01-11-2013, 01:28 AM
Quote:ValentinianVictrix post=328023 Wrote:It's possible that the Catafractarii Seniores could have been destroyed at a number of battles, Ad Salices and Adrianopolis are just two that spring to mind, more likely Adrianopolis.
If the location of the stone's anything to go by, they were a western unit - so one of the east v west civil war battles (maybe Frigidus in AD394, the Save in 388, or even Mursa in 351) would be a likely venue for their destruction (and might explain why they were not reformed, if they'd fought for the losing western side).
Alternatively, they could just have ended up stationed on the lower Rhine, and been 'lost' with the relevant section of the ND!
The ND shows that there were many cross postings, the Batavi Seniores is shown in both the Western and Eastern halves of the ND being just one example, as are the Regii.
Quite a few Western units went with Julian on his Sasanid venture and some may have remained in the East. Richomeres took Western units with him during the 370's at Gratian's request in order to aid Valens when the Goth's turned nasty after crossing the Danube. These units fought several battles against the Goth's including Ad Salices and Adrianopolis. There were many opportunities for the Catafractarii Seniores to have been destroyed before Theodosius took up the purple. A number may have escaped to have formed the numerus.
Adrian Coombs-Hoar
