the century - fighting unit

[Ross Cowan]

Five centuries? "Hyginus" gives us no clue on this. It's Vegetius who writes that "the ten centuries of the first cohort were commanded by five centurions" (Mil. 2.8 ). Notice "ten centuries"! Tacitus clearly thought that were six centuries -- during the events of AD 14, the mutineers were given 60 lashes, "being equal to the number of centurions" (Ann. 1.32); i.e. 10 cohorts of 6 centuries in the legion.

Legio II Parthica had six primi ordines, and therefore six centuries in its first cohort. According to J. C. Balty & W. Van Rengen, Apamea in Syria: The Winter Quarters of Legio II Parthica (Brussels 1993), p. 18: "At least three inscriptions specifically mention a pilus posterior linked with the first cohort".

I think only one of the three relevant inscriptions has been published:

AE 1993, 1588, Apamea (probably AD 242-244)

D(is) M(anibus) / Aurel(ius) Ingenuis t/esserarius leg(ionis) II Pa/r(thicae) 7(centuria) I pil(i) post(erioris) qui vixit an/nos XXXV me(n)sibus V/II diebus X Geminius R/estutus collega et h/eres bene meren/ti fecit


R