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Late Roman Army Grade/Rank List under Anastasius
(07-04-2017, 09:10 PM)Julian de Vries Wrote: Academic article about the numeri:

The essay is good, but the most comprehensive report to this day about the early numeri is still that of of Marcus Reuter.
(see Studien zu den numeri des römischen Heeres in der mittleren Kaiserzeit. In: Berichte der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 80, 1999, p. 359-569)

But it is not just Reuter who noticed that veredarii were always attached to the old auxillaries, respectively early numeri. The mounted units of classical legions were called ιππευς καταλογος, even ειλε, στρατιωτική ιππεύς or equites. The "K" in the Strategicon means καβαλαριος. It is also noteworthy that the capitum for the cavalry is completely missing at the Perge-slab, although this was given (or paid) in averted form until the 7th century - a fact surprisingly never questionized by anyone.
That's the reason why I said once that the numbering games are exciting (I personally love it), but they can be misleading if the circumstances and the biography of this unit are not clarified and the titles and its usage are little understood regarding the late 5th, 6th and early 7th century.

Also the issue of the paid annona and the stipendium (the latter one is completely missing at Perge) is an interesting issue. I also studied several papyri from egypt (6th cent.) from units which were indeed most likley linked to classical ancient legions... and here the "gap" between a κεντυριων (Centurio) and his κοντουβερναλις (Contubernalis) is much bigger regarding the paid annona. In those old units it seems unlikely that most of the internal tasks (jobs) were taken over by the tribunus or his vicarius (tribunus minor) and it seems that the old Centurio still maintained a very important position. I mean, Phocas was called centurion and not centenarius. Papyrological finds clearly show that the old centurion can be proved at least up to the 6th century. At the same time other units naming the centenarius only.

There is by the way a decree in the Codex Theodosianus, repeated by the Codex Iust., which regulates the conversion of the fodder-supply (the capita) to the municipality of the garrison-site. The provision of these open grazing areas was at the expense of the community and gave rise to criticism and letters of protest more than one time. In this case, the state did not pay the capitum. However, these cases never affected, to my knowlegde, units of the (mobile) field armies since their supply was implemented differently. 

The early numeri - those of the late 2nd and early 3rd century - were basically divided into two groups.
1. There were the ethnic-groups (which were surprisingly a minority) and
2. we find vexillations/detachments formed by several auxiliaries (esp. cohors and alae) - also named officially as numeri.

Marcus Reuter was also able to prove that even the so called barbarian "ethnic" numeri were quickly organized as a typically roman unit with roman (legionary) officers. In the attachment of his essay there are dozens of pages listing the primary sources (Papyri +CIL etc) which are showing the ranks and titles of these "barbarian" units, sometimes showing roman names on the grave stones.

According some epigraphical findings is becomes clear that (sometimes) all soldiers of such an auxillary-numerus were called "legionaries" in their entirety - even if just few legionaries were part of this numerus. This does not necessarily have to be the reason for the designation of our unit as "legio". But it already shows the beginnings of a certain mixture.
The evolvement of the 4th century shows a usage of the term numerus, finally rolled out to all units of the empire - from a colloquial term to a technical one. But that there was no ranking anymore between all the different units may be excluded. The Notita alone lists the units in their hierarchy up to the 5th century. 1.aux.pal. 2. legio 3. numeri...cohortes... etc. (in the praesental army the legio palatina was still the no.1). Another 50 or 60 years later all new (!) units were just called "numerus" plus the name of the city or the name of the emperor without further classification.

In one of my older comments, I have already shown that units could be promoted in their entirety. It is basically proved that various numeri from the 3rd century were promoted to cohortes and alae. Thus I was able to collect empirical material which clearly shows that legions were promoted to an auxilium (the new Aux.Pal) while another detachment of the same legion was still classified as legion. Furthmore old auxillaries were most likely promoted to a legion also. The unit of Perge was doubtless a legion when the slabs were eracted. The soldiers are called legionaries at Slab B. Furthermore we see the titles of honor which were given in an inflationary manner to the soldiers, like the flaviales and augustales (as far as I know those titles are always referred to members of the legions). Hidden behind those titles we can expect the caput contuberni, the decurio, also remnants of the tesserarius (just to give an example) or two deputies of the cavalry centurion like the duplicarius and sesquiplicarius from the old turmae. The unit of Perge was most likely a static limitanei troop of good quality, but after my studies I'm sure that it was originally not deployed as a legion.
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RE: Late Roman Army Grade/Rank List under Anastasius - by Marcel Frederik Schwarze - 07-05-2017, 08:32 PM

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