Ala Sarmatarum

The Ala Sarmatarum ( German Ala of the Sarmatians ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is documented by inscriptions. The Ala is identical to both the Numerus Equitum Sarmatarum Bremetennacensium , which appears in the inscription (RIB 583), and to the Cuneus Sarmatarum , which is listed in the Notitia dignitatum .

Name components

Sarmatarum : the Sarmatian . Under Marcus Aurelius (161–180), 5500 horsemen from the Sarmatian people were moved to the province of Britannia ( Cassius Dio , LXXI, 46/16). The soldiers of the Ala were probably recruited from these riders when the unit was formed.

Equitum : the rider. The addition appears in the inscription (RIB 583).

Bremetennacensium : in Bremetennacum . The addition refers to the Roman auxiliary fort Bremetennacum ; it appears in the inscription (RIB 583).

Gordiani : the Gordian. A title of honor that refers to Gordian III. (238-244) refers. The addition appears in the inscription (RIB 583).

Since there is no reference to the addition of milliaria (1000 men) to the name , the unit was an Ala quingenaria . The nominal strength of the Ala was 480 men, consisting of 16 towers with 30 riders each.

history

According to Cassius Dio , Marcus Aurelius sent 5,500 horsemen from the Sarmatian people to the province of Britannia in AD 175 . Nothing is known about their exact organization and stationing in the province. It is possible that the Sarmatian horsemen replaced another cavalry unit in Ribchester, which is proven there by the inscription (RIB 589) for 161/169. A cavalry unit of the Sarmatians is first proven in Britain by the inscription (RIB 583), which is dated to 241; in the inscription the unit is referred to as Numerus Equitum Sarmatarum Bremetennacensium Gordiani .

The unit is mentioned for the last time in the Notitia dignitatum with the name Cuneus Sarmatarum for the Bremetenraco location. She was part of the troops that were under the command of the Dux Britanniarum .

Locations

Locations of the Ala in Britannia may have been:

Bremetennacum ( Ribchester ): The inscriptions (RIB 583, 594-595) were found here. It is also listed in the Notitia dignitatum for this location.

Members of the Ala

The following members of the Ala are known:

Commanders

[A] el (ius) Antoninus, a centurion of the Legio VI Victrix and Praepositus (around 241) (RIB 583)

Others

Iul (ius) Maximus, a singularis (RIB 594)

Web links

1912 - ala Sarmatarum. Roman Inscriptions of Britain (RIB), accessed March 12, 2018 .
4730 - numerus equitum Sarmatarum Bremetennacensium. Roman Inscriptions of Britain (RIB), accessed March 12, 2018 .

Remarks

↑ Marcus Reuter gives line 11 of the inscription (RIB 583) with praep (ositus) n (umeri) et r (egionis) , while Roman Inscriptions of Britain gives the line with praep (ositus) et pr (aefectus) . The rank given here follows the remarks by Marcus Reuter .

Individual evidence

↑ Marcus Reuter : Studies on the numbers of the Roman Army in the Middle Imperial Era, dissertation, In: Reports of the Roman-Germanic Commission 80, 1999, pp. 359-569, here pp. 398, 538-540.
^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Occidentis XL ( online ).
↑ John EH Spaul: Ala The Auxiliary Cavalry units of the pre-Diocletianic Imperial Roman Army. Nectoreca Press, Andover 1994, ISBN 0-9525062-0-3 , p. 191.

[AN-4] Marcus Reuter gives line 11 of the inscription (RIB 583) with praep (ositus) n (umeri) et r (egionis) , while Roman Inscriptions of Britain gives the line with praep (ositus) et pr (aefectus) . The rank given here follows the remarks by Marcus Reuter .

[mr-1] Marcus Reuter : Studies on the numbers of the Roman Army in the Middle Imperial Era, dissertation, In: Reports of the Roman-Germanic Commission 80, 1999, pp. 359-569, here pp. 398, 538-540.

[ND-2] Notitia dignitatum in partibus Occidentis XL ( online ).

[jsp-3] John EH Spaul: Ala The Auxiliary Cavalry units of the pre-Diocletianic Imperial Roman Army. Nectoreca Press, Andover 1994, ISBN 0-9525062-0-3 , p. 191.