05-20-2017, 10:10 AM
(05-20-2017, 05:57 AM)markhebb Wrote: I don't buy the Woodsian 'our sources really meant Valens when talking about Valentinian' argument for one minute.
Yeah, Sozomen's quite explicit about that - I'm curious about this 'ancient Roman law' that supposedly says 'the leader of the Joviani and Herculiani (that is to say, the legions of soldiers who have received this appellation in honour of Jupiter and of Hercules) should always accompany the emperor as his bodyguard' (HE 6.6) - particularly as these units had only been in existence for less than a century at the time (I assume Soz was using 'ancient' in terms of his own era, not Julian's?)
Interesting that both units seem to have one commander though.
Stranger still, Theodoret (III.12) claims that Valentinian 'was at that time a Tribune and commanded the Hastati quartered in the palace.'
Nathan Ross
