Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Lorica Segmentata and Auxilia Troops
#1
If only legionaries wore lorica segmentata, then how come this armor was found in auxilia forts?
James Ajiduah
Reply
#2
(11-12-2015, 05:59 AM)LonginusXXI Wrote: If only legionaries wore lorica segmentata, then how come this armor was found in auxilia forts?

well I would suppose there are possibilities, like why are legio stamps found in auxilia forts? Some legionary might have lost bits from armor  when delivering the bricks?

I don't think that segmentata was exclusive to legions, probably everyone used the best available armor, the base for the believe that only legions wore seggies would be the Columna Traiana but probably in CT they only looked for ways (conventions) to depict differences between auxilia and legionary soldiers.
-----------------
Gelu I.
www.terradacica.ro
www.porolissumsalaj.ro
Reply
#3
An argument has been made that there were no auxillia forts. Roman forts had both legionaries and auxilliaries.
Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen & Sword Books
Reply
#4
(11-12-2015, 12:45 PM)Dan Howard Wrote: An argument has been made that there were no auxillia forts. Roman forts had both legionaries and auxilliaries.

And you can read aspects of that argument here.

Mike Bishop
You know my method. It is founded upon the observance of trifles

Blogging, tweeting, and mapping Hadrian\'s Wall... because it\'s there
Reply
#5
(11-12-2015, 12:53 PM)mcbishop Wrote:
(11-12-2015, 12:45 PM)Dan Howard Wrote: An argument has been made that there were no auxillia forts. Roman forts had both legionaries and auxilliaries.

And you can read aspects of that argument here.

Mike Bishop

But wouldn't there have to be vexillations from legions in that case?
James Ajiduah
Reply
#6
I wonder why the romans had buildt permanent legionary camps which could hold a full legion or even two, if they afterwards distributed a huge amount of legionaries all over the province.
Ut desint vires, tamen est laudanda voluntas
Reply
#7
(11-21-2015, 07:05 PM)Frank Wrote: I wonder why the romans had buildt permanent legionary camps which could hold a full legion or even two, if they afterwards distributed a huge amount of legionaries all over the province.

They didn't.
Sure, on campaign legions could be housed in very large, (non-permanent) multi-legion camps. But when the war was over, legionary troops were usually garissoned in a single castra close to the border. The auxilia were spread usually spread out along the border, not all over the province either.
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
Reply
#8
(11-23-2015, 09:56 AM)Robert Vermaat Wrote:
(11-21-2015, 07:05 PM)Frank Wrote: I wonder why the romans had buildt permanent legionary camps which could hold a full legion or even two, if they afterwards distributed a huge amount of legionaries all over the province.

They didn't.
Sure, on campaign legions could be housed in very large, (non-permanent) multi-legion camps. But when the war was over, legionary troops were usually garissoned in a single castra close to the border. The auxilia were spread usually spread out along the border, not all over the province either.

Yes, I know. That is what I thought as well. Perhaps I misunderstood the discussion above. But in the discussion above and in the article linked, it was speculated, that roman legionaries and auxilia were often housed together in forts. Ort that smaller forts inside of the province were actually no auxilia camps but legionary camps. And this is the reason, why segmentata was found in so called auxlilia forts. 

I know, that the legionaries were used for infrastructure projects and policing the province (centurio regionis, beneficarii, ...) all over the province. Some smaller garrisons were also inside the province, by whatever reasons. Even if the majority of smaller camps was at the border, and manned by auxilia cohorts. But I can't believe that the legionaries were detached to the smaller forts and often housed together with auxilia on a broad scale. With the consequence that the permanent legion-fort was always half-empty.

My opinion about segmentata is, that some auxilia wore segmentata. Simple like that. Or at least some soldiers in an auxilia wore segmentata. Remember, that some of the NCOs of an auxilia cohort, were roman legionaries commandeered to the cohort (e.g. cornicularius, optio and other principales, ....). If these guys did not switch to hamata for their time of service in the cohort, they could be the reasons for segementata parts found in auxilia camps.

Another reason might be vexillations. If a province governor had to send troops to an emperors campaign, he did not just send 2 cohorts per legion, he also sent auxilia cohorts and alae. Afterwards he had to redistribute his forces at the border. Perhaps now legionaries manned the empty forts temporarily.
Ut desint vires, tamen est laudanda voluntas
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  About the three types of armor Lorica Segmentata? Leoshenlong 2 603 04-21-2021, 07:52 PM
Last Post: Crispianus
  New find of lorica segmentata mcbishop 18 3,072 11-21-2020, 02:05 PM
Last Post: Simplex
  why lorica segmentata uses very thin hinges? Leoshenlong 3 644 10-27-2020, 05:31 PM
Last Post: Leoshenlong

Forum Jump: