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Inscriptions containing army numbers
#1
Anyone who has discovered an inscription with army numbers, can write it down in this thread.

CIL III 1979, Salona, circa AD 170’s. Imp. Caes. M. Aur. Antonino Aug. pont. max. trib. pot. XXIIII p. p. coh. I (milliaria) Del. sub cur. Grani Fortunati trib. coh. eiusd. muri p(edes) DCCC in his turr(is) una.

CIL III 8655 (6374), Salona, circa AD 170’s. Imp. Caes. M. Aurel. Antonino Aug. pont. max. tr. pot. XXIIII cos. III p. p. coh. II (milliaria) Del. pedes DCCC in his turris I, sub cura L. Annaei Serviliani trib. vice tertia.
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#2
Good idea for a thread. But the two inscriptions you've quoted don't record army numbers - they just say that cohorts I and II Delamatorum each built 800 feet (pedes) of wall and a single tower during the (re)construction of part of the defences of Salona.
Nathan Ross
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#3
Thank you for the quick answer. That was one of my interpretations.

Oh well another failure I suppose…

Before me I have L’Ármee Romaine en Afrique et en Gaule ; Yann le Bohec ; Mavors XIV, so if I find anything of note, it shall be written down in this thread.
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#4
It might be a good idea to provide a translation with each inscription. Like myself, many members are not fluent in Latin... Wink
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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#5
For the health of this thread, I think it is also acceptable for placing papyrus records.

P. Brooks 24

http://www.papyri.info/hgv/18058

The date of this papyrus is circa 215 AD. According to this article:

http://www.academia.edu/32340673/Pour_un...i%C3%A8cle

the papyrus tells us about the cohors I Apamenorum sagittariorum quingenaria equitata.

The intriguing part seems to be the organization of the cohort:

6 centurions, 4 decurions, 100 cavalrymen and 457 infantrymen.

Missing are: 126 infantrymen and at least 10 cavalrymen.

This means there are at least 583 infantrymen according to my guess, am I correct in this?
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#6
(06-22-2017, 03:32 PM)Julian de Vries Wrote: For the health of this thread, I think it is also acceptable for placing papyrus records.

Good idea!

That's an interesting document - I found an English study of it, 'A New Military Strength Report on Papyrus' Thomas & Davies, JRS 67 (1977), which has a translation. Here's the relevant section:

   

So 457 was the total number after losses, comprising 6 centurions, 4 decurions, 100 cavalry, 13 dromedarii and (by calculation) 334 infantry.

The 30 losses comprise 2 centurions, 11 cavalry, 1 dromedarius and (by calculation) 16 infantry. There are also 126 temporarily absent 'in the chora' (the Egyptian countryside, apparently), but the breakdown is lost. It's not clear whether the temporary losses are included in the total number of remaining men or not.

Thomas & Davies suggest that the two missing centurions have already been replaced, meaning that the unit would fit Hyginus's description of a cohors quingenaria equitata, with 6 centuries and 4 turmae. Otherwise we would have 8 centuries.

If the temporary absentees are already included in the total, there would be 350 infantry and 111 cavalry and 14 dromedarii, with 6 or 8 centurions and 4 decurions, for a total strength of 487 men. If the absentees are not included the total would be 613 - this figure being quite close to the usual estimate of 480+120+officers.

The more of the 'strength reports' I see, the more I wonder whether the standard auxiliary century was actually around 60 men...

Thomas & Davies mention two other comparable pridiana - another from Egypt (RMR 64 / BGU 696), and one from Moesia (RMR 63 / P.Lond 2851). It might be worth trying to track them down too, maybe?

Meanwhiles, here's the well-known (if confusing) Vindolanda Tablet 154: "...the figure of 752 is tolerably close to a notional strength of 800. There can be, however, no possible doubt that the Tungrian cohort had only 6 centurions."
Nathan Ross
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#7
We need to make a distinction between actual written army numbers and annonae calculations by modern academics. At this moment there is too much divergence in opinion regarding the annonae, so let’s focus specifically on the actual written army numbers.

According to the article:


http://www.academia.edu/32340673/Pour_un...i%C3%A8cle

The equites sagittarii of Coptos counted 242 cavalrymen in 299 AD (P. Beatty Panop . 2, l. 161-167 ; cf. Jones 1964, 3, p. 187)

I do not know if this number of 242 cavalrymen is from the papyrus itself or derived by modern annonae estimations.
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#8
(06-23-2017, 09:58 AM)Julian de Vries Wrote: I do not know if this number of 242 cavalrymen is from the papyrus itself or derived by modern annonae estimations.

I think all the calculations from the tetrarchic Beatty papyri were based on the annonae figures, which as you say are open to considerable interpretation.

What would be more useful are the pridiana, or strength reports, given actual troop numbers.

However, since all of these available inscriptions and papyri have been studied in depth for a long time - and none of them provide a clear and definite answer to the question of unit numbers - I think we're unlikely to experience any eureka moments! But it's always good to see the actual figures used as a basis for the various hypotheses.
Nathan Ross
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#9
A possible inscription with army numbers:

From: Eine inschrift auf dem montgo bei dianium an der spanischen ostkuste. Romische heeresgeschichte Beitrage 1962-1985 von Geza Alfoldy Mavors volume III

Laugaricio Slovakia circa 179-180 AD


Victoriae Augustoru(m) exercitus cui (= qui) Laugaricione sedit, mil(ites) l(egionis) II DCCCLV. (M(arcus) Valerius Maximi)an(u)s leg(atus) leg(ionis) II ad(iutricis) cur(avit)

Siehe J.Ceska- R. Hosek, inscriptions Pannoniae superioris in Slovacia Transdanubiana asservatae, Brno 1967, n. 2
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#10
(07-04-2017, 09:06 PM)Julian de Vries Wrote: Laugaricio Slovakia circa 179-180 AD: Victoriae Augustoru(m) exercitus cui (= qui) Laugaricione sedit, mil(ites) l(egionis) II DCCCLV. (M(arcus) Valerius Maximi)an(u)s leg(atus) leg(ionis) II ad(iutricis) cur(avit)

Yes, that one's good.

"To the victory of emperors, the army stationed in Laugaricio, 855 soldiers of the Second Legion. Marcus Valerius Maximianus, legate of the Second Adiutrix legion, directed this."
Nathan Ross
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#11
publication: CIL 03, 03676 = D 02558 = CLE 00427 = CLEPann 00059 = CLENuovo p 104 = AE 1958, +00151 = AE 2005, +00014 = AE 2005, +00161 dating: from 117 to 150 EDCS-ID: EDCS-26600590

province: Pannonia inferior place: ?

Ille ego Pannoniis quondam notissimus oris / inter mille viros primus fortisque Batavos / (H)adriano potui qui iudice vasta profundi / aequora Danuvii cunctis transnare sub armis / emissumque arcu dum pendet in aere telum / ac redit ex alia fixi fregique sagitta / quem neque Romanus potuit nec barbarus umquam / non iaculo miles non arcu vincere Parthus / hic situs hic memori saxo mea facta sacravi / viderit an ne aliquis post me mea facta sequatur / exemplo mihi sum primus qui talia gessi

+ a cornucopia of other inscriptions: (Of special interest = 1 inscription stating 1000 sailors from Ravenna)

http://theses.gla.ac.uk/779/
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