Roman forts in Turkey

[Mithras]

Hi,

I'm trying to locate a possible fort or billet for the 3 limitanei Isaurian legions mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum for Cilicia, southern Turkey. I believe another reference details their location from 3rd century onwards as Silifke (ancient Seleucia ad Calycadnus) opposite Cyprus. Yet there are, as far as I can find out, no Roman fort remains in the city of Silifke. The nearest legionary site seems to be Side/Selimiye far to the west.

Where are these troops stationed, I wonder? In the 4th C billetting amongst the populace sounds like a probable explanation, 3000 troops could be easily settled. But in the 3rdC, did billeting amongst civillians exist then?

Or is this a case of 'missing fort' presumed 'somewhere nearby'???

I know this is a bit of an obscure subject. Anybody know anything of Roman military architecture in southern Turkey??!! hock:

What may confuse the issue is that these legions are limitanei, but controlled by a Count. Did this mean they were mobile and without a fort?

EDIT: I've just found Ammianus XIV 2.5 "Anger at this (Isaurian uprising) aroused the soldiers quartered in the numerous towns and fortresses which lie near these regions..."

I'm not sure that helps me though!

[Robert Vermaat]

The Notitia does not seem to give us individual forts for the Oriens units.

We only know that the Comes (et dux) et praese Isausirae, Castricius, barricaded himself in Selecia with three 'battle-proven' legions.
(Ammianus XIV.2.14).

Hoffmann thinks that these were legio I, II and III Isaura. Others like Ritterling thinks that each province had just two legions from Diocletian onwards, and provides only II and III Isaura.

[Mithras]

Thanks. In that case, I need to be searching for Roman fort remains in southern Turkey ...

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

It's not much, but I think the Osprey book on the Walls of Constantinople mentions some forts as well! Will look it up!

[Mithras]

That would be appreciated Byron!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Well, seems my memory playing tricks. Could find little in that book, but know I saw something some where, on a line of fortifications in Turkey.

Now you have me interested....... :?

[Dan Diffendale]

It might be worth a brief look at the Pleiades beta ( http://pleiades.stoa.org/ ). Most of the sites thus far entered are apparently fortifications in Asia Minor... but it may be an exercise in frustration until they're a bit further along.

[Ebusitanus]

I believe to have read that in the east it was much more common to have the units dwelling inside the cities as opposed to the west where fort life was more used.

[Mithras]

Yes, weren't there Syrian garrisons that had their billets inside Antioch, even in the Principate period? I remember Tacitus describing how Corbulo gave the legion a good going over as it had become extremely lax and used to city comforts.