04-07-2016, 07:20 AM
(04-06-2016, 01:20 PM)ValentinianVictrix Wrote: There were at least three field armies in the East during Constantius' reign- under the commands of these magister's- Magister Militum per Orientem, Magister Militum per Thracias and the Magister Militum per Illyricum.
Am stuck in a hotel at present so a bit away from material (apologies), but could you point me in the direction of where to look for this info please Adrian.
The armies I can recall from Ammianus for Constantius II's reign are the one in Gaul that Julian ends up with (essentially Constantine II's old praesental army?), the one that comes from Italy under Barbatio (Magister Peditum IIRC and is presumably Constans' old praesental army previously commanded by Vetranio) and (I assume) one with Constantius himself (his praesental army, his one third share of what the sons of Constantine I had). There was a Magister Equitum in the east (Ursicinus then Sabinianus), however, when Constantius is away in the west there is no field army in action in the east which (maybe) suggests that if there was an eastern field army it wasn't very large and not up to facing the Persians (maybe why Amida falls?).
Moving to the reign of Valens where you say "Valen's himself commanded the Army of Thrace when he crossed the Danube in three campaigns against the Greuthungi Goths." I'd suggest what he commanded was his praesental army - the half of Julian's old army he got when he and Valentinian split this.
