09-13-2017, 08:20 PM
(09-13-2017, 05:47 PM)Renatus Wrote: there does not seem any reason to see the two units as being the same. As far as I am aware, there is no evidence for the ala ever having been stationed in Egypt.
True - although there don't seem to be any other candidates for the ἀριθμοῦ καταφράκτων either! There are no catafract units in Egypt mentioned anywhere except this, as far as I know. So was it a new unit, or a colloquial reference to some other formation?
The latin text refers to Aurelius Apollonius as optio, a legion rank - so presumably Apollonius is a soldier of II Traiana. Barsimes Bassus, on the other hand, is called decurion (dekadarchos in the Greek) of the numero supra scripto - presumably this is the catafract unit.
If this was a unit of equites promoti we might expect all the men to hold legion ranks. Alternatively, a unit of 'new cavalry' (equites) would use the ranks exarch, biarchus or centenarius. The use of the old rank decurion suggests that this was indeed an old-style ala.
Can we tell from the text where the unit was based? Pelusium is mentioned, as is (I think) the winter camp of II Traiana. The ND has a unit of Equites Stablesiani at Pelusium, which doesn't help much...
Nathan Ross