Late Roman Army Questions

[Robert Vermaat]

[quote pid='332756' dateline='1448274227']
But for Silvanus to be 'born in Gaul' his father Bonitus (a 'barbarian') must either have been a miliitary officer already serving in the Roman army, or (perhaps more likely, given the early date) the leader of a group of Frankish laeti or similar who had recently settled in Gaul. Either way, he appears to have been a senior commander - perhaps of Frankish troops - in Constantine's army in c.316-324. Bonitus's son could have been born c.320, and perhaps given a place in the protectores domestici as a reward for his father's service, which would have offered a fast track to higher command at a young age.
One interesting point, of course, is that both men had 'Roman' names - if our sources had not told us otherwise, we'd have assumed they were native-born Romans!

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I think that paints a nice picture of how Roman and barbarian society were fluid enough to become indistinguishable at times. We see the slow intermingling of Franks in the Roman military, and how this, a century later, would become impossible to pull apart.

No doubt, after the 5th c., we will see Roman children being given Frankish names.