Roman Army units at Amida in AD 337-338

[Lothia]

Ave Civitas,

I am trying to identify which units were stationed at Amida at the onset of the war with Shapur II (AD 338) and units that were stationed there prior to that date (AD 336-338)

In the Notitia Dignitatum I think I found two. They were
1. Equites ducatores Illyriciani
2. Equites scutarii Illyriciani

I hope I am right.

I have two questions -- What I would like to know is what do the names mean.
a. I understand that scutarii is the shield, Equites is horses, and Illyriciani is the diocese where the unit originated. How does that go together (in English) Would it be the Illyrican horse shields? I don't know how to put that together.

b. The same goes with Equites Ducatores Illyricani. :? I can't even find a good translation of Ducatores in my Latin-English dictionary.

Can someone help?

Thanks again.

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi Tom,

The following is all from the head as I don't have access to my books from here.. :oops:

First of all, names do not suggest literal meaning. 'Scutatores' or 'Scutarii' doesn't suggest an actual shield, or a different shield, but you may already have known that.

'Ducatores' is derived fron 'Dux', the term for a Late Roman regional commander (as in 'Dux Britanniarum', 'Duke of the Britains').

Illyricani most probably signifies the regions were the units were first raised, Illyria or the modern Balkan. Illyricani units often were raised during the later 3rd century when the Empire got a grip again on the internal crisis of that century.

Equites (as you understood) stands for cavalry.

Ducatores and Scutarii, whilst we do not know a 100% sure, probably hint at bodyguard units, like names as 'Protectores' or 'Defensores' which we also come across.

So either these were crack cavalry units which accompanied some high-ranking commanders, or they had been in the past, and these units had come to be border units (limitanei) during the decades of their existance.

Oh, btw, Amida was the headquarters of their commanding officers, I'm by no means sure if all the troops were actually garrissoned inside the town. They may have been spread out on frontier duties (if limitanei), or following the Dux wherever he went.

[Nicholas Gaukroger]

Ammianus makes some mention of the units at Amida during the siege he was involved in. Whilst not all were the usual garrison it should provide some clues and one can hardly ignore such an eye witness

[Robert Vermaat]

Ammianus makes some mention of the units at Amida during the siege he was involved in. Whilst not all were the usual garrison it should provide some clues and one can hardly ignore such an eye witness

One did not, but the question asked here was about the units stationed before the siege.

Which, upon reading the text (which I could not earlier), reveals that Legio V Parthica was the regular garrisson.

The units mentioned by Ammianus are (Book XVIII.9.3,4):

Of this town the regular garrison was formed by Legio V Parthica, along with a force of no mean size of natives. But at that time six additional legions, having outstripped the advancing horde of Persians by rapid marches, were drawn up upon its very strong walls. These were the soldiers of Magnentius and Decentius, whom, after finishing the campaigns of the civil wars, the emperor had forced as being untrustworthy and turbulent, to come to the Orient, where none but foreign wars are to be feared; also the soldiers of the Thirtieth Legion, and the Tenth Legion, also called Fortenses, and the Superventores and Praeventores with Aelianus, who was then a count; these troops, when still raw recruits, at the urging of the same Aelianus, then one of the guard, had made a sally from Singara (as I have said) and slain great numbers of the Persians while they were buried in sleep. There were also in the town the greater part of the comites sagittarii, household archers, that is to say, a squadron of horsemen so-named, in which all the freeborn foreigners serve who are conspicuous above the rest for their prowess in arms and their bodily strength.

3. cuius oppidi praesidio erat semper quinta Parthica legio destinata cum indigenarum turma non contemnenda. sed tunc ingruentem Persarum multitudinem sex legiones raptim percursis itineribus antegressae muris adstitere firmissimis. Magnentiaci et Decentiaci quos post consummatos civiles procinctus, ut fallaces et turbidos ad orientem venire compulit imperator, ubi nihil praeter bella timetur externa, et Tricensimani Decimanique Fortenses et Superventores atque Praeventores cum Aeliano iam Comite, quos tirones tum etiam novellos hortante memorato adhuc protectore erupisse a Singara Persasque fusos in somnum rettulimus trucidasse complures.
4. aderat comitum quoque sagittariorum pars maior, equestres videlicet turmae ita cognominatae, ubi merent omnes ingenui barbari, armorum viriumque firmitudine inter alios eminentes.

[TITVS SABATINVS AQVILIVS]

Ammianus tells (XVIII 9,3) that at Amida was always garrisoned the Legio V Parthica plus a cavalry unit: the Equites sagittarii indigenae Arabanenses. That cavalry unit, after the fall of Amida, was under the Dux Mesopotamiae and later garrisoned at Mefana-Cartha. During the siege were there tn Magnentius' and Decentius' units of Tricesimani (XXX Ulpia Victrix), Decimani and Fortenses (X Fretensis), Superuentores and Praeuentores (which of the many ones?) under the Comes Rei Militaris Elianus killed after the fall of the city. Plus the Comites sagittarii a uexillatio palatina et comitatensis of eastern barbarians perhaps created by Costantinus.

Vale,

[TITVS SABATINVS AQVILIVS]

Oops, just too late for me! :lol:

Vale,

[Robert Vermaat]

Beat ya by 4 minutes!

[TITVS SABATINVS AQVILIVS]

Just for all thos damned italics ... :lol: