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Julian and the invasion of Persia
#83
Correction to my previous post: would you believe I do have the article (in Speidel, "Roman Army Studies I") and I didn't remember?
Basically, there's a dated (February 28th, 208) inscription (AE 1911, 244) in Arabia (I'Nat) :

"Monument of Gouththa, son of Erminarius, commander of the tribal ("gentilion" in greek) unit stationed among the Mothani. He died at 14 y.o."

All depends upon the reading of the name of the kid (being the name of the father, Erminarius , a germanic name).
Speidel lists some options, but concludes that evidences (particularly in the Res Gestae Divi Saporis, written on the Kaaba i Zerdusht at Persepolis) of the word "Gouththa" in the III century greek meaning "the nation of Goths" and being used as personal name is now overwhelming.
So, Erminarius would be commander of a gothic ethnic unit (a numerus) of Gentiles (the term "Gentiles" makes sense considering the status of Roman-Gothic relations at that time) in 208 AD.
Speidel mentions an identical designations (Gothi gentiles) for a unit in another inscription (CIL III 12483, Rumania), dated 337-340 AD - which again makes sense.
Speidel, then , goes on talking about this surprising Gothic presence in Roman Army in early III century, and tries to read other ambiguous sources under this new point of view.
Now, I don't know if all the "final proofs" that Speidel offers are really such - but this all seems at least worth deeper studies.
Anyway,what is also extremely interesting is that Speidel concludes his article with these words:

" [...] the Gothi Gentiles may have gone back to their nation, or they may have become a regular unit such as the syrian Cohors Gotthorum or even the legio palatina of the Schytiae".

Quite interesting.
Would anyone need any more informations related to this article, just ask.
Valete
Iuppiter Optimus Maximus resistere atque iterare pugnam iubet
(Liv. I.12)


Tiberius Claudius Nero
a.k.a. Carlo Sansilvestri


CONTUBERNIUM
SISMA - Società Italiana per gli Studi Militari Antichi
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Messages In This Thread
Julian and the invasion of Persia - by Mithras - 01-23-2007, 11:27 PM
Julian & His Persian Campaign - by Jon Eaton - 01-24-2007, 10:49 AM
Matthews on world of Ammianus - by Goffredo - 02-10-2007, 11:24 AM
Careful with Hoffmann - by Natuspardo - 02-13-2007, 03:40 PM
Re: Careful with Hoffmann - by Robert Vermaat - 02-14-2007, 07:54 PM
Re: Careful with Hoffmann - by Robert Vermaat - 02-14-2007, 08:28 PM
Dont forget the Goths!!! - by Natuspardo - 02-15-2007, 12:31 PM
Re: Julian and the invasion of Persia - by Ti Cl Nero - 03-01-2007, 08:10 PM

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