citizenship and auxiliaries

[Vlad the Impala]

whilst Im aware of individual citizens joining the auxilia, and indeed the block award of citizenship to entire units (although exactly what this means is still unclear)


ive come across a question

in AD69 Otho grants the Lingones citizenship.(Tacitus-The Histories 1.78 )

5 cohorts of Lingones are mentioned by Spaul in Cohors2- although he states that they could have been raised at any time before AD98 when they are first recorded on diplomas for Britain.

So this leads to my question(s)

If the unit(s) were raised after AD69 would they therefore have been citizen cohorts?

If they were raised before AD69 would the units become citizens or only those who were Lingones?

if the units were entirely or mostly citizens in AD69 could this also explain why they are not recorded on diplomas until AD98- as it would take some years before many men would require diplomas as proof of citizenship??

[Peroni]

Mark, have you tried to find more details in the Margaret Roxan series of books on Roman Military Diplomas? They have excellent information.

if the units were entirely or mostly citizens in AD69 could this also explain why they are not recorded on diplomas until AD98- as it would take some years before many men would require diplomas as proof of citizenship??

It's quite possible. There's also the factor of 'outsiders' (non Lingones) being drafted into the units after transfer to other provinces. (such as Britain, Dacia and Pannonia) As non Lingones, the new recruits may have had to gain their citizenship through service years.

A good clue is the diploma. It generally, for this period at least, gives the nationality of the recipient after the name. If I remember correctly, there is only one soldier named that is a native-born. Also AFAIK there is no reference to ANY of the cohors Lingonum listed as CR on diplomas.

I'll have a browse generally for you and see what turns up. If you send me a PM with your email address, I'll forward on my findings.

[Vlad the Impala]

greetings Adrian

I havent got any of the military diploma publications (although plently of material referring to them )


Spaul doesnt have any of the Lingones as cR.

although from what I remember (and this was some years ago)

the title cR is assumed to be a reward (for unit valour etc), but who in the unit actually became citizens is unknown.

but if all Lingones were granted citizenship in AD69- it evidently doesnt follow that the title cR was granted to the cohorts. however it would not be unreasonable to assume that many (if not all -if raised after AD69) of the members (being Lingones) were actually citizens.



as an aside a couple of areas of interest from re-reading The Histories--
-the large number of militia forces in the provinces
-scaling back on number of soldiers by asking them to agree to early discharge and by getting auxiliaries to go home to their communities
-that the Batavians (in particular) seem to be able to do what they like!!

[Peroni]

whilst Im aware of individual citizens joining the auxilia, and indeed the block award of citizenship to entire units (although exactly what this means is still unclear)

In the case of coh I Batavorvm, The ‘Civium Romanorum’ or ‘Citizens of Rome’ suffix, giving the entire unit full citizen status was granted during the Dacian campaigns of the emperor Trajan . The diploma from Raetia (RMD-02, 00086 dated December AD113) found at Regensburg (Castra Regina) details the full honorific titles granted to the cohort, as does another diploma of Pannonia Superior, provenance unknown. (AE 1997, 01782).

Obviously the unit performed a great act of bravery or put on a good performance during battle.

I have a shed load of epigraphic evidence for your Cohors Lingonvm. If you'd like to send me a PM with your email, I'll post it on.