08-02-2001, 02:47 PM
Salve,<br>
<br>
The coins with standards of the <i> cohortes speculatorum</i> were issued by Marcus Antonius. The word <i> cohors</i> was used besides for the more well known regular formations of the <i> legiones</i> and the <i> auxilia</i> for formations of irregular type, including cavalry. Thus there is the <i> cohors Germanorum</i>, which formed the early imperial horse guard, a <i> koors stabl`esianoon</i> (<i> stablesiani</i> or 'stable boys' were legionary horsemen) of third century date and mention of cavalry <i> cohortes</i> (not in the sense of part-mounted <i> equitatae</i>) in Ammianus. Their imperial counterparts were most certainly mounted since a number of inscriptions call such soldiers explicitly <i> equites</i> and given the reconnaissance duties of the <i> speculatores</i> of the late republic it seems very likely that they were cavalry troopers as well. The use of <i> cohors</i> for a unit of mounted troops like <i> speculatores</i> would not be unique and would have parallels in the Roman army.<br>
<br>
Regarding the strength of such <i> cohortes</i> nothing is known with certainty. While regular <i> cohortes</i> had an establishment of around 500 men (the <i> milliaria</i> units not being attested before the reign of Nero) it is not known whether this applied to the elite scouts as well. The highest number of <i> speculatores</i> attested for the imperial era is only ten per legion (according to epigraphic sources Spain, with a one legion garrison, had ten, and a three legion province had thirty such men), so the numerical strength may have been below the usual five hundred.<br>
<br>
Caesar used elite troops to man his ships as described in the <i> Bellum civile</i>, book 1, caput 57. The <i> speculatores</i> were similarly picked troops and as scouts are likely to have belonged to the best and bravest. Perhaps they too were used for spearheading boarding parties. To argue for employment of mounted troops for other duties than the typical cavalry tasks one can think of the elite cavalrymen used as dismounted shock troops in sieges in imperial times (description in Josephus and wall crown on <i> signum</i> of the <i> equites singulares Augusti</i>).<br>
<br>
BC 1.57: <i> 57] Erat multo inferior numero navium Brutus; sed electos ex omnibus legionibus fortissimos viros, antesignanos, centuriones, Caesar ei classi attribuerat, qui sibi id muneris depoposcerant. ...</i><br>
<br>
Interestingly no <i> signifer</i> is yet attested for the imperial era. While the legionary troops of <i> speculatores</i> are quite small and probably lacked any formal hierarchy, the praetorian <i> speculatores</i> are thought to have had a considerably greater strength. For the latter are both NCO's (<i> tesserarius</i> <i> optio</i>) and officers (<i> centurio</i>, <i> exercitator</i> (a position most often held by a centurion)) attested in literary and epigraphic sources.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst<br>
<br>
<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showLocalUserPublicProfile?login=sandervandorst>Sander van Dorst</A> at: 8/2/01 4:56:22 pm<br></i>
<br>
The coins with standards of the <i> cohortes speculatorum</i> were issued by Marcus Antonius. The word <i> cohors</i> was used besides for the more well known regular formations of the <i> legiones</i> and the <i> auxilia</i> for formations of irregular type, including cavalry. Thus there is the <i> cohors Germanorum</i>, which formed the early imperial horse guard, a <i> koors stabl`esianoon</i> (<i> stablesiani</i> or 'stable boys' were legionary horsemen) of third century date and mention of cavalry <i> cohortes</i> (not in the sense of part-mounted <i> equitatae</i>) in Ammianus. Their imperial counterparts were most certainly mounted since a number of inscriptions call such soldiers explicitly <i> equites</i> and given the reconnaissance duties of the <i> speculatores</i> of the late republic it seems very likely that they were cavalry troopers as well. The use of <i> cohors</i> for a unit of mounted troops like <i> speculatores</i> would not be unique and would have parallels in the Roman army.<br>
<br>
Regarding the strength of such <i> cohortes</i> nothing is known with certainty. While regular <i> cohortes</i> had an establishment of around 500 men (the <i> milliaria</i> units not being attested before the reign of Nero) it is not known whether this applied to the elite scouts as well. The highest number of <i> speculatores</i> attested for the imperial era is only ten per legion (according to epigraphic sources Spain, with a one legion garrison, had ten, and a three legion province had thirty such men), so the numerical strength may have been below the usual five hundred.<br>
<br>
Caesar used elite troops to man his ships as described in the <i> Bellum civile</i>, book 1, caput 57. The <i> speculatores</i> were similarly picked troops and as scouts are likely to have belonged to the best and bravest. Perhaps they too were used for spearheading boarding parties. To argue for employment of mounted troops for other duties than the typical cavalry tasks one can think of the elite cavalrymen used as dismounted shock troops in sieges in imperial times (description in Josephus and wall crown on <i> signum</i> of the <i> equites singulares Augusti</i>).<br>
<br>
BC 1.57: <i> 57] Erat multo inferior numero navium Brutus; sed electos ex omnibus legionibus fortissimos viros, antesignanos, centuriones, Caesar ei classi attribuerat, qui sibi id muneris depoposcerant. ...</i><br>
<br>
Interestingly no <i> signifer</i> is yet attested for the imperial era. While the legionary troops of <i> speculatores</i> are quite small and probably lacked any formal hierarchy, the praetorian <i> speculatores</i> are thought to have had a considerably greater strength. For the latter are both NCO's (<i> tesserarius</i> <i> optio</i>) and officers (<i> centurio</i>, <i> exercitator</i> (a position most often held by a centurion)) attested in literary and epigraphic sources.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst<br>
<br>
<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showLocalUserPublicProfile?login=sandervandorst>Sander van Dorst</A> at: 8/2/01 4:56:22 pm<br></i>
