08-28-2009, 06:45 PM
In order to make an educated guess (and only a guess) of the composition of Julians army the only available source, other than Ammianus, is the Notitia Dignitatum. The Eastern portion dates to around 395 (30 years later and after the disaster of Adrianople) but its the best thing available. Also, in a very old issue of the Journal of Roman Studies (1923) there is an article in which a scholar (whose name I forget) tried to use the Notitia to reconstruct the Roman field armies under Constantine (ca. 330) with limited success.
The Notitia lists 5 field armies in the East in 395: Thracias, Illyricum, Orientum and 2 in the Imperial Presence. The army of the Magister Militum per Oriens and the two Praesental armies might have been mustered for a Persian campaign, leaving the others (ca. 41000 men) to defend the Balkans. This would give about 62000 men (establishment strength) in 34 cavalry units (vexellatio palatina/comitatenses) and 69 infantry formations (legions/auxilia palatina and legiones comitatenses), plus 3500 in the 7 Eastern scholae for a total of around 66000.
The Journal of Roman Studies article allows 98000 for the entire eastern field army in 52 cavalry vexillationes, 49 legiones, 39 auxilia and 7 scholae. Under this estimate, if Julian left 30-40000 men to defend the Balkans he could field 60000 or so regular Roman soldiers. With either guestimate he'd need some allied troops to reach 90000.
I count at least 11 units of catafractarii or clibanarii in the Notitia Dignitatum that could have been in the Eastern field armies in 363 (that is, they don't have the names of future emperors like "Theodosiani or Honoriani" etc.). Two of the 14 vexellatio palatina (comites clibanarii, equites Persae clibanarii) and 9 of the 29 vexillatio comitatenses (eq catafractarii Biturgenses, eq primi clibanarii Parthi, eq secundi clibanarii Parthi, eq catafractarii, eq catafractarii Albigenses, eq promoti clibanarii, eq quarti clibanarii Parthi, comites catafractarii Bucellarii and cuneus equites secundorum clibanarii Palmyrorum). the Western field armies have only one (equites sagitarii clibanarii).
The Notitia lists 5 field armies in the East in 395: Thracias, Illyricum, Orientum and 2 in the Imperial Presence. The army of the Magister Militum per Oriens and the two Praesental armies might have been mustered for a Persian campaign, leaving the others (ca. 41000 men) to defend the Balkans. This would give about 62000 men (establishment strength) in 34 cavalry units (vexellatio palatina/comitatenses) and 69 infantry formations (legions/auxilia palatina and legiones comitatenses), plus 3500 in the 7 Eastern scholae for a total of around 66000.
The Journal of Roman Studies article allows 98000 for the entire eastern field army in 52 cavalry vexillationes, 49 legiones, 39 auxilia and 7 scholae. Under this estimate, if Julian left 30-40000 men to defend the Balkans he could field 60000 or so regular Roman soldiers. With either guestimate he'd need some allied troops to reach 90000.
I count at least 11 units of catafractarii or clibanarii in the Notitia Dignitatum that could have been in the Eastern field armies in 363 (that is, they don't have the names of future emperors like "Theodosiani or Honoriani" etc.). Two of the 14 vexellatio palatina (comites clibanarii, equites Persae clibanarii) and 9 of the 29 vexillatio comitatenses (eq catafractarii Biturgenses, eq primi clibanarii Parthi, eq secundi clibanarii Parthi, eq catafractarii, eq catafractarii Albigenses, eq promoti clibanarii, eq quarti clibanarii Parthi, comites catafractarii Bucellarii and cuneus equites secundorum clibanarii Palmyrorum). the Western field armies have only one (equites sagitarii clibanarii).
Anthony
