03-19-2014, 12:44 PM
Zosimus gives two specific accounts in which he gives numbers related to the tagmata. The one is those from Illyria sent to Rome and the other those sent from the east to Honorius.
"πέντε τῶν ἀπὸ Δαλματίας στρατιωτικὰ τάγματα, τῆς οἰκείας μεταστάντα καθέδρας, ἐπὶ φυλακῇ τῆς Ῥώμης ἐλθεῖν• τὰ δὲ τάγματα ταῦτα ἐπλήρουν ἄνδρες ἑξακισχίλιοι", 5.45.1
"ἓξ τάγματα στρατιωτῶν προσωρμίσθησαν, πάλαι μὲν ἔτι περιόντος Στελίχωνος προσδοκώμενα, τότε δὲ πρὸς συμμαχίαν ἐκ τῆς ἑῴας παραγενόμενα, μυριάδων ἀριθμὸν ὄντα τεσσάρων." 6.8.2
The first one is generally translated as the whole force being 6,000 men but unfortunately the text is a bit vague as it says (in a word by word translation) :
"Five of the from Dalmatia military tagmata relocated their base and came for the guard of Rome. These tagmata were filled by 6,000 men."
I personally stand for the text to mean the total force is 6,000 men in proper Greek, BUT, just to fuel some controversy :evil: :evil: , one could use this text, with some stretching, to support that each of these tagmata was 6,000 strong instead of all five.
Where does Synesius mention the 4,000 men? I have probably missed this when I read him.
"πέντε τῶν ἀπὸ Δαλματίας στρατιωτικὰ τάγματα, τῆς οἰκείας μεταστάντα καθέδρας, ἐπὶ φυλακῇ τῆς Ῥώμης ἐλθεῖν• τὰ δὲ τάγματα ταῦτα ἐπλήρουν ἄνδρες ἑξακισχίλιοι", 5.45.1
"ἓξ τάγματα στρατιωτῶν προσωρμίσθησαν, πάλαι μὲν ἔτι περιόντος Στελίχωνος προσδοκώμενα, τότε δὲ πρὸς συμμαχίαν ἐκ τῆς ἑῴας παραγενόμενα, μυριάδων ἀριθμὸν ὄντα τεσσάρων." 6.8.2
The first one is generally translated as the whole force being 6,000 men but unfortunately the text is a bit vague as it says (in a word by word translation) :
"Five of the from Dalmatia military tagmata relocated their base and came for the guard of Rome. These tagmata were filled by 6,000 men."
I personally stand for the text to mean the total force is 6,000 men in proper Greek, BUT, just to fuel some controversy :evil: :evil: , one could use this text, with some stretching, to support that each of these tagmata was 6,000 strong instead of all five.
Where does Synesius mention the 4,000 men? I have probably missed this when I read him.