Military Hierarchy of Late Roman Britain

[A. Flavius]

Hi all,

Sorry to seem like I'm flooding the board, I just think this would be a slightly easier way to answer some of the questions being asked.

These two have to do with the military hierarchy and organisation of Roman Britain.

1) What was the relationship between the Comes Britanniarum (Count of Britain) and the Dux Britanniarum? As far as I know, both were military commands. Duces usually had overall military command of all legions in a particular diocese. However sources seem to suggest that the Count of Britain was also granted sweeping military powers in the diocese? How could these two offices co-exist at the same time?

2) What sort of forces would have been available to the Count of the Saxon Shore? The Notitia Dignitatum states he had several limitanesis units under his command, but there appears to be evidence of the existence of a comitatus legion under his command as well in the form of the Secunda Britannica. Also would the Count have held a naval command in the Classis Britanniarum?

Militarily I'm finding the Notitia Dignitatum a bit lacking when it comes to Late Roman Britain. Units are difficult to trace or just appear out of nowhere. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Scott.

[Robert Vermaat]

1) What was the relationship between the Comes Britanniarum (Count of Britain) and the Dux Britanniarum? As far as I know, both were military commands. Duces usually had overall military command of all legions in a particular diocese. However sources seem to suggest that the Count of Britain was also granted sweeping military powers in the diocese? How could these two offices co-exist at the same time?

The diocese of Britain had two military regions, that of the east/south coast (comes litoris Saxonici per Britannias) and that of the Wall and the coast on both sides (dux Britanniarum). We are not 100% sure which command extended exactly to what area. They are not thought to have bordered on each other.

The Comes Brittaniarum (of whom we don't know before the ND) would have had a command of troops who were most likely billeted on the towns in the region where they happened to be stationed. Such an army could vanish and be founded again, as most mobile armies seem to have changed often in appearances.

2) What sort of forces would have been available to the Count of the Saxon Shore? The Notitia Dignitatum states he had several limitanesis units under his command, but there appears to be evidence of the existence of a comitatus legion under his command as well in the form of the Secunda Britannica. Also would the Count have held a naval command in the Classis Britanniarum?

DUX BRITANNIARUM

Sub dispositione uiri spectabilis ducis Britanniarum:
18. Praefectus legionis sextae
19. Praefectus equitum Dalmatarum, Praesidio
20. Praefectus equitum Crispianorum, Dano
21. Praefectus equitum catafractariorum, Morbio
22. Praefectus numeri barcariorum Tigrisiensium, Arbeia
23. Praefectus numeri Nerviorum Dictensium, Dicti
24. Praefectus numeri uigilum, Concangios
25. Praefectus numeri exploratorum, Lauatres
26. Praefectus numeri directorum, Uerteris
27. Praefectus numeri defensorum, Braboniaco
28. Praefectus numeri Solensium, Maglone
29. Praefectus numeri Pacensium, Magis
30. Praefectus numeri Longovicanorum, Longouico
31. Praefectus numeri superuenientium Petueriensium, Deruentione
Item per lineam ualli:
33. Tribunus cohortis quartae Lingonum, Segeduno
34. Tribunus cohortis primae Cornouiorum, Ponte Aeli
35. Praefectus alae primae Asturum, Conderco
36. Tribunus cohortis primae Frixagorum, Uindobala
37. Praefectus alae Sabinianae, Hunno
38. Praefectus alae secundae Asturum, Cilurno
39. Tribunus cohortis primae Batauorum, Procolitia
40. Tribunus cohortis primae Tungrorum, Borcouicio
41. Tribunus cohortis quartae Gallorum, Uindolana
42. Tribunus cohortis primae Asturum, Aesica
43. Tribunus cohortis secundae Dalmatarum, Magnis
44. Tribunus cohortis primae Aeliae Dacorum, Amboglanna
45. Praefectus alae Petrianae, Uxelodunum or Petrianis
46. 'Luguuallii'
47. Praefectus numeri Maurorum Aurelianorum, Aballaba
48. Tribunus cohortis secundae Lingonum, Congauata
49. Tribunus cohortis primae Hispaniorum, Axeloduno
50. Tribunus cohortis secundae Thracum, Gabrosenti
51. Tribunus cohortus primae Aeliae classicae, Tunnocelo
52. Tribunus cohortis primae Morinorum, Glannibanta
53. Tribunus cohortis tertiae Neruiorum, Alione
54. Cuneus Sarmatarum, Bremetenraco
55. Praefectus alae primae Herculeae, Olenaco
56. Tribunus cohortis sextae Neruiorum, Uirosido
_______________

Troops and Offices of the Dux Britanniarum:.
18. (York)
19. (?)
20. (Doncaster)
21. (Ilkley?)
22. (South Shields)
23. (Old Winteringham?)
24. (Chester-le-Street)
25. (Bowes)
26. (Brough Castle)
27. (Kirkby Thore)
28. (Old Carlisle)
29. (Drumburgh)
30. (Lanchester)
31. (Malton)
Units along the line of the Wall:
33. (Wallsend)
34. (Newcastle)
35. (Benwell)
36. (Rudchester)
37. (Halton Chesters)
38. (Chesters)
39. (Carrawburgh)
40. (Housesteads)
41. (Chesterholm)
42. (Great Chesters)
43. (Carvoran)
44. (Castleheads)
45. (Stanwix or Wreay)
46. 'Carlisle' - Seeck's emendation
47. (Burgh-by-Sands)
48. (Kirkbride)
49. (Maryport)
50. (Workington)
51. (Bowness)
52. (Ravenglass)
53. (Lancaster)
54. (Ribchester)
55. (?)
56. (?)

COMES LITORIS SAXONICI PER BRITANNIAM

Sub dispositione uiri spectabilis comitis litoris Saxonici per Britanniam:
13. Praepositus numeri Fortensium, Othonae
14. Praepositus militum Tungrecanorum, Dubris
15. Praepositus numeri Turnacensium, Lemannis
16. Praepositus equitum Dalmatarum Branodunensium, Branoduno
17. Praepositus equitum stablesianorum Gariannonensium, Gariannonor
18. Tribunus cohortis primae Baetasiorum, Regulbio
19. Praefectus legionis secundae Augustae, Rutupis
20. Praepositus numeri Abulcorum, Anderidos
21. Praepositus numeri exploratorum, Portum Adurni
____________________
THE COUNT OF THE SAXON SHORE

Troops and Offices of the Count of the Saxon Shore
13. (Bradwell)
14. (Dover)
15. (Lympne)
16. (Brancaster)
17. (Burgh Castle)
18. (Reculver)
19. (Richborough)
20. (Pevensey)
21. (Portchester?)

No, we don't know of any naval commands of either dux or comes.

Militarily I'm finding the Notitia Dignitatum a bit lacking when it comes to Late Roman Britain. Units are difficult to trace or just appear out of nowhere. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Well, read my article here and tell me if you have more questions:
http://www.vortigernstudies.org.uk/artsou/notitia.htm

[A. Flavius]

Hello,

Thank you for the extensive posting on the Notitia Dignitatum, Vortigern. It should help me answer many questions. From what I understand of your article, whilst we do have some idea of what units may have been in Britain around the time in question, the ND was composed afterwards and so there is no way to be certain. However due to the very static nature of most frontier armies of the time, it would be reasonable to assume that many of the units mentioned in the ND would still have been there at the time of its composition?

Also the many units you mention raised questions about the developed of the Late Roman military formations. Was a cohort, for example, still a body of roughly 500 hundred men divided up into 5 centuries commanded by centurions?

What was a numerus? Was there any relation between alae and vexillationes? Were they both cavalry units?

Cheers,

Scott.

[Robert Vermaat]

From what I understand of your article, whilst we do have some idea of what units may have been in Britain around the time in question, the ND was composed afterwards and so there is no way to be certain. However due to the very static nature of most frontier armies of the time, it would be reasonable to assume that many of the units mentioned in the ND would still have been there at the time of its composition?

There is no certainty in history. This for instance happened 1500 years ago and even if we had been there, we would have told conflicting witness reports.
I'm not sure what you mean netx - of course all troops would have been there at the time of the composition, it's hardly reasonable to assume that the information of the ND was so outdated. the question however is (and unanswerable at that): how long was the information reliable. There were updates - was the whole list updated or was most of the ND outdated by 425, when the last updates seem to have been added?

So many questions:

Was a cohort, for example, still a body of roughly 500 hundred men divided up into 5 centuries commanded by centurions?

No and yes.

What was a numerus?

Guess. we all have to. 'A body of men'.

Was there any relation between alae and vexillationes?

yes and no. Alae were old-style cavalry units, vexillations were parts of larger units fighting away from that unit, sometimes becoming new independent units under a different or even the same name.

Were they both cavalry units?

No, not necessarily, vexillations could also be infantry.