Late Roman Unit Sizes

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Steven, the Scutarii were not infantry, many of the quotes you give you need to check the Latin text as well as then you may get a different reading from Rolfe's translation. I have no idea why Rolfe keeps calling the Scutarii 'targeteers', the best translation would be 'shield-bearers' in my opinion. The Scutarii were an elite Guard cavalry unit, some historians believe they were 'light cavalry', although I'm not entirely sure why.

AFAIK I have always known it to be "Shield Bearers" but the Scutarii AFAIK were not an Elite Guard unit other than the specific part of the Schola Palatina called Scutarii. Equites Scutarii are posted throughout the Empire as both Limitanei and Comitatensian Cavalry.

The legionary lanciarii were perhaps an innovation of the Severan era - they turn up in Legio II Parthica, and are mentioned a few times during the third century. By the tetrarchy there seems to have been a corps of lanciarii attached to the imperial comitatus (Aurelius Gaius served with them, if I recall correctly). The notion that these lanciarii, detached from their original legions, later formed the palatine legion of the Lanciarii is tempting, but unproven. As you've said, late Roman unit titles were not perhaps as obvious as they might appear...!

And don't forget II Traiana in 298-304 had Lanciarii Vexillationes in Egypt. The Panopolis Papyrii are amazing.