RomanArmyTalk

Salve! I am currently in the process of making a model roman fort. In "The Complete Roman Army" it is stated that the towers over the gateways may have been two stories. Are there any posts on RAT that mention this or does anyone know any more on the subject? Most of the reconstructions I've looked at online and in books only have one story.

Here is the reconstruction of the gatehouse at Arbeia.

And a photo of the model of the fort.

Thanks! Was Arbeia a auxilia fort or a legionary fort?

Hmmm, I can't recall offhand, apart from it was converted to a supply depot, IIRC. There is a thread or 2 that discusses it though in more detail and from more knowledgeable members. You can do a search on it.

In the background(behind the dashing young Legionary) you can see a reconstruction of the Gate at Lunt, a wooden 1st Century fort.
This was quite possibly an Auxilliary fort, but just as likely to be a Legionary Fort during the post invasion and rebellion era, iirc.

And a shot from the outside.

Thanks! The pics are very helpful!

I couldn't find anything on RAT, but according to "Hadrian's Wall in the Days of the Romans" Arbeia was a auxilia fort. They list the Ala I Pannoniorum Sabiniana as the original garrison.

Thats it! Well done. But I believe the auxilliaries were guarding a supply point, in its later years. The ala being a calvery troop, I think it was converted after thewy left, or possibly it was still a calvery post too.

In the book they list the Cohors V Gallorum as the garrison in the 3rd century CE, after Arbeia had been converted into a supply depot. They were joined later by the numerus Barcariorum Tigrisiensium, were they are mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum. I guess a cavalry unit wouldn't be that helpful guarding a fortified depot, or moving supplies up and down the river!

Maybe this helps,
[url:2r7889z3]http://www.taunus-wetterau-limes.de/index2.htm?saalburg.htm[/url]
On the left you have a menu where you can choose.
Interesting to you would be the points: "Taunus-Kastelle" (some with one page, some with more than one page)
"Wetterau-Kastelle-N" ( N=North; same as above)
"Wetterau-Kastelle-S" (S=well, ahhh South :wink: )
Most interesting parts: "Taunus-Kastelle" Photographs of Saaburg (reconstructed castellum), the other places sport plans of reconstructions.
some of the Wetterau-Kastell-pages also do sport reconstructional drawings.
[url:2r7889z3]http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wei%C3%9Fenburg_in_Bayern?uselang=de[/url] >"biriciana"
[url:2r7889z3]http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kastelle_von_Welzheim[/url] scroll down ca. 60% (> right side)
[url:2r7889z3]http://alt.antikefan.de/Staetten/Deutschland/limes/welzheim/kastell.html[/url]

Greez

Simplex
Edit 1:
[url:2r7889z3]http://www.limesturm.com/index.php?pageid=de/limes.html[/url] >Bildergalerie

Thanks! Those sites are very helpful! I do have two questions(my understanding of german being poor :oops: ) First, in the picture of the gate at Biriciana, the section to the right of the wall has a white-colored section over top of the stonework. Is that meant to represent what would have been originally been there or does it represent that the walls were whitewashed? Also, was the fort at Saalberg a legion post, and if so, which one?

Hi Aurelius,
--yes the "painting of Biriciana" was meant to represent the original looks, as far as research was at that time.
--the Saalburg was not a legionary fortress, as far as I can recall it was manned by COH II Raetorum civium Romanorum equitata,
an auxilliary unit with both Infantry and Cavalry of about 500 strenght (give and take a few roman citizens from Raetia, that is).
Greez

Simplex

Okay Thanks! So most of these reconstructed forts are auxilia forts? Would a legion fort look the same(albeit bigger)? was Biriciana a legion fort. If my memory serves me in "The Complete Roman Roman Army" it is said that round towers were used more in the Late Empire. Does that mean the Biriciana was a Late Empire Fort?