Legio III Italica & Province Raetia. Looking for info

[markusaurelius]

To make a long story short I'm trying to find out more information about a specific Roman Road Fort. Located at Schaan, Leichtenstein (beside the Rhine River, and near the current Border of Switzerland).

I can trace my family history directly to the 1600's in a small town called Buchs, Switzerland (I'm working on getting this even further back). Buchs is aboutt 2 KM from the Roman Fort at Schaan.

I have other primary records that Trace our family name to the 1450's, in the same small Swiss Town. Our name is very unique to this area and has its toponym believed to be from the Latin "Montenarius" which means "person mountain dweller".

Two questions:

1.) Can anyone provide me with Sources for the Roman Fort at Schaan? What Cohorts were stationed there? the names etc. Any soldier names etc.? I have yet to find the Latin name for that fort as well, which may mean it just isnt known.....

From what I can gather so far the Fort was built in the 350's by Emperor Valentinian I and remained there as an active part of the Limes Defences until the fall of the Wester Empire in 476 AD.

See Reconstruction Model of Fort at Schaan.



2.) Can anyone give me any info on the name Montenarius, any inscriptions or associated uses of that name in the Roman period?


Much appreciated!

[mcbishop]

1.) Can anyone provide me with Sources for the Roman Fort at Schaan? What Cohorts were stationed there? the names etc. Any soldier names etc.? I have yet to find the Latin name for that fort as well, which may mean it just isnt known.....

From what I can gather so far the Fort was built in the 350's by Emperor Valentinian I and remained there as an active part of the Limes Defences until the fall of the Wester Empire in 476 AD.

There is a bit about it (and the late Roman settlement on the nearby Fluchtburg) in Drack and Fellman's roundup of Roman Switzerland:

W. Drack and R. Fellmann, Die Römer in der Schweiz, Theiss Verlag (Stuttgart 1988: ISBN 3-8062-0420-9), 499-501

and that has quite a useful bibliography of work done on the site, although no units or inscriptions are mentioned. There are apparently hints of an early fort nearby, where a coin of Augustus and the two well-known helmets came from, but most of what is known is about the late fort. Most of the work appears to be reported in the Jb Hist Ver f. d. Fürstentum Liechtenstein, which I'm guessing isn't on everybody's library shelves ;-)

Hope that helps a bit.

Mike Bishop

[Robert Vermaat]

Our name is very unique to this area and has its toponym believed to be from the Latin "Montenarius" which means "person mountain dweller".

Why Latin? Reatoroman/Ladin (sp.?) would be a better choice, being the local language for centuries and related to Latin.

1.) Can anyone provide me with Sources for the Roman Fort at Schaan? What Cohorts were stationed there? the names etc. Any soldier names etc.? I have yet to find the Latin name for that fort as well, which may mean it just isnt known....
From what I can gather so far the Fort was built in the 350's by Emperor Valentinian I and remained there as an active part of the Limes Defences until the fall of the Western Empire in 476 AD.

Yes, Valentinian is seen as the originator, but coins from 337 onwards may indicate that some structure came before this Late Roman castle. There was a refugium above Schaan, that was given up after the fort was built.
I found no Roman name, nor any indication that we know that names of occupying units.

[markusaurelius]

Thanks for some info.

I'm going to try and look for a copy of that first book Mike. And as you mentioned the other book is most likely not on many book shelves.

I did find another book (which I have yet to locate a copy of) which looks like it might be useful. But again I doubt I'll be able to find a copy

Das römische Kastell von Schaan, David BECK, Limes-Studien [1962[?], S. 31-33.

I find it unusual that there are no records of what units served there, or what the name of the fort was. Does anyone know if the site has been fully excavated? Perhaps that is why there is limited information available.....

[Robert Vermaat]

I'm going to try and look for a copy of that first book Mike. And as you mentioned the other book is most likely not on many book shelves.

It's on mine..
The information is very scant, just a few pages. I also have a more modern book, only with just a page.. Want a scan?

[Robert Vermaat]

Das römische Kastell von Schaan, David BECK, Limes-Studien [1962[?], S. 31-33.

I think the correct ref must be:

D. Beck: Schaan, in: Jahrbuch Schweizer Gesellschaft für Ur- und Frühgeschichte 49 (1962), pp. 31-4.

[markusaurelius]

:o
Robert that would be Fantastic!! Any and all information would be most appreciated.

I have sent you a PM with my email address.

Any suggestions on how I can track down the relevant pages from the BECK source?