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Somewhere in my readings today I came across a reference to cohors speculatores as a special cohort of scouts attached to Marc Antony. I couldn't find anything on the Internet and I was wondering if anyone had further info.
I was specifically wondering a) were they just a unit solely raised and used by MA? b) when and where would they have been formed (Gallic wars?)c) which legion would they have been attached to? d) did they go with MA into his Egyptian "posting" and if so did they serve on after him or were they disbanded?
As always, any info is greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Pict
Andrew son of Andrew of the family Michie, of the clan Forbes highlanders to a man from our noble forebears the blue painted Pict, scourge of the legions.
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COHORS SPECULATORIUM
I believe the only ancient reference is on coins, follow the link and scroll down a little.
With respect to modern works, I believe I remember that Keppie wrote something about them and believe that it is in his MAVORS volume.
Regards,
Jens Horstkotte
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Hi Andrew,
Republican armies had speculatores (cfr Livy IX, 23; XXII, 33; XXX, 29; XXXI, 24; XL, 7 or Caesar bello gal II, 2 and V, 49 and bell Hisp 13, 3) functioning as scouts or spies.
Marc Anthony had a cohors speculatorum, but so did Octavian (Suetonius Aug 74,3).
During the principate you had several sorts of speculatores: provincial govenors had speculatores as bodyguards; each legion had 10 speculatores (eg CIL II, 4122 or CIL III, 4452); but the main body of speculatores were those attached to the cohortes praetoriae. In the first century AD they may have formed a seperate numerus of about 300 men, but later on they were incorporated in the cohortes praetoriae. They appear on the laterculi of these cohorts in Rome (as the abbreviaton SP after the soldier's name indicates) and on seperate tombstones: eg CIL 06, 02607 = D 02018
C(aius) Fabius / C(ai) f(ilius) Ser(gia) / Crispus / Carthag(ine) / specul(ator) / coh(ortis) VI pr(aetoriae) / |(centuria) Flegeri / mil(itavit) an(nos) XIII(?) / vix(it) an(nos) XXII(?) / heres / ex volunt(ate) / p(osuit)
I hope this gives you some information.
Regards,
Hans
Flandria me genuit, tenet nunc Roma
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There is a excellent book on this subject;
Exploratio, N.Austin-N.Rankov ISBN 0-415-18301-4
Punic wars up to Battle of Adrianople.
Great read but you need to know a bit Roman history as it jumps around with people, events ect. It gives you a good insight into Military Intelligence.
Regards Brennivs
Woe Ye The Vanquished
Brennvs 390 BC
When you have all this why do you envy our mud huts
Caratacvs
Centvrio Princeps Brennivs COH I Dacorivm (Roma Antiqvia)
