Awards in late roman empire?

[Iagoba]

Were awards such as phalerae and torques still used in that times (3rd. cent.)?
When did they stop using them?
What kind of award were awarded instead?

Maybe too newbe question, sorry :oops:

[D B Campbell]

The wars of Severus and Caracalla in the last years of the second century and the early third are the last in which dona in the imperial tradition are known to have been awarded in any numbers.

Sporadic references to dona continue into the fifth century and beyond, but they are exceedingly rare. ... The latest example of the granting of dona of a recognizably Roman pattern takes us into the sixth century, ...

[Robert Vermaat]

Torques were awarded for bravery. Julian was 'crowned' with a the torque of one of his draconarii, who seem to have been selected for the job from the bravest of men.

[D B Campbell]

Julian was 'crowned' with a the torque of one of his draconarii, who seem to have been selected for the job from the bravest of men.

(Amm. Marc. 20.4.18 mentions the torques.)
It was my impression that, by that stage, such items were purely decorative, rather than ceremonial battle honours. Do you have a view on this, Robert?

Interestingly, Maxfield draws attention to the fact that Julian awarded coronae obsidionales (siege crowns) to the three men who broke into Maiozamalcha in AD 363.
Ammianus (24.4.24) says that Julian did so veterum more, "in the ancient manner", but the siege crown was traditionally awarded for the relief of a siege. So Julian evidently did not understand the ancient custom (which rather suggests that the whole business of dona militaria had died out by then).

(P.S. English-language text of Ammianus is at Lacus Curtius, but Bill's asterisks prevent direct linkage to the above passages. )

[Robert Vermaat]

Julian was 'crowned' with a the torque of one of his draconarii, who seem to have been selected for the job from the bravest of men.

(Amm. Marc. 20.4.18 mentions the torques.)
It was my impression that, by that stage, such items were purely decorative, rather than ceremonial battle honours. Do you have a view on this, Robert?

Yes, I follow Speidel´s ideas here:
Speidel, M.P. (1985): The Master of the Dragon Standards and the Golden Torc: an Inscription from Prusias and Prudentius' Peristephanon, in: Transactions of the American Philological Association 115, pp 283-8.
I recently scanned the article so I can send anyone a copy if they wish.

We seem to be talking about personal awards for bravery here, not for units?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Yes, tha twas my impression too. What was the date of the medal found at Vindolanda? 2nd or 3rd c? Or 1st?