Numerus Brittonum Elantiensium

Holy stone of Veranius Saturninus ( Römermuseum Osterburken ).

The Numerus Brittonum Elantiensium ( German Numerus der Briten an der Elz ) was a Roman auxiliary unit . It is documented by inscriptions.

Name components

Brittonum : the British. The soldiers of the numerus were recruited in the province of Britannia when the unit was established .

Elantiensium : on the Elz . The addition refers to the Elz, a small tributary of the Neckar.

history

The British probably came to Germania superior around 100 AD , possibly even under Domitian (81–96). Presumably the numbers formed from them were used at the Neckar-Odenwald-Limes for monitoring tasks in order to relieve the auxiliary units stationed here.

The Numerus was probably stationed together with the Cohors III Aquitanorum in the area of Neckarburken in the Elztal community since the beginning of the 2nd century ; each of the two units had its own warehouse there. The first evidence is based on the inscription ( CIL 13, 6490 ), which is dated to 145/161.

Around 159/161 the Cohors III Aquitanorum was relocated to Osterburken . It is controversial whether the number already followed the cohort at this point in time, or whether this only happened under Commodus (180-192). Both units were then stationed in the fort there until the Limes Falls in the middle of the 3rd century.

Locations

Locations of the Numerus in Germania superior were possibly:

Neckarburken forts : The inscriptions ( AE 1986, 523 , CIL 13, 6490 , FBW-1984-465 ) were found here.
Kastell Osterburken : The inscription ( CIL 13, 11766 ) was found here.
Small fort Trienz : The inscription ( CIL 13, 6498 ) was found here.

Members of the cohort

The following members of the cohort are known:

Adventus, a custos armorum ( FBW-1984-465 )
Veranius Saturninus , a centurion of Legio VIII Augusta ( AE 1986, 523 , CIL 13, 11766 ). He was seconded as the commander of the numerus.

Web links

Commons : Numerus Brittonum Elantiensium - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

↑ Marcus Reuter thinks it is likely that Veranius Saturninus was not only responsible for carrying out the renovation work on the bathhouse, but was also the commander of the Numerus.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e 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. 385–389, 445– 448.
↑ ^a ^b Tatiana Alexandrovna Ivleva: Britons abroad: the mobility of Britons and the circulation of British-made objects in the Roman Empire Dissertation, Leiden University 2012, pp. 170–171, 181–183, 548–549 ( online ).

[AN-3] Marcus Reuter thinks it is likely that Veranius Saturninus was not only responsible for carrying out the renovation work on the bathhouse, but was also the commander of the Numerus.

[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. 385–389, 445– 448.

[tai-2] Tatiana Alexandrovna Ivleva: Britons abroad: the mobility of Britons and the circulation of British-made objects in the Roman Empire Dissertation, Leiden University 2012, pp. 170–171, 181–183, 548–549 ( online ).