08-09-2006, 10:54 AM
Follwing on from one of Jasper's earlier posts, we have the cohors voluntariorum civium romanorum, ingenuorum c R, Italica c R and campestris. Collectively these regiments constitute the cohortes civivm Romanorvm of volunteer citizens, to the soldiers of which, Augustus left by his will, a donative equal to that of the Legionaries. (Tacitus Annals i. 8 )
It appears that they represent the result of two levies made by Augustus in Italy, the first during the Pannonian uprising in 9AD and the second after the defeat of Publius Quinctillius Varus. The Cohortes I and II Italica could however have been raised at a later date by Tiberius to put down the Brigands in Sardinia (Tacitus Annals ii. 85)
When free-born citizens could not be found in sufficient numbers, the levy was extended to freedmen. This is corroborated by inscriptions, since the 'ingenuorum' clearly implies the existence of regiments whose members could not make the same boast!
As the will of Augustus shows, these cohorts occupied a peculiar position, and were practically on the same level as the Legionaries, and in consequence their commanders bear the title of Tribunus. Up until the Flavian period, this is how things stood, but a diploma from Dalmatia of 93AD shows that unenfranchised recruits had been accepted. In the second century, only their title distinguishes these regiments from the ordinary auxilia.
It appears that they represent the result of two levies made by Augustus in Italy, the first during the Pannonian uprising in 9AD and the second after the defeat of Publius Quinctillius Varus. The Cohortes I and II Italica could however have been raised at a later date by Tiberius to put down the Brigands in Sardinia (Tacitus Annals ii. 85)
When free-born citizens could not be found in sufficient numbers, the levy was extended to freedmen. This is corroborated by inscriptions, since the 'ingenuorum' clearly implies the existence of regiments whose members could not make the same boast!
As the will of Augustus shows, these cohorts occupied a peculiar position, and were practically on the same level as the Legionaries, and in consequence their commanders bear the title of Tribunus. Up until the Flavian period, this is how things stood, but a diploma from Dalmatia of 93AD shows that unenfranchised recruits had been accepted. In the second century, only their title distinguishes these regiments from the ordinary auxilia.
![[Image: smallparmarat.jpg]](http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b242/peronis/smallparmarat.jpg)
