in the Battle of Argentoratum . When Julian, extremely popular with his men , camped at Civitas Parisiorum in the winter of 361 , Emperor Constantius II ( Augustus of the East) ordered him to surrender some of his units (including the Petulantes ) to the Eastern Empire. The soldiers then became outraged because they had been assured not to use them outside of Gaul. A standard bearer of the Petulantes , Maurus, put Julian's portrait on his standard and the army proclaimed him Augustus . In 365, Valentinian I and his brother and co-regent divided Valen's empire and army into two parts. It is possible that on this occasion the Petulantes were divided into seniores (western empire) and iuniores (eastern empire). The Petulantes iuniores fought under the command of the Magister Militum per Illyricum (Eastern Empire). The Celtae iuniores , however, were in the army of the Comes Africae . It is largely certain that the Petulantes and Celtae des Ammianus are identical to the Petulantes seniores and Celtae seniores of Notitia. The shield pattern is relatively simple; yellow background with a blue, zoomorphic motif (again without heads) and a shield boss in the center. Just like the Cornuti seniores and the Brachiati seniores (see above). | |
| Regii | Regii means "the royal ones". The unit was perhaps originally the retinue of Chrocus , an Alemannic king who was instrumental in the elevation of Constantine I to Augustus of the West in Eburacum (York) in 306 . On campaigns they were combined with the Batavi to form an operational unit. They fought in 357 under Julian the Apostate at the Battle of Argentoratum . After the division of the empire in the late 4th century, the Regii Iuinores were under the command of the Magister Militum Praesentalis II (Eastern Empire). Members of the Regii are also mentioned in an inscription from the burial ground of Colonia Iulia Concordia (Portogruaro in Veneto, Italy). A woman buried there, Flavia Optata, was perhaps the companion of a soldier of the Western Regii ( seniores ). The shield sign shows a shield boss quartered in red and white, which is bordered with a red ribbon. The edge of the shield is also kept in red. The ground is divided into six, radially arranged sectors, which are alternately colored dark gray and white. Such sector patterns can also be found in three other Western legions. | |
| Celtae seniores | Celtae probably denotes members of the Celts or Gauls from whom the unit was originally recruited. According to Ammianus Marcellinus, the Celtae operated in campaigns in conjunction with the Petulantes . In the Notitia Occ. the Celtae seniores are also lined up directly behind the Petulantes seniores . The eastern sister unit, the Celtae iuniores , was in the army of the Comes Africae , while the Petulantes iuniores are led under the Magister Militum per Illyricum (Eastern Empire). When the unit was divided into seniores and iuniores is unknown, probably around the middle of the 4th century. The shield pattern consists of a yellow, zoomorphic motif on a red background. The version run by the Celtae seniores shows a three-pointed neck and looks very similar to that of the Exculcatores iuniores Britanniciani , Army des Comes Hispaniarum and Falchovarii under the Magister Militum Praesentalis II (Eastern Empire). In addition to its numerous examples in the Notitia, this motif is known from a number of image sources from Northern Europe (Torslunda panel from the 6th century). | |
| Heruli seniores | Heruli refers to the East Germanic tribe of the Heruli , the troupe was originally recruited from their families. While most of them lived on the territory of present-day Ukraine , some also settled in Western Europe, possibly descendants of the Eastern Heruli. Lt. Ammianus Marcellinus , the Heruli were united on campaigns with the Batavi . In the Notitia Occ. the Heruli ( seniores ) are listed next to the Batavi ( seniores ). A vexillation of the Batavi seniores was in the army of the Magister Militum Praesentalis I (Eastern Empire). In the Notitia, however, no Heruli iuniores are given . They may have been wiped out (Battle of Adrianople, 378?) Or disbanded even before the document was drawn up. The shield pattern shown in the Bodleian Manuscript of Notitia is very simple and consists of a red border on a white background. A second red band surrounds the shield boss, which is colored white. Grave inscriptions, which the Heruli seniores call, come from the burial ground of Colonia Iulia Concordia ( Portogruaro , Italy). | |
| Batavi seniores | The Batavi were a Germanic tribe who settled in what is now the Netherlands . In the early imperial period, they provided the Roman army with many units of auxiliary troops ( auxilia ). In the Notitia several associations of the Batavi seniores are given; one is one of the vexillationes palatinae of the Magister Equitum Galliarum. The other was in the army of the Magister Militum Prasentalis I (Eastern Empire) as Auxilia palatinae . The shield patterns of these units show no significant similarities to one another. Several inscriptions that mention the western Batavi seniores come from the burial ground of Colonia Iulia Concordia (Portogruaro, Italy). An inscription from Hungary contains the sequence of letters T BAT, which was dissolved as "T (ribunus) BAT (avorum)" and dated to the year 303. The Batavi , Cornuti and Regii were probably among the oldest Auxilia palatina. The Cornuti are likely to have been reorganized into seniores and iuniores at the latest 365 . It is therefore quite possible that the Batavi were divided between the western and eastern rivers during the same period. The chronicler Ammianus Marcellinus mentions the Batavi four times in his chronicle. Each time in connection with units that were united with other units during campaigns. One of them were the Heruli or Heruli seniores (see above), which are specified in the Notitia immediately before the western Batavi seniores , in the army of the Magister Peditum (Italian army). The others were the Regii , which, according to Notitia, were Auxilia palatina under the command of the Magister Militum Praesentalis II (Eastern Empire). The shield pattern shows a dark green shield boss on a red-brown background. A small, downward-pointing green cone of color gives it the shape of a teardrop. It is surrounded by a wide blue band that runs down into a kind of column through which a green dividing line runs in the middle to the lower edge of the shield. It is reminiscent of the other numerous hump and column patterns that can be seen in the Notitia. | |
| Mattiaci seniores | According to the Tacitus report from the 1st century, the Germanic Mattiaci lived in the immediate vicinity of the Batavians . The units in the Notitia, named after indigenous tribes, belonged to the Auxilia and often existed for several hundred years. By far the most researched unit is the Cohors II Mattiacorum , of which numerous inscriptions and military diplomas from the early 2nd century have been discovered. Among them is a statue base from Carnuntum , the inscription of which mentions a tribune of this unit as the founder. From which early or mid-imperial Cohors the Mattiaci seniores could descend is unknown. The tribal name referred in many cases to the main town ( metropolis ) of their settlement area. This was probably also the case with the Mattiaci . Aquae Mattiacorum was in the second century a. a. known as a well-visited seaside resort (today Wiesbaden ). The bridgehead Castellum Mattiacorum was built near Mogontiacum ( Mainz-Kastel ) in the 4th century . Late antique inscriptions that mention this unit come from the burial ground of Colonia Iulia Concordia (Portogruaro, Italy). Another from Bordeaux, France . The shield pattern has a white background framed by a red border and yellow rings arranged in a cross shape on black bars, which are perhaps supposed to represent chain links. The rings shown transversely (10 pieces) overlap, whereas the longitudinally arranged (6 pieces) do not. The shield boss is black, surrounded by a yellow band. It looks confusingly similar to that of the Ascarii seniores , Auxilia palatina in the army of the Magister peditum and Comes Hispaniarum . Its sister unit, the Mattiaci iuniores , was an Auxilia-Palatina in the army of the Magister Militum Praesentalis I (Eastern Empire). Their shield pattern also shows a cross shape and a red border, but no rings, but instead four ravens. | |
| Iovii seniores | The name refers to the supreme realm god Iupiter . Perhaps they were set up under Diocletian , who, after his proclamation to Augustus, took the name Iovius (roughly synonymous with "descendant of Iupiter"). According to the chronicler Ammianus Marcellinus, the Iovii were united on campaigns with the Victores . Her eastern sister unit, the Iovii iuniores , was in the army of Comes Illyrici . In the list of troops magister militum praesentalis I have Victores specified. It is unlikely, however, that this is the unit that Ammianus mentions. The shield pattern is also completely different from that of the Iovii . The unit in question would have to be the Victores seniores (see below), which, however - except in the Italian Army - are not given in any other list of troops of the Notitia. AHM Jones believes that the Victores seniores are identical to the Victores iuniores Britannicianni under the Comes Britanniarum . The Victores iuniores stood lt. Notitia under the command of Comes Hispaniarum .
The shield pattern of this unit is again kept very simple, blue ground and green shield boss. |
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| Cornuti iuniores | Cornuti is commonly translated as "the horned" (for naming see Cornuti seniores ). They were probably originally one of the elite units in Constantine I's army. It is not known when they were divided into seniores and juniores . Perhaps as early as 356, because an inscription of this date from Nakolea ( Seyitgazi , TR) mentions a NUMERUM IO CORN SEN ( Numerus Ioviorum Cornutorum seniorum ?). This cannot mean the western Cornuti seniores , as Ammianus knows that they were deployed on the Rhine border this year. This fact also suggests that the name of the (western) Cornuti iuniores - probably - was incomplete when the Notitia was copied. This inscription is the first known mention of a senior unit. It could therefore be that the first juniores / senior units were created before Valentinian I's reign . EA Mehamadiev tried to explain its introduction with the difficulty of compensating for the immense manpower losses caused by the war between the usurper Magnentius and Constantius II in the 350s. Cornuti iuniores are mentioned in an inscription from the Golden Gate in Istanbul , written in Latin and Greek (MILITVM COR [.] VTO [..] MI [.] NIORVM). Its place of installation indicates that it was the vexillation of the Cornuti iuniores stationed in the east . However, there is no such entry in the Notitia. As the inscription from Nakolae shows, such a unit must have existed at some point. The city gate was built around 413, when the first Theodosian Wall was completed and after the eastern part of the Notitia was last updated. The shield pattern shows a winged Victoria surrounded by a dark red, yellow and light red band. The Victoria was one of the attributes of the highest imperial god Iupiter , whose epithet was Iupiter Victor ("Jovius the Conqueror") and as a symbol for a military unit very well suited. The goddess in the representation in the Notitia resembles a Christian angel, from the late 4th century these were also represented with wings. Winged Victorias have long been a feature of Roman shields, and you can still see them on the Arch of Constantine in Rome. | |
| Leones iuniores | Leones means "the lions". It is quite possible that the head on the shield symbol in the original of the Notitia represented a lion's head. Claudian describes in his work " In Gildonem " that soldiers of the Leones 398 were used in Italy. The shield pattern would then logically refer to her name. The unit he mentioned was probably the Leones seniores. A Latin-Greek inscription on the Golden Gate in Istanbul also names Leones . Nevertheless, the formulation used there is unusual and primarily the "primi sagitarii" should be meant, which are not specified in the Notitia. The Equites primi sagittarii under the Magister Militum per Orientem (Eastern Empire) seem most likely to come into question. The shield pattern of Notitia shows a red shield boss, above it a human head, below it a red column, on a blue background. The ensemble is still surrounded by a red border. Such motifs were often used in the western auxilia palatina. | |
| Exculcatores seniores | The name Exculcatores means "who trample everything down" or "urgeor", they are also mentioned in Flavius Vegetius Epitoma rei militaris . Two other units - mentioned in the Notitia - also bear the name Exculcatores: the
Both are listed in the army of Magister Peditum as auxilia palatina. Unusually for such a unit, their shield mark was not included in the Notitia. The shield paintings of the following two units in the troop list of the Magister Peditum , Sagittarii Tungri and Exculcatores iuniores , were not recorded. It appears that four signs were either overlooked or erased by the copyists. Only the sign of the Exculcatores iuniores Britanniciani was handed down in the Notitia. |
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| Grati | Your name could be derived from Emperor Gratian (375–383). All other units - established or named under these emperors - are listed in the Notitia as Gratianenses or Gratiana . But it could also stand for "grati" . In Latin the expression for "grateful" and "favored". The latter in particular would go well with an Auxilia palatina unit. The shield pattern shows in the center two light red, opposing and rearing up canids on a gray-blue background (presumably wolves) surrounded by a green band. Only their upper halves are shown. No shield hump is shown. It is possible, however, that it was incorrectly named by the copyists in the medieval copy of the Notitia and was in fact listed by the Salii (seniores) , Auxilia palatina in the list of the Magister Peditum's troops . Another department of the Salii under the Magister Militum Praesentalis I (Eastern Empire) also show two wolves in their shield paintings. | |
| Sabini | The name is derived from one of the oldest peoples in Italy, the Sabines . Other auxilia palatina units of this name are not mentioned in the notitia. Only one cavalry unit is known, the Ala Sabiniana , which was a limitanei in the army of the Dux Britanniarum . A lead seal of this troop discovered in Britain has an eagle embossed on the back. The shield design is kept simple and shows a green background, surrounded by a yellow border. The shield boss is orange-brown, surrounded by a yellow band and also bordered on the outside by an orange-red band. Yellow shield edges are relatively rare in the Notitia. However, it is not certain whether the original of the Notitia was actually that of the Sabini . | |
| Felices iuniores | Felices ("the lucky ones") is a common name for units listed in the Notitia (a total of 20 times). The shield pattern handed down in the Notitia shows a red border surrounding a purple background. The main feature is a head with very long hair, but in the original Notitia it is probably the head of the sun god ( Sol Invictus ). It sits on a white pillar that is fluted in a V-shape, the angles point downwards. Presumably this shield pattern was also wrongly assigned by the Carolingian copyists. It is believed that it belonged to the previous unit, the Felices seniores . These were at times also subordinate to the Comes Hispaniarum . In reality, the shield pattern probably belonged to the following unit, the Gratianenses seniores . | |
| Atecotti Honoriani iuniores |
Honoriani refers to the Western Roman Emperor Flavius Honorius , who succeeded his father Theodosius I around 395 when the Notitia was first compiled . Most of the units named after this ruler are also found in Western Notitia, compared to very few in the East. The Atecotti were a tribal member of a gens from northern Britain . According to Ammianus, they invaded the territory of Roman Britain in the late 4th century . Three other units that bear this name can be found in the Notitia:
The shield pattern has a blue background surrounded by a red border. In the center a (presumably) red shield boss and a yellow, zoomorphic motif, in which notitia occurs it is extremely common, especially with auxilia palatina units. |
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| Brisigavi iuniores | The Brisigavi were part of the tribe Alemanni that in today Breisgau resided. Their main unit, the Brisigavi seniores , are listed before the juniores in the Magister Peditum's troop list and were temporarily in the army of the Comes Hispaniarum . The shield pattern has an orange-red background which is surrounded by a purple border and an additional yellow inner band. In the center - presumably painted on the shield boss - there is a face surrounded by flames or sunbeams, which should probably represent the sun god. | |
| Mauri Honoriani iuniores | As a rule, nomadic people living in North Africa were referred to as Mauri . However, there are indications that the Roman military did not use this to denote ethnicity, but rather a specially equipped military unit. Which kind is difficult to say. Probably light units (scouts or skirmishers) were meant. The nickname Honoriani refers to the Western Roman Emperor Flavius Honorius . The shield pattern is kept simple, white ground with a blue and white quartered shield boss in the center, framed by a gray band. The edge is colored red. | |
| Gratianenses iuniores | The unit name in turn refers to the West Emperor Gratian , who ruled from 367 to 383. The unit is the penultimate position in the troop list of the Italian Army of Magister Peditum , which indicates that it was not assigned to this army group for a long time when this section of the Notitia was updated again. Perhaps the Gratianenses iuniores were handed over to Italy together with the Marcomanni and Pontinenses , the last two auxilia palatina units in the list.
Further units in the Notitia named after Gratian are the
The shield pattern shows a purple background surrounded by a red border. The main feature is a light green long-haired human head that sits on a red column or pole. As with some other western Auxilia-Platina units, however, it is possible that the copyists have placed shield patterns or name vignettes away from their original place in the original of the Notitia. |
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| Marcomanni | This unit is either the one specified
in the Notitia Dignitatum
Both units are included in the list of the Magister peditum . In 262, Emperor Gallienus allowed the Marcomann king Attalus to found an empire near the border with Upper Pannonia. According to Western Notitia, there was also an array of marcomann foederates under the command of the Dux Pannoniae Primae et Norici Ripensis . A cavalry unit, the Equites Marcomanni , served in the army of the Comes Africae . Since the Marcomanni seniores et juniores have the honorary title Honoriani , they were accepted into the palace army at the time of Emperor Honorius (384-423). Around this time (around 396) the Marcomann queen Fritigil persuaded her husband to accept the Christian faith and to put herself in the service of the Romans. |
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Field army
| units | comment | Illustration |
|---|---|---|
| Comitatenses - Legiones palatinae | ||
| Ioviani seniores | The name is derived from Diocletian, who equated himself with the highest Roman state god Iupiter (Iovius) . The Ioviani come from one of the legions originally established from Illyrians in the last quarter of the 3rd century :
From which of these legions the Ioviani seniores emerged can no longer be traced. Under the rule of the tetrarch Diocletian (284-305) the Legio V Iovia was one of his personal bodyguards. Under Constantine I, the old Praetorian Guard was finally dissolved and replaced by the Scholae Palatinae . The Legio V Iovia lost its status as a guard unit at that time, but was still part of the Comitatenses . After the division of the empire in 364, the Ioviani were separated into seniores (west) and iuniores (east). In the early 5th century the
It is not known where the Legio quartae Iovia was at this time, it is believed to be part of the field army of Comes Illyrici . It could be that the Ioviani seniores emerged from this legion, which was stationed in the north of Illyricum to protect the western Danube region. Funerary inscriptions that mention members of the Ioviani come from Sremska Mitrovica (SRB), from Milan (I) and Trier (D). The shield pattern shows a red eagle in the center ( Aquila was the attribute of Iupiter) on a blue background, surrounded by a yellow and a red band. The Galerius Arch in Thessaloniki shows a shield with an eagle motif. This is shown in relation to the size of the shield, however, much smaller than those led by the Ioviani Legion shown in the Notitia. |
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| Herculiani seniores | The Herkulianer -Legion - from the Herculiani seniores could descend had been set up in tetrarchischer time in the last quarter of the 3rd century. Their name refers to Diocletian's co-regent, Maximian , who had placed himself under the protection of Herculius . A shield pattern can be seen on the Arch of Galerius , showing the god Hercules with his club and lion skin. Hercules was obviously still in use as a shield motif in the late 3rd century. But that doesn't have to be the case 100 years later. There is no longer a representation of this god in the Notitia. The pagan Hercules was probably no longer opportune in the already largely Christianized army. This assumption is supported by the Passio Sanctorum Bonosi et Maximiliani . The Passio mentions two Christians who served as standard bearers in the ranks of the Ioviani and Herculiani seniores around 362 . They are said to have been executed during the reign of Julian the Apostate because they refused to replace the Christian symbols on their standards with the old images of gods. In fact, it seems that the Herculiani seniores carried an image of Hercules on their standards until the reign of Constantine I, perhaps even until Eugenius usurpation 392–394. The shield pattern is very similar to the shield paintings of four other legions:
The seniors were under the command of the Magister peditum , the juniores under the Magister Militum Praesentalis I (Eastern Empire). The Limitanei / Riparensis of the
were under the command of the Dux Scythiae (Eastern Empire). Their shield motifs were not handed down in the Notitia. |
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| Divitenses seniores | The name is derived from Castrum Divitia (Deutz, D), a bridgehead fort founded by Constantine I, opposite the Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium . It seems that the Divitenses were established under Constantine I, between 310 (when the Castrum Divitia was founded) and 312 (when the Emperor invaded Italy). It is also known that in the 4th century there were vexillations of Legio VIII Augusta and Legio II Italica in Divitia . The Divitenses seniores probably derive from the Legio II Italica , as several inscriptions have been found in Italy that mention a Legio II Italica Divitensium . In the Notitia, however, no Divitenses iuniores are recorded. The Divitenses Gallicani were in the army of the Magister Militum per Thracias (Eastern Empire). Perhaps they are the missing, iuniores, and were renamed before they were moved from Gaul to Thrace. It could also be that the Divitenses iuniores were wiped out or dissolved before the Notitia was compiled. The rest of the Legio II Italica belonged to the Limitanei and appear as garrison troops in several forts in the province of Noricum ripense . These were under the command of the Dux Pannoniae Primae et Norici Ripensis . The shield pattern is kept simple. It shows a red background with a light blue shield boss, surrounded by a white and yellow band, the edge of the shield is also yellow. It is very similar to the unit following in the Magister Peditum's list of troops , the Tongrecani seniores . This indicates that these units operated jointly during campaigns. This is corroborated by the text of Ammianus. In section 27.1.2 he mentions Divitenses and Tongrecani who were stationed together in Gaul. He also reports on 6/26/12 that the Divitenses Tungricanosque Iuniores were used in the east of the empire. | |
| Tongrecani seniores | The Tungri people settled in what is now Belgium , in the region around the city of Tongres / Tongeren, at the time of the Romans the Civitas Tungrorum , which belonged to the province of Germania Secunda in the 4th century . Tungrecani iuniores are not mentioned in the Notitia . It will only be
Perhaps the Tungrecani iuniores were wiped out in the 50 years or so between the completion of the Chronicle of Ammianus and the last update of the Notitia. However, it may also be that they were entered in Notitia under a different name. The Tongrecani seniores could have descended from the legions stationed in the Belgica II , under the command of the Dux Belgicae secundae . That's what - according to AHM Jones - they would
They could also have been pulled out of one of the legions that lay on the Rhine in earlier centuries . The one closest to the Civitas Tungrorum was the Legio XXX Ulpia Traiana , in Castra Vetera (Xanten), the Legio I Minervia was in the camp of Bonna (Bonn), the Legio VIII Augusta had its main base in Argentoratum (Strasbourg) and the Legio XXII Primigenia in Mogontiacum (Mainz). One of their vexillations was stationed in the fort of Divitia (Deutz) in late antiquity . Brick stamps from Deutz bear the inscription "LEG XXII CV", interpreted as Legio XXII Constantiana Victrix . Since this legion can no longer be attested in writing after the reign of Constantine I, the Tongrecani could have emerged from it. A building inscription that mentions the Tungricani seniores comes from Laupersdorf in Switzerland. The shield pattern of the Tongrecani seniores is quite simple. It shows a green border that borders on an inner yellow band. The bottom is red with another yellow (inner) band. The shield boss is blue, the ground between the inner yellow band and the shield boss is colored white. It is very similar to that of the Divitenses seniores . Their position in the troop list and their shield painting indicate that the two units were united in campaigns. This hypothesis is also supported by Ammianus. He writes in section 27.1.2 that the Divitenses and the Tungrecani were used together in Gaul in the 4th century. In section 26.6.12 he also mentions the Divitenses Tungricanosque Iuniores which operated in the east. |
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| Pannoniciani seniores | The name Pannoniciani refers to the provinces of Pannonia . Presumably the unit was originally recruited there or was stationed there at some point. Its sister unit, the Pannoniciani iuniores , were in the army of the Magister Militum per Thracias (Eastern Empire). However, there is no conclusive evidence that the Pannoniciani seniores were pulled out of a legion that was stationed in Pannonia II in the 4th and 5th centuries . In addition to the Legio V Iovia and the Legio VI Herculia , the Legio I Adiutrix and Legio II Adiutrix under the Dux Valeriae ripensis could also be considered as the main unit. The legion that follows them in the list of troops of the Magister Peditum are the Moesiaci seniores . This could mean that they were united with the Pannoniciani seniores during campaigns . In the Notitia three more Pannonian units (auxiliary troops) of the Limitanei are given: the
The shield pattern of the Bodleian transcript shows a red border and a light green shield boss, which is also bordered in red. In the center is a sector pattern that is reminiscent of an eight-spoke wheel. The spokes are dark yellow, the fields in between alternate between dark green and red. |
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| Moesiaci seniores | The name refers to the two Mösian provinces . Presumably their home units were recruited there or were stationed there at some point. The previous unit in the list of troops of the Magister Peditum are the Pannoniciani seniores . This could mean that they were united with the Moesiaci seniores during campaigns . Ammianus mentions in section 20.1.3 of his chronicle “ numerisque Moesiacorum duobus ”, d. H. "Two units of the Moesiaci "; Together with the Heruli and Batavi under Theodosius the Elder, they crossed the English Channel to Britain. One could see them as two divisions of a Moesiaci legion (perhaps with the old cohort strength of 500 men), but it should be noted that the Dux Moesiae secundae (Eastern Empire) also commanded two auxiliary troop units of the Moesiaci: the
The senior was not pulled out of a legion of Moesia I , but descends from Legio I Italica , which was part of the army of Dux Moesia secundae in Moesia II . In the Notitia there are also other departments of this legion which - together with Legio XI Claudia - were stationed in Moesia II . There is also written evidence to support the assumption that the Moesiaci emerged from this legion. A Greek inscription from the time of the Tetrarchy found in Kotiaeion ( Kütahya , TR) mentions the Legio I Italica Moesiatika . Another inscription, found in Rome, dates from the turn of the 3rd to the 4th century, names a soldier who had served in the Cohors X. Praetoria . Before that, the man was Lanciarii in the Legione Mesiaca for eleven years . In Aquileia in northern Italy , at the end of the 3rd century, there was the army of Diocletian's co-emperor , Maximian . Numerous inscriptions by Moslem legionaries from this period came to light there. The Moesians were later taken over by his son Maxentius in his army and used in the war against Constantine I. After his victory over Maxentius, she was apparently transferred to Metz in Gaul ( Divodurum Mediomatricorum / Mettis ). An inscription found there calls a Numero Misiacorum . Perhaps they were moved back to Aquileia under Constantius II , when he also incorporated Italy into his dominion in 352. A contemporary inscription from Aquileia also mentions the Numero Misacorum; another the Legio I Italica . The shield pattern shows a red border and a narrow, yellow band inside. The shield boss is gray-blue and surrounded by a band of the same color. The ground is divided radially into three large red sectors, which alternate with three smaller white sectors. Similar sector patterns were followed by other Western legions:
An incised graphito from Aquileia from 352 shows a Moesian soldier, more precisely from the province of Dardania . After leaving Moesia , he appears to have served with the Protectores (bodyguards) for five years . Its shield pattern is similar to that of the Moesiaci seniores . |
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| Octavani | According to their name, the Octavani ("the eight") evidently emerged from the Legio VIII Augusta Pia Fidelis Constans , which dates back to the time of Julius Caesar and had its main camp in Argentoratum (Strasbourg). When the first version of the Notitia Dignitatum was created, this unit probably still belonged to the Comitatenses . This indicates their position in the troop list of the Italian Army. Six of the twelve legiones palatinae of the western empire are believed to have originally been comitatenses . An inscription from Etzgen in northern Switzerland (371 AD) mentions a vexillation of the legion that had built a watchtower there on the Rhine . It is also known that in the 4th century the Legion placed the garrison of the bridgehead fort Castrum Divitia on the eastern bank of the Rhine opposite the Colonia Augusta (Cologne). She had apparently been partially withdrawn from Strasbourg before she was accepted into the Italian army of Magister Peditum around 400 and rose to the rank of palatini . The remaining troops in Strasbourg may have been under the command of the Comes tractus Argentoratensis for a while .
The shield pattern is very similar to that of the Vesontes in the army of the Comes Hispaniarum . It shows a white background with a red shield boss. The shield boss has a white center that is bisected vertically with a red stripe. The four red crescent-shaped emblems on the shield painting of this unit are reminiscent of lawn cutter blades (the Latin name is unknown) that were used by the legionaries when building camps. One specimen has been excavated in Newstead, Scotland. But it could also be pelte-shaped decorative elements , which can often be seen in different variations on Tabula ansata 's . Such tabulas have been painted on shields since the Principate in order to be able to identify the respective units by their order number, but also as a decorative element, as several metopes at the Tropaeum Traiani in Adamclisi, Romania prove. It is therefore possible that the Octavani shield paintings go back to such decorations. A similar motif can be seen on a shield that is carried by one of the soldiers on the so-called Brescia casket, an ivory box from the 4th century. |
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| Thebei | The name of the unit ("Thebans") clearly refers to the Egyptian province of Thebaïs . Whether the Thebai were pulled out of the Legio I Maximiana is controversial in research. It is also unclear whether it is related to the other Theban units mentioned in the Notita. It is almost certainly not to be equated with the legendary " Theban Legion " mentioned by the chronicler and officer Ammianus Marcellinus when he was stationed in 354 near Adrianople in Thrace. Ammianus probably meant the Prima Maximiana Thebaeorum . The Secunda Felix Valentis Thebaeorum was only set up under Valens in the late 4th century. Formed pairs of troops characteristic of the late Roman army
They were used until the time of Theodosius I on campaigns as a jointly operating unit. These two associations were the main units of the Thebes founded in Diocletian times . When the first version of the Notitia Dignitatum was created, the Thebei were probably still among the Comitatenses , as they are behind the Auxilia palatina units of his army in the troop list of the Magister peditum, but were later promoted to Palatinae status. The shield pattern (Bodleian Manuscript) shows a shield boss, the left half of which was red or maroon, while the right half is colored yellow. The main field is halved (mirrored more precisely) and divided into two bands, which are painted red and yellow. This motif occurs in the Notitia only with this unit. |
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| Septimani iuniores | Their name Septimani ("the sevens") is clearly derived from a Legio VII. However, which one is unknown.
The Septimani iuniores appear both in the troop list of the Comes Tingitaniae and in the Gaul army of the Magister equitum . According to EC Nischer, the authors of the Notitia made a mistake in their assignment to the Italian Army. The Italian unit could in reality have been the Septimani seniores who, according to Notitia, were in the army of the Comes Hispaniarum . It is more likely that the iuniores were first stationed in the Tingitania and were only later assigned to Italy. In the Notitia they were not deleted from the old troop list for reasons that are no longer comprehensible today. This also happened with many other western units, especially with those of the Comes Britanniarum , which also appear in the Gaul army of the Magister equitum . The geographical proximity of Hispania to Tingitania would suggest that the Septimani iuniores descended from the Legio VII Gemina Felix , as the province was also part of the Diöcesis Hispania from an organizational point of view when the Notitia was put together. Since many of the Pseudocomitaneses of the Gaulish Army of the Magister equitum seem to come from the Danube region, it could also be possible that the Septimani iuniores arose from the Legio VII Claudia . The shield pattern (Bodleian Manuscript) shows a shield boss that is quartered in black and white. It is also surrounded by two white bands, the ground is divided alternately into nine red and white, ray-like fields. Edge is not shown. The Lanciarii Gallicani Honoriani in the Gaul army of the Magister equitum carried out a similar, but differently colored motif . |
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| Germaniciani | The name means "the Germanic peoples". Presumably this is the juniores unit that was either recruited in the Germanic provinces or had served there before being enlisted in the Italian field army. Germaniciani are also mentioned on the Augsburg victory altar (3rd century) . They were probably members of the Upper Germanic auxiliary troop units. In the Notitia, as good as nothing has been handed down about the defensive structure of the two Germanic provinces. Probably the result of the barbarian invasions in the 5th century. There are other Germaniciani units
listed in the Notitia. From which legion the Germaniciani were detached is unknown, as many legions were stationed in the Germanic provinces over the centuries. The shield pattern (Bodleian Manuscript) is kept quite simple. It shows a light gray or white shield boss, which is surrounded by a yellow band. The ground is dark green, the edge of the shield is red. It is similar to that of the Galli victores and that generally attributed to the Leones seniores in the Gallic army of the Magister Equitum (but was probably led by the Sagittarii Nervii ). |
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| Tertia Iulia | The name probably refers to the mountain region of the Julian Alps . It was one of three - presumably dug up there - legions of this name, its sister units were:
Nothing is known about the time it was set up - probably together with Legio I and II. This was probably done on the orders of Constans , as this emperor had several legions raised during his reign. They were perhaps once the core forces of the Army of the Comes Italiae . The shield design of the Bodleian Manuscript shows a white shield boss surrounded by a red border on a purple or indigo blue background. It closely resembles some of the other shield motifs handed down in Notitia:
The Legio III may have changed the colors of their shield designs after being promoted to Comitatenses . The Legio I and Legio II, however, are likely to have retained their colors. |
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| units | comment | Illustration |
|---|---|---|
| Comitatenses - Vexillationes comitatenses | ||
| Equites Mauri feroces (cavalry) | Mauri is originally derived from the Moors , a people living in North Africa. In late antiquity, it did not denote ethnicity in the Roman military, but a kind of special unit. But which one is hard to say: possibly a lightly armored and armed unit. Feroces stands for wild and impetuous. Not an unusual name in Notitia. Another such unit, the Equites Constantiani feroces , was in the army of Magister Equitum Gallicarum . The shield pattern shows a white background surrounded by a green band. The shield boss is yellow. In the center you can see two red, rearing up canids facing each other. They probably represent wolves. You can see them on the signs of the Equites Honoriani seniores , but in a different color. The wolf motif can also be found in the painted shield of the Grati , a unit of the auxilia palatina. | |
| Comitatenses (indefinite) | ||
| Victores seniores | The unit is not in the list of the Magister peditum . According to Ammianus Marcellinus, the honorary name Victores (= the victorious) was given to a unit that had been tried and tested in combat under the command of Flavius Theodosius in 368 during his campaign in Britain. AHM Jones equates the Victores Seniores with the Victores iuniores Britannicianni . But they could also have been worn out in a battle during the compilation of the final version of the Notitia Dignitatum and therefore no longer deleted from the register. | |
| Placidi Valentinianici felices | Nothing is known about them apart from the entry in the Notitia Dignitatum . AHM Jones suspected that they were around 420 under Valentinian III. and were therefore not entered in the list originally provided for. Perhaps they were also taken over directly into the Italian army of the Magister peditum . | |
| Comitatenses - Legiones pseudocomitatenses | ||
| Pontinenses | The name of this unit is probably derived from the Latin " Pontus " ("bridge"). Several military bases of this name existed in the Roman Empire. In western Notitia there is the Ponte Aoni camp (Pfaffenhofen am Inn, D), which is listed as the stationing place of the Equites stablesiani iuniores , army of the Dux Raetiae , before they were moved to Febians . This location would also be closest to the area where the Italian field army was deployed. In Ponte Aeli ( Newcastle-upon-Tyne , GB) the Cohortis primae Cornoviorum was under the Dux Britanniarum . In this case it concerns both the camp of auxiliaries and a unit that was presumably withdrawn from Britain within the period in which the Notitia was updated. This cohort is only mentioned in the Notitia. The bridge at Pons Aelius was also unusual or significant in that it was the only one outside the city of Rome that was named after an emperor, Hadrian . The Pontinenses could theoretically also descend from the Legio I Pontica . An inscription from Colybrassus ( Ayasofya , TR) and one from the 4th century from Trapezus am Pontus ( Trabzon , TR), which can be dated to the year 288 , mention this Legio . When the Notitia was drawn up, it was still there and under the command of the Dux Armeniae (Eastern Empire). The shield pattern (Bodleian Manuscript) shows a dark blue shield boss surrounded by a white band, underneath a stylized white column or stele. The base and edge of the shield are dark green, separated by an ocher-yellow band. | |
| Great Julia | As with its two sister units, the name of the Legion also seems to refer to the region of the Julian Alps , in which it was presumably set up or recruited.
Nothing is known about the time it was set up - probably together with the Legio II and III. This was probably done on the orders of Constans , as this emperor had several legions raised during his reign. She could once have been one of the core troops of the Comes Italiae . The shield pattern (Bodleian Manuscript) shows a white border, a dark green main field (shield boss?) And in the lower half a gray canid that runs to the left. It is supposed to represent a wolf. |
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Federal rates
| units | comment | Illustration |
|---|---|---|
| Gentes - Gentile | ||
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From the 3rd century on, tribesmen of the Central Asian equestrian people of the Sarmatians were settled throughout the Roman Empire, their powerful and heavily armored cavalry ( cataphracts ) were integrated into the Roman armies. The Notitia lists 18 Sarmatian settlements in Gaul and Italy. The stations in Italy were: Foro Fuluiensi, Opittergii , Patavio , Cremona , Taurinis , Aquis presso Tertona , Novariae , Vercellis , nel Sannio , Bononiae in Aemilia , Quadratis et Eporizio, in Liguria a Pollentia. |
Naval units
| units | comment | Illustration |
|---|---|---|
| Classes | ||
| Praefectus militum iuniorum Italicorum, Ravennae | ||
| Praefectus classis Venetum, Aquileiae | The fleet was founded in the 4th century to secure the upper Adriatic coast ( Mare Adriaticum ). Naval bases were: Aquileia, Parentium and Pola . | |
| Praefectus classis Ravennatium cum curis eiusdem civitatis, Ravennae | One of the main fleets of the Roman Empire, it was since the 1st century BC. Stationed in the naval port of Classe . It was dissolved in the 4th century. Their units were moved to Constantinople. | |
| Praefectus classis Comensis cum curis eiusdem civitatis, Como | The fleet was established in the 4th century and secured the shores of Lake Como . The main port was Comum . | |
| Praefectus classis Misenatium , Miseno | One of the main fleets (classis praetoria Misenensis) of the Roman Empire had been in the naval port of Misenum since the 1st century . Domestically significant were the marines stationed here (manipularius) . For a long time they were the only armed force worth mentioning near the capital, Rome. In an emergency they could be used by the emperors - alongside the city cohorts - against the fickle palace guard ( Praetorians ). In the 4th century the bases of the main fleets were dissolved and their units relocated to Constantinople . They later formed the basis of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine fleet. |
Remarks
- ↑ Ralf Scharf 2005, p. 302.
- ↑ Friedrich Anders 2010, p. 121
- ↑ Ralf Scharf 2005, p. 303; AHM Jones: The Later Roman Empire, 284-602. A Social, Economic and Administrative Survey. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 1986, ISBN 0-8018-3285-3 (paperback edition), p. 1424; Friedrich Anders: Flavius Ricimer, Power and Powerlessness of the Western Roman Army Master in the Second Half of the 5th Century . Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main a. a. 2010, ISBN 978-3-631-61264-4 , p. 121.
- ↑ Notitia Dignitatum Occ. XXIV ("at the disposal of the most honorable Count of Italy"). Sub dispositione viri spectabilis comitis Italiae: Tractus Italiae circa Alpes .
- ↑ Friedrich Anders: Flavius Ricimer, Power and Powerlessness of the Western Roman Army Master in the Second Half of the 5th Century . Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main a. a. 2010, ISBN 978-3-631-61264-4 , p. 121.
- ↑ AHM Jones 1964, Chapter 17, Notitia Dignitatum Occ. VI Qui numeri ex praedictis per infrascriptas provincias habeantur: Intra Italiam, XLII Item praepositurae magistri militum praesentalis a parte peditum.
- ↑ Notitia XI.
- ↑ sub dispositions
- ↑ CIL 5, 8758 , D. Hofmann p. 27.
- ↑ Simon James 2004, Dietrich Hoffmann 1963, pp. 22–57.
- ↑ Perhaps the same as the auxilia palatina of the Brachiati , infantrymen in the army of Magister Peditum .
- ↑ Bernard S. Bacharach 1973, pp. 136-138.
- ↑ Otto Seeck: Notitia Dignitatum accedunt Notitia urbis Constantinopolitanae et Latercula prouinciarum, Weidmann, Berlin, 1876.
- ↑ Speidel, p. 116., Ammianus 5/15/30 and 12/16/43
- ^ Michael Speidel: Germanic Warriors, Warrior Styles from Trajan's Column to Icelandic Sagas. Routledge, London 2000, p. 47.
- ↑ CIL 5, 8740 = ILS 2798, Museum Helveticum: Swiss magazine for classical antiquity = Revue suisse pour l'étude de l'antiquité classique = Rivista svizzera di filologia classica. In it: Dietrich Hoffmann: The late Roman soldiers' graves from Concordia, p. 28.
- ↑ Ammianus : April 20, 2020, April 20, 20, May 20, 9, March 21, 2, December 22, 6, October 31, 2004.
- ↑ M. Speidel 1996. pp. 166–167 with note 11.
- ↑ Ammianus, March 21, 2-3, Simon MacDowall: Late Roman Infantryman 236-565 AD. Osprey Publishing, 1994, pp. 21-22.
- ↑ Ammianus, April 20, 2018.
- ^ Epitome de Caesaribus 41.3.
- ↑ CIL 5, 8764 , D. Hoffmann 1963, p. 50.
- ↑ Ammianus: April 20, 2020, April 20, 20, May 20, 9, March 21, 2, December 22, 6, October 31, 2004
- ↑ Ammianus: 0.1.3; 20.4.2; 27.1.6; 27.8.7
- ↑ Dietrich Hoffmann 1963, p. 42ff: CIL 5, 8750 Flavius Hariso, NVMERO EROLORVM SENIORVM; ILS 494: NVMERO HERVLVRVM SENEORVM; ILS 548, N HERULORVM, the latter could refer to the missing Heruli iuniores , AE 1890,148; N ERVLORVM SENI.
- ↑ ILS 544: NUMERO BATAORUM SENIORUM; ILS 480: NUM BAT SEN; CIL 5, 8752 , CIL 5, 8759 , CIL 5, 8776 , CIL 5, 8773 , CIL 5, 8761 .
- ↑ CIL 3, 10891
- ↑ 20.1.3; 27.1.6; 27.8.7
- ^ Carnuntum: AE 1992, 1431, Mainz: AE 1905, 169, AE 1889, 64
- ↑ CIL 5, 8737 , CIL 5, 8739
- ↑ ILS 9215
- ↑ Ammianus: June 25, 3; 7/26/13; 27.8.7
- ↑ ND occ. VII, 17th
- ↑ EDCS-ID: EDCS-09301258
- ↑ AE 1977, 806 , Thomas Drew-Bear 1977, EA Mehamadiev 2013, pp. 277-291
- ^ AE 1907, 62
- ↑ AE 1907,62 [...] U [.] ERI MILITUM PRIMO SAGITARIO [.] UM LEONUM IUNIORUM, Roger Tomlin 1972, p. 272.
- ↑ EM 2.15: " et armaturas dicimus ..., ie" [those in the first row] were followed by the Ferentarii and the light infantry called Exculcatores and Armaturas ... ".
- ↑ P. Rance 2014, pp. 474-501.
- ↑ (AL (a) E SAB) RIB 2411.85, Frere / Roxan / Tomlin 1990
- ↑ Aurelius Victor , De caes 33
- ^ Tribunus gentis Marcomannorum , ND occ. 27, 35.
- ↑ EA Quitzmann 1873, p 18
- ^ Edward Gibbon, The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire. Vol. 1, Chapter XIII, New Bodies of Guards, Jovians and Herculians, Notitia Dignitatum, Pars Orientalis, V, Sremska Mitrovica: CIL 3, 10232 , Milan: CIL 5, 6213 , Trier: CIL 13, 3687 , Roger Tomlin, 1972 P. 273.
- ↑ Robert Grigg; 1979, pp. 107-124, 1983, pp. 132-142, David Woods 1995, pp. 25-55 and pp. 61-68.
- ^ AE 1982, 258 (Via Flaminia), CIL 6, 3637 ) CIL 11, 4787 , CIL 11, 4085 ( Via Flaminia ), H. Petrovitsch 2006, pp. 294-295, AHM Jones 1964, p. 14, note. 43.
- ↑ Limes XX: Estudios sobre la frontera romana (Roman border studies): 3, Anejos de Gladius 13, 2009, p. 753, building inscription (CH): CIL 13, 5190
- ↑ AE 1981, 777 , CIL 6, 2759 , CIL 13, 4328 , CIL 5, 1699 , CIL 5, 914 , M. Speidel 1992, pp. 414-418, Mehamadiev 2013, pp. 277-291.
- ↑ AE 1982, 383
- ↑ Notitia Dignitatum Oc. V, CIL 13, 11538
- ↑ See also the article Brescia Casket in the English language Wikipedia.
- ^ Notitia occ. V 154, VII 29
- ↑ Ammianus November 14, 2015
- ↑ Notitia or. XXXI 31. 33 and 38. 32. 34. 37
- ↑ Michael Speidel 2003, pp. 670-671.
- ^ AE 1993, 1231
- ↑ Noel Lenski 1999, pp. 414-465, and 421, EC Nischer 1923, pp. 1-55 and 36, AHM Jones 1964, Volume 3, p. 365, Roger Tomlin 1972, pp. 253-278 and 255, footnote 5, CIL 3, 6746
- ↑ Notitia Dignitatum Occ. VII, 34, 35, 60, Neil Christie 2016, 4.
- ^ ND Occ. XLII, 5, Item praepositurae magistri militum praesentalis a parte peditum In Italia: In provincia Venetia inferiore:
- ^ ND Occ. XLII, 3, Item praepositurae magistri militum praesentalis a parte peditum In Italia: In provincia Venetia inferiore:
- ↑ Hans D. Viereck 1996, p. 257
- ^ ND Occ. XLII, 6, Item praepositurae magistri militum praesentalis a parte peditum In Italia: In provincia Venetia inferiore:
- ^ ND Occ. XLII, 8, Item praepositurae magistri militum praesentalis a parte peditum In Italia: In provincia Liguria:
- ↑ Hans D. Viereck 1996, p. 258
- ^ ND Occ. XLII, 10, Item praepositurae magistri militum praesentalis a parte peditum In Italia: In provincia Campania:
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