Late Roman Unit Sizes

[Flavivs Aetivs]

There certainly were. Ammianus Marcellinus (14.2) describes a brief war with the Isaurians in c.354. After mentioning "the soldiers quartered in the numerous towns and fortresses which lie near those regions", he particularly mentions "Pamphylia... protected everywhere by strong garrisons", "the legions that were then wintering at Side" in that province, and "Seleucia, the metropolis of the province, which Count Castricius was holding with three legions steeled by hard service". These are later supported by "Nebridius, Count of the East [who] got together troops from every side".

So this region was heavily garrisoned by limitanei legions. Mostly probably the one listed on the Perge fragments was of this sort.

Thanks for the quotes. Zeno the Isaurian (not to be confused with later "Zeno's"), a major wrench in the East Roman Empire's political operations in the 440's and 450's, probably commanded these forces.

But as Isauria and Pamphylia were not garrisoned at all until the late 3rd century at the earliest, and trouble with the Isaurians apparently continued into the early 6th century, I would think it a safe bet that strong limitanei forces remained there throughout the period in question.

Or at least until they were defeated and became the primary area of recruitment under the Emperor Zeno. IIRC many Isaurians became the Excubitores guard unit.