Roman forces in Syria

The Roman armed forces in Syria ( Latin exercitus Syriacus ) existed from the middle of the first century BC. From the legions and auxiliary troops stationed in the Roman provinces of Syria and Iudaea / Syria Palestine .

The province of Iudaea was renamed or redistributed at various times over the years:

• Under Hadrian (117-138) the province of Iudaea was renamed Syria Palestine after the Bar Kochba uprising around 135 AD .
• Under Septimius Severus (193-211) Syria Palestine was divided into the two provinces Syria Coele and Syria Phoenice in 193/194 .
• Under Diocletian (284-305) Syria Coele and Syria Phoenice were redistributed into Syria , Syria salutaris , Syria Euphratensis , Phoenice and Phoenice Lebanesia , all of which were part of the Diocese of Oriens .

Legions

The following legions (or parts of them) were stationed at different times in Syria Province at the following locations:

• Antioch : the legions of V Macedonica , X Fretensis and XII Fulminata
• Raphaneia : the legions III Gallica , VI Ferrata and XII Fulminata
• Zeugma : the Legion IIII Scythica

The following legions (or parts of them) were stationed at different times in the province of Iudaea at the following locations:

• Caparcotna: the legions II Traiana fortis and VI Ferrata
• Jerusalem : the Legion X Fretensis

Auxiliary troops

Syria

On military diplomas .. From the years 88 to 156/157 AD 14 are Alae and 33 cohorts for the province listed, but not all were stationed at the same time in the province:

Ala III Augusta Thracum Ala I Augusta Xoitana Ala I Flavia Agrippiana Ala Gallorum et Thracum Antiana Ala Gallorum et Thracum Constantium Ala II Pannoniorum Ala Praetoria Singularium Ala VII Phrygum Ala Gemina Sebastena Ala I Thracum Herculana Ala I Ulpia Dromedariorum Ala I Ulpia Singularium

Ala I Ulpia Syriaca Ala Veterana Gallica Cohors I Ascalonitanorum Cohors I Augusta Pannoniorum Cohors I Augusta Thracum Cohors III Augusta Thracum Cohors IIII Callaecorum Bracaraugustanorum Cohors IIII Callaecorum Lucensium Cohors II Classica Cohors I Claudia Sugambrorum Tironum Cohors I Flavia Chalcidenorum Cohors I Flavia Civium Romanorum

Cohors I Gaetulorum Cohors VII Gallorum Cohors II Gemina Ligurum et Corsorum Cohors II Italica Cohors I Ituraeorum Cohors I Lucensium Cohors I milliaria Cohors I Musulamiorum Cohors I Numidarum Cohors I Sebastenorum Cohors IIII Syriaca Cohors I Thracum milliaria

Cohors II Thracum Cohors II Thracum Syriaca Cohors III Thracum Syriaca Cohors IIII Thracum Syriaca Cohors I Ulpia Dacorum Cohors II Ulpia equitata Cohors II Ulpia Paphlagonum Cohors III Ulpia Paphlagonum Cohors I Ulpia Petraeorum Cohors V Ulpia Petraeorum Cohors I Ulpia Sagittariorum

In addition, two other units for the province are documented by inscriptions:

Ala II Flavia Agrippiana

Cohors I Hamiorum

Iudaea (from 135 AD, Syria Palestine)

Diplomas from AD 86 to 186 list 5 alae and 15 cohorts for the province, but not all of them stationed in the province at the same time:

Ala Antiana Gallorum et Thracum Ala Gallorum et Thracum Constantium Ala VII Phrygum Ala I Thracum Mauretana Ala Veterana Gaetulorum

Cohors I Augusta Lusitanorum Cohors III Callaecorum Bracaraugustanorum Cohors II Cantabrorum Cohors I Damascenorum Cohors I Flavia Civium Romanorum

Cohors V Gemella Cohors I milliaria Sagittariorum Cohors I Montanorum Cohors I Sebastenorum Cohors I Thracum milliaria

Cohors II Thracum Cohors I Ulpia Galatarum Cohors II Ulpia Galatarum Cohors IV Ulpia Petraeorum Cohors VI Ulpia Petraeorum

Notitia dignitatum

The Notitia dignitatum lists four military commanders who were responsible for the troops stationed in the former provinces of Syria and Syria Palestine .

Dux Mesopotamiae

The following units are listed under his command:

Ala octava Flavia Francorum Cohors quinquagenaria arabum Cohors quartadecima Valeria Zabdenorum Ala quintadecima Flavia Carduenorum

Ala secunda nova Aegyptiorum Equites ducatores Illyriciani Equites felices Honoriani Illyriciani Equites promoti Illyriciani

Equites promiti indigenae Equites scutarii Illyriciani Equites scutarii indigenae Pafenses Equites sagittarii indigenae

Equites sagittarii indigenae Arabanenses Equites sagittarii indigenae Thibithenses Legio prima Parthica Legio secunda Parthica

Dux Osrhoenae

The following units are listed under his command:

Ala prima nova Diocletiana Ala prima Parthorum Ala prima salutaria Ala prima Victoriae

Ala secunda Paflagonum Ala septima Valeria praelectorum Cohors prima Eufratensis Cohors prima Gaetulorum

Equites Dalmatae Illyriciani Equites Mauri Illyriciani Equites primi Osrhoeni Equites promoti Illyriciani

Equites promiti indigenae Equites sagittarii indigenae Equites sagittarii indigenae Medianenses Legio quarta Parthica

Dux Palestinae

The following units are listed under his command:

Ala Antana dromedariorum Ala Constantiana Ala Idiota constituta Ala prima miliara Ala prima miliaria Sebastena Ala secunda felix Valentiana Cohors decima Carthaginensis

Cohors duodecima Valeria Cohors prima agentenaria Cohors prima equitata Cohors great Flavia Cohors prima salutaria Cohors quarta frygium Cohors quarta Palaestinorum

Cohors secunda cretensis Cohors secunda Galatarum Cohors secunda gratiana Equites Dalmatae Illyriciani Equites Mauri Illyriciani Equites primi felices Palaestini Equites promoti Illyriciani

Equites promiti indigenae Equites sagittarii indigenae Equites scutarii Illyriciani Equites Thamudeni Illyriciani Legio decima fretensis

Dux Syriae

The following units are listed under his command:

Ala prima nova Herculia Ala prima Iuthungorum Cohors prima Gotthorum Cohors prima Ulpia Dacorum

Cohors prima victorum Cohors tertia Valeria Equites Dalmatae Illyriciani Equites Mauri Illyriciani

Equites promoti Illyriciani Equites promoti indigenae Equites sagittarii Equites sagittarii indigenae

Equites scutarii Illyriciani Legio quarta Scythica Legio sextaedecima Flavia company

Classis Syriaca

The Classis Syriaca was the Roman fleet stationed in the province of Syria .

Commander in Chief of the Army

See: List of Roman governors in Syria and List of Roman governors in Judea

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Jörg Scheuerbrandt : Exercitus. Tasks, organization and command structure of Roman armies during the imperial era. Dissertation, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau 2003/2004, pp. 172–173 Tables 14–15 ( PDF ).
2. ↑ Peter Weiß , The auxiliaries of the Syrian army from Domitian to Antoninus Pius. An interim balance after the new military diplomas In: Chiron , Volume 36 (2006), pp. 249–298.
3. ↑ Syria: Military diplomas of the years 54 ( CIL 16, 3 ), 88 ( Chiron-2006-252 , Chiron-2006-253 , CIL 16, 35 , RMD 1, 3 , RMD 5, 329 , RMD 5, 330 , RMD 5 , 331 ), 91 ( Chiron- 2006-214 , Chiron-2006-218 , Chiron-2006-221 , Chiron-2006-255 , RMD 1, 4 , RMD 1, 5 , RMD 4, 214 , ZPE-183-234 ), 93 ( ZPE-165-219 ), 106/117 ( AE 2005, 1733 ), 129 ( AE 2006, 1852 , Chiron-2006-230 , Chiron-2006-233 , Chiron-2006-234 , Chiron-2006- 237 , Chiron-2006-239 , Chiron-2006-241 , Chiron-2006-242 , RMD 5, 371 , RMD 5, 372 , RMD 5, 388 , ZPE-183-236 , ZPE-190-293 ), 129 / 134 ( AE 2005, 1735 ), 133/134 ( AE 2007, 1238 ), 134/154 ( CIL 16, 103 ), 144 ( ZPE-188-255 , ZPE-193-253 ), 153 ( Chiron-2006-267 ) and 156/157 ( CIL 16, 106 ).
4. ^ Iudaea (from 135 AD Syria Palestine): Military diplomas from the years 86 ( AE 2005, 1731 , CIL 16, 33 , SCI-2010-21 ), 87 ( SCI-2012-54 , ZPE-170-201 , ZPE -170-205 ), 90 ( RMD 5, 332 ), 134/154 ( CIL 16, 103 ), 136/137 ( RMD 3, 160 ), 138 ( CIL 16, 87 ), 139 ( CIL 16, 87 ), 142 ( RMM 00029 ), 147 ( SCI-2016-92 ), 149/161 ( RMD 1, 60 ), 151/154 ( SCI-2016-85 ), 157/158 ( RMD 5, 421 ), 158 ( ZPE- 157-190 , ZPE-159-283 ), 160 ( AE 2005, 1730 , AE 2011, 1810 , RMD 3, 173 , RMM 00041 ) and 186 ( RMD 1, 69 ).
5. ^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Orientis XXXVI ( online ).
6. ^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Orientis XXXV ( online ).
7. ^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Orientis XXXIV ( online ).
8. ^ Notitia dignitatum in partibus Orientis XXXIII ( online ).