Number of Auxilia in Early Empire

[Aryaman2]

Hi
In Peter Connolly´s Roman Legions it is claimed that by the time of Vespasianus there were 28 legions (about 140.000 legionaires) and a similar number of auxilia. I wonder, is there a comprehensive list of the number of auxilia units in the period or it is just a rough estimate?

[Praefectusclassis]

The 'a similar number of auxilia' comes almost straight out of Tacitus for 23 AD (Ann.IV.5.) : "in not much inferior strength", usually compared against the legions, although Tacitus' text really allows for a larger range.
If you count the units that were supposedly in existance in the Flavian era (e.g in Holder, Auxilia, Saddington, Development or Spaul's Cohors 2 and Ala 2 and multiply them by theoretical unit strength you do arrive at a number of troops that is (very) roughly the same. Of course, it's hard to say with any measure of confidence whether such lists are complete.

[S SEVERUS]

Try to get a copy of this book :

G L Cheesemans 'The Auxillia of the Roman Imperial Army' are very old book (about 1920's I think).

[Caius Fabius]

That book has been reprinted.
[amazon]Auxilia of the Roman Imperial Army[/amazon]

[D B Campbell]

G L Cheesemans 'The Auxillia of the Roman Imperial Army' are very old book (about 1920's I think).

Wonderful book, published in 1914.
Cheesman himself was killed at Gallipoli before he had a chance to establish his academic career.

[arklore70]

Wow,
did not know about him being KIA.

It is a good work and aavailable for about fifteen dollars. Lots of great information in it. Some of it is a little bit dated such as equipment, but it is a great source and one of the more easier ones to find.

v/r
Mike

[mcbishop]

G L Cheesemans 'The Auxillia of the Roman Imperial Army' are very old book (about 1920's I think).

Wonderful book, published in 1914.
Cheesman himself was killed at Gallipoli before he had a chance to establish his academic career.

I think writing a prize-winning essay that becomes a book which has yet to be bettered 90 years later is not a bad way of establishing your academic career - makes me feel like a piece of primordial slime by comparison!

He was killed August 10th 1915 near Suvla Bay aged 30. A digital edition of his Auxilia is now in preparation.

Mike Bishop

[D B Campbell]

I think writing a prize-winning essay that becomes a book which has yet to be bettered 90 years later is not a bad way of establishing your academic career

But just imagine if he had been involved in CIL, as originally planned (I believe). Who knows where that might've led, fifty years before RIB. :!:

[mcbishop]

But just imagine if he had been involved in CIL, as originally planned (I believe). Who knows where that might've led, fifty years before RIB. :!:

At the risk of drifting OT, it was in fact RIB he was being groomed to take on, according to Phil Freeman. With C's death in 1915, then Haverfield's in 1919, it passed to Collingwood who eventually fell ill and it was left to Wright to finish. This and much much more is covered in the forthcoming The Best Training-Ground for Archaeologists by P.W.M. Freeman (shameless plug).

Curiously, amazon.co.uk has the Auxilia as written by one L.G. Cheeseman. Is nothing sacred?

Mike Bishop