Thread Rating:
  • 1 Vote(s) - 5 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Late Roman Army Grade/Rank List under Anastasius
as said before, members of the unit are named as legionaries at slabs A and B, but we have also examples from vexillations of the 3rd century which were called a "legion" - and in several cases it is clear that parts of the vexillation weren't true legionaries. Also several numeri-camps from the german limes showing that sometimes legionary detachments were attached to those camps, supplying officers or to add a detachment of specialists. This is important to understand why some camps were bigger and the number of barracks is not always representing or matching the number of the original regiment.
Esp. the limes in germany was very mixed by troops, also the Saalburg here in front of my house was not just a place for a cohors. Some fibulae findings are indicating the presence of a legionary detachment which was garrisoned here from time to time.

Interesting enough that at slab C - the so called notitia - refers to a "numerus" only. Here the unit is called by its official technical term and named as that what is was - a number, a regiment, a flag.
So
a) it could be that the soldiers were called legionaries in a kind of colloquial speech, since the slabs A and B just try to prevent future irregularities in promotion and allowances, from which the latter one (the annona) shows little similarities with the old legions
Or
b) it was indeed a numerus legionum, in this case the second term can just be considered as a remaining part of old troop-names, independently if the unit still kept a certain drill, better than other units (pure speculation).

It is also true that just 20 years later, when Justinan came to the throne, all new deployed numeri (at least we now that they were freshly recuited) come along with numbers between 400 and 500. Cavalry and infantry strictly divided as known from the 4th century. There is simply no dissent here, between what we have learned about the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries.

So our unit is indeed a remnant part of an old army (including cavalry like numeri and cohortes equitata) or it was a quite new unit, especially deployed to guard the difficult area of Pamphylia.
All evidence speaks about a unit which left a long way behind.

Regardless of how it actually was, the unit cannot - at least to my opinion and reseach - be a template for other units. For this, the regiment is too individual.
But I would like to believe that there were more of these old troops left. And this is also very likely as my troops list clearly shows.

Regarding the armaturae: this was my mistake and I have corrected this on my upper post. Of course I mean here drill instructors. That they were fighting in a combat group is possible, albeit difficult to say. What happens if such a man made mistakes during the fight? Who listens to his advice after the battle? But sure, it could be that they were fighting.
The armaturae were instructors acc. Gerhard Horsmann, Untersuchungen zur militärischen Ausbildung im republikanischen und kaiserzeitlichen Rom, page 93
and according my research they formed their own schola or collegium (AE 1908, 0009: ARMATVRA Q F ARMATVRAE).
Responsible officer for them within the Legion of Perge was the campiductor.
Reply


Messages In This Thread
RE: Late Roman Army Grade/Rank List under Anastasius - by Marcel Frederik Schwarze - 06-21-2017, 02:46 AM

Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Late Roman Army during the 5th century Robert Vermaat 89 17,320 01-11-2024, 04:34 PM
Last Post: Magister_Officiorum13241
  Late Roman Army Ranks - Numeri/Limitanei jmsilvacross 14 1,745 11-17-2021, 01:42 PM
Last Post: Steven James
  Roman camps UK - is there a database or list? Steve Kaye 55 10,967 01-28-2021, 07:22 PM
Last Post: Alan316

Forum Jump: