Auxiliary Cohorts and their titles

[D B Campbell]

One diploma, iirc.

D'oh -- Arabia. Of course it's a new one!

P.Weiß & M.P. Speidel, "Das erste Militärdiplom für Arabia", ZPE 150 (2004), 253-264. (And, yes -- 2004 counts as "new" in archaeology!)

Occam's razor says that Julius Severus travels from Britain to Judaea for the Jewish War (AD 133/136) and takes cohors I Aelia Classica (amongst others) with him. It subsequently discharges men in Arabia in AD 142 (the new diploma), before making the journey back to Britain, where further veterans are discharged in AD 158. Except that Weiß & Speidel don't like this reconstruction. They want a third cohors I Classica, born and raised in Arabia! I'm not sure I go along with them. How about you?

[Praefectusclassis]

Why bother dragging a small unit like that for land service (likely) across the entire empire and back? As to the rest, well, this is what I'm going to go into in 'The Debate' of AW IV.4

[D B Campbell]

As to the rest, well, this is what I'm going to go into in 'The Debate' of AW IV.4

Splendid!

[Rumo]

Will that do as an illustration? Or does someone have the stamina for Pannonian units and Thracian units?!

It happened that no long ago I read this study on troops with no forts and forts with no troops in Dacia (Dan Matei, "Trupe f?r? castre, castre f?r? trupe în Dacia" in BCSS, 12, 2006, p. 55-70) and has this overview for some Thracian cohortes (I Thracum) serving mostly in Dacia, but also other provinces.

Cohors I Thracum sagittariorum shows in Dacia Superior in diplomas from 136/8 (RMD V 384), 144 (CIL XVI 90), 157? (CIL XVI 107), 158 (CIL XVI 108) and 179 (RMD II 123). A Cohors I Thracum civium Romanorum apparently came from Moesia for the Dacian Wars (e.g. CIL XVI 46 from 100 in Moesia), being attested in Dacia in 109 (RMD III 148) and 110 (CIL XVI 57 and 163). A diploma from 110 (CIL XVI 164) attests a cohors I Thracum cR pia fidelis in Pannonia Inferior which apparently was also in Germania Inferior before that (no diploma in footnote but a reference to G. Alföldy's Die Hilfstruppen der römischen Provinz Germania Inferior, Düsseldorf, 1968, p. 70-71, nr. 26). It is attested in Pannonia Inferior a second time with cR pf in 119 (W. Eck, D. MacDonald, A. Pangerl, "Neue Diplome für Auxiliartruppen in den dakischen Provinzen" in AMN, 38/1, 2001/2003, p. 25-34, nr. 1), and several more times with cR in 144 (RMD V 397), 146 (RMD V 401) and 154/6 (RMD V 415). Also in Pannonia Inferior there's a cohors I Thracum equitata in a diploma from 192 (RMD V 447). There's also a cohors I Thracum (not sure about the other attributes, the author just added "homonymous") in Pannonia Superior present in diplomas from 141 (RMD V 391), 155/6 (RMD V 416), 159 (RMD V 423 and 424) and 161 (RMD V 430 and 431).

Oh, and from our last debate I kept this ZPE article. Read page 191, there are some considerations relevant to the topic.

[D B Campbell]

... troops with no forts and forts with no troops in Dacia ...

Of course, this is a problem for all frontier provinces. Thanks for the reference -- although I do not read Rumanian, I see that there is a short English summary.

Read page 191, there are some considerations relevant to the topic.

Indeed, it is an interesting thought that a vexillation might have formed the cadre of a new, homonymous unit.

[Jona Lendering]

There may have been multiple Cohortes I Classica (Germania Inf / Britannia in 120s AD) and II (Syria, Arabia) in the late 130s.

Although I understand how a cohors classica could be raised, the idea of a cohors classica in Arabia strikes me as odd, and reminds me of Miklós Horthy, the "admiral of the Hungarian navy"... :wink:

[D B Campbell]

the idea of a cohors classica in Arabia strikes me as odd ...

Weiß & Speidel suggest drafts from the classis Alexandrina and/or classis Syriaca. I guess there's no evidence of a Red Sea fleet.

[Praefectusclassis]

It makes more sense than you think, and in fact, you've read why it makes sense already, a few years ago.
Red Sea fleets have been supposed, but convincing evidence is lacking.

[D B Campbell]

..., and in fact, you've read why it makes sense already, a few years ago.

And will again, in AW 4.4? (Looking forward to it.)

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Did they also not use barges or boats along the Euphrates during Trajans campaign?

[D B Campbell]

Did they also not use barges or boats along the Euphrates during Trajans campaign?

That, too, is an interesting thought: presumably marines from the Syrian fleet were drafted in to pilot the boats during the various Parthian wars.

But the "new" Arabian diploma dates to AD 142 (Antoninus Pius), and Jona's point is (I think) that Arabia is one enormous desert -- not the kind of place that marines would immediately feel at home! :wink:

(But we are perhaps stealing Jasper's thunder -- should we save the discussion for AW 4.4?)

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Ahh, sorry Jasper. Wasn't really thinking along those lines....just that surely Syria also had a river?

[Praefectusclassis]

(But we are perhaps stealing Jasper's thunder -- should we save the discussion for AW 4.4?)

Nope, not so far. Conventional thinking going on in this thread.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

(But we are perhaps stealing Jasper's thunder -- should we save the discussion for AW 4.4?)

Nope, not so far. Conventional thinking going on in this thread.

Hmmmm, now the gauntlet is down....hmmmmm desert...camels in deserts....camels ships of the sea.....camel jockies...camel sailors....
getting anywhere? :mrgreen:

[Praefectusclassis]

Depends... Mix in some beer and you're probably well underway. :mrgreen: