Late Roman Army during the 5th century

[Robert Vermaat]

However, while the words might be archaic, I don't think this means that the things referred to didn't exist. All of Ammianus's references to 'auxiliaries' (their higher pay, barbarian origin, exemption from manual labour and hereditary service, etc) are clearly referring to the late Roman auxilia palatina, not the cohorts of the principiate. I think this was the point Adrian was making, actually...

Don’t get me wrong, I did not think so either. Adrian and me were discussing Vegetius and his referral to auxiliaries. That’s different from Ammianus discussing them, but I see your point – he may indeed have been discussing late auxilia palatina. I may have been to stern with Vegetius…

Actually, this raises an interesting question - there are a number of cohorts and alae mentioned in the ND as part of the Egyptian garrison that appear to have a barbarian origin - Vandals, Iuthungi, Franks etc. Do we assume that these cohorts were raised on the same principle as the auxilia palatina, perhaps from laeti (and if so, why do they appear to be border troops rather than elite units?), or were they regular cohorts on the old model?

Ah, but although the palatine regiments are said to have been raised from mainly barbarian recruits, that does not mean that every barbarian recruit (or group) automatically ended up in an elite regiment? Limitanei continued to be used, and apparently also new units could be raised as ‘old style’ regiments, at least in some areas.

It’s long been held that the Notitia for Britain was defunct because so many cohorts and alae appeared, yet the same is the case along the Danube and in Egypt. I never noticed these ‘Germanic’ limitanei before, and although we can’t be sure that they were not formed before the 4th century, it might be considered that the ‘old style’ continued a lot longer than we think.