Later Roman and Early Byzantine Information

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Salve,<br>
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Personally I am glad that there is finally some discussion. As KHMPtolemaic wrote the available source material is far from complete and can be interpreted in different manners. By arguing for our different views and providing the source references the insight in these matters might grow.<br>
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The Roman army consited of a mix of conscripts and volunteers throughout its existence with the numbers fluctuating according to various circumstances. There are only few references available indicating what their relative numbers were. However the assertion that volunteers predominated after Marius cannot be supported by hard evidence. Sources referring to the draft and to the problems in attracting volunteers argue for a continued importance of levies to fill the ranks. Conscription was not popular, with unwilling potential recruits resorting to selfmutilation (usually more associated with later times, but also attested under Augustus) or providing replacements (<i> vicarii</i>) when they did not want to serve in person.<br>
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Brunt, P.A., 'Conscription and volunteering in the Roman imperial army' in: <i> Roman imperial themes</i> (Oxford 1990), 188-214.<br>
Wierschowski, L., 'Kriegsdienstverweigerung im römischen Reich' in: <i> Ancient Society</i> 26 (1995), 205-239.<br>
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These inscriptions all relate to conscription levies in the first three centuries of the principate.<br>
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<i> CIL</i> 6, 41281.<br>
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] Ae[l]io Fir[mo? ---? em(inentissimo)? v(iro)?] | praef(ecto) pra[et(orio) Imp(eratoris) Dec(i)i Aug(usti)?] | praef(ecto) Mesop(otamiae) iu[ridico Alexandreae] | vice praef(ecti) Aeg[ypti proc(uratori) provinc(iae)] | Maced(oniae) proc(uratori) pro[vinc(iae) ---] | ubiq(ue) vic(e) praes(idis) a[genti | <b> praeposito] vexillation(ibus) in di[lect(u) agent(ibus)</b>? item a divo] | Gordiano leg(ioni) I [--- item ab eodem] | vexill(ationi) class(is) pr(aetoriae) [Misen(atis)? proc(uratori) provinc(iae)] | [His]p(aniae) cit(erioris) proc(uratori) pro[vinc(iae) ---] | [proc(uratori)] prov(inciae) I(?)[---] | [---]V I(?)I(?)[---] | [<br>
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'...commander of the detachments active in the levy...'<br>
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<i> CIL</i> 8, 7036.<br>
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T(ito) Caesernio [T(iti)] f(ilio) Palat(ina) Statio | Quintio Stat[ia]no Memmio Ma | crino co(n)s(uli) sod[al]i Augustali leg(ato) pr(o) pr(aetore) | provinciae Af[ri]cae leg(ato) leg(ionis) XIIII G(eminae) M(artiae) V(ictricis) | <b> misso ad dilec[tu]m iuniorum a divo | Hadriano in r[ e ]gionem Transpada | nam</b> trib(uno) pl(ebis) quae[st(ori)] candidato divi Hadriani | comiti eiusdem in [Ori]en[t]e X{V}virum(!) stlitib(us) | iu[dican]dis | d(ecreto) d(ecurionum) pat[rono IIII c]olon(iae) p(ecunia) p(ublica)<br>
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'...sent by the deified Hadrianus to the transpaduan region for a levy of recruits...'<br>
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<i> CIL</i> 8, 14603.<br>
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L(ucius) Flaminius D(ecimi) f(ilius) Arn(ensis) | mil(es) leg(ionis) III Aug(ustae) > Iuli Longi <i> dilecto | lectus[/b] ab M(arco) Silano mil(itavit) | annis XIX in praesidio | ut esset in salto Philomulsiano ab hostem(!) in pugna | occissus(!) vixit pie | annis XL | h(ic) s(itus) e(st)<br>
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'...conscripted in the levy...'<br>
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<i> AE</i></i> 1951, 88.<br>
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C(aio) Iulio C(aii) f(ilio) Vo[l(tinia)] | Karo ex provincia Narbo | nensi trib(uno) mil(itum) leg(ionis) III Cy[r(enaicae)] | praef(ecto) coh(ortis) II Astyrum eq(uitatae) | donato bello Brittanico c[or(ona)] | murali corona vallari cor(ona) | aurea hasta pura | <b> [ c ]entyriones et | milites leg(ionis) III Cyr(enaicae) et leg(ionis) | [X]XII missi in provinciam | [C]yrenensium dilectus caussa(!)</b><br>
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'...the centurions and soldiers of <i> legio</i> III <i> Cyrenaica</i> and <i> legio</i> XXII who were dispatched to the province of the Cyrenians because of a levy'<br>
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<i> AE</i> 1975, 806.<br>
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C(aio) Fabricio C(aii) f(ilio) | Ani(ensi) Tusco IIviro augur(i) | praef(ecto) cohort(is) Apulae et | operum quae in colonia iussu | Augusti facta sunt trib(uno) mil(itum) leg(ionis) III | Cyr(enaicae) VIII trib(uno) <b> dilectus ingenuorum | quem Romae habuit Augustus et | Ti(berius) Caesar</b> praef(ecto) fabr(um) IIII praef(ecto) equit(um) | alae praet(oriae) IIII hasta pura et corona | aurea donatus est a Germanico | Caesare imp(eratore) bello Germanico | d(ecreto) d(ecurionum)<br>
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'...the levy of born citizens which Augustus and Tiberius Caesar held at Rome...'<br>
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<i> AE</i> 1983, 325.<br>
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] | [procura]tori Imper[atorum] Antonini et Veri | [Augusto]r(um) provinciae Galatiae item <b> procur[atori] | [ad dilect(um)] in Mauretania Caesariensi misso</b> ab | [divo Anto]nino Aug(usto) Pio p(atre) p(atriae) praef(ecto) alae Thracum tribuno | [coh(ortis) (I) mili]ariae Brittonum praef(ecto) coh(ortis) equitatae | [---]norum [---] curatori q(uin)q(uennali) summo magistro | [Septaquis? ---] | [------] | [---]T decurion[es? vi]ritim ae[r]e conlato<br>
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'...procurator sent for the levy in Mauretania Caesariensis...'<br>
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<i> AE</i> 1992, 1866.<br>
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Ti(berio) Cl(audio) Proculo | Corneliano | praef(ecto) coh(ortis) II Bra(carum) | trib(uno) coh(ortis) mil(iariae) Ael(iae) | Dacor(um) praef(ectus) al(ae) | Sulpiciae proc(uratori) | provinc(iae) Syriae | ad rationes putandas | proc(uratori) metal(li) Pannonic(orum) | et Dalmaticorum proc(uratori) | kalend(arii) Vegetiani Hisp(aniae) | <b> item ad dilectum cum | Iulio Vero per | Italiam tironum | II leg(ionis) Italicae</b> | proc(uratori) regionis | Thevestinae | proc(uratori) IIII p(ublicae) A(fricae) | Inventus | Aug(usti) lib(ertus) tabul(arius) | [[leg(ionis) III]] Aug(ustae)<br>
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'...as well as for the levy of recruits in Italy of <i> legio</i> II <i> Italica</i> with Iulius Verus...'<br>
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Regards,<br>
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Sander van Dorst <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showLocalUserPublicProfile?login=sandervandorst>Sander van Dorst</A> at: 3/7/02 5:08:58 pm<br></i>