Auxillaries in Northeastern England

[Demetrius]

Avete, Omnes,

I am with Leg VI in Calif and I some of us Celts are trying to put together an Aux impression so we can occassionally fall in with the Romans. We are supposed to be in Eboracum. I know that a Batavian Alae served with Leg VI, but are there any known infantry units, esp of Celt orgin.

What did they wear?

Thank you

Bruce Willis

[D B Campbell]

I almost missed your post, tucked away in the "Allies & Enemies" section.

I suppose you're really asking which auxiliary units were stationed in the Yorkshire area during the post-Hadrianic period. The disappointing answer is, I'm afraid, none.

Archaeologically, it seems that forts in Yorkshire were abandoned c. AD 130 as their garrisons (presumably) moved up to Hadrian's Wall, and then Scotland, and then back to Hadrian's Wall. If you are re-enacting the VI Victrix during this period (the later 2nd C), the plain fact is that Eboracum/York stood pretty much alone.

Sorry.

[Demetrius]

Thanks for the reply DB. We actually are Hadrian's period so that is actually the time period I am looking to portray.

Thank you

Bruce

[Graham Sumner]

Hi Bruce

You could always be COHORS I CORNOVIORUM according to Holder the only known unit raised from a single British tribe. Furthermore he adds that they probably originated from a tribal militia in the reign of Hadrian. The Notitia Dignitatum places them at Newcastle at the eastern end of the wall.

See:
'The Roman Army in Britain' P.A. Holder. 1982 London.

If they wore anything in particular that was unique to the unit that would be pure guesswork. However there is a British auxiliary shown on a tombstone carrying a wooden club, which might make a fun impression! Otherwise I would just suggest your basic Roman style tunic in a red brown colour with bracae and a sagum style cloak which if you want to look native could be in a check pattern.

Best of luck

Graham.

[Demetrius]

Freteres Graham,

I think you may have stumbled on to something for me. I am going to follow through with the research on this unit. Thank you so much.

Bruce

[Graham Sumner]

Hello Bruce

The tombstone of the British auxiliary is from Cuneo, Museo Civica. The soldier is from COHORS III BRITANNORUM dating from around 70AD. It will be published soon in 'Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier' by Raffaele D'Amato and Graham Sumner.

The figure is just wearing a tunic and cloak worn over the left side of the body. Raffaele who has seen the original sculpture say's he is also wearing leather armour with pteryges at the shoulders with some form of collar around the neck! He also adds that the hairstyle depicted is the typical British hairstyle covered with gypsum and standing up in spikes!

I can imagine such a look would cause quite a stir! hock:

Graham.

[Demetrius]

This is getting fascinating. I just found this site

http://www.roman-britain.org/military/coh1cor.htm

I love Sumner's work. Will this be an Osprey? In May, Osprey will be releasing a book on Aux forts.

BW

[Graham Sumner]

I love Sumner's work. Will this be an Osprey?

Thanks! No it will be published by Frontline books the first of three books covering the Roman period from Romulus to Romulus Augustulus. Each book will be a similar size to Peter Connolly's Greece and Rome at War.

Graham.

[Arturus Uriconium]

Look forward to that book!

Did you manage to find anything on the unit? I've never found much at all. It fascinates me why a unit would be derived from a tribal group at this time and be based in Britannia when the policy was to ship any national unit abroad. I wonder if Hadrian had some soft spot for the Cornovii. He did cough up a lot of money for them to build their forum at Viriconium. They are also a tribal group who seem to have only put up a fight at the Wrekin in 46 and nothing after that, yet have one of the biggest concentrations of hillforts in Britannia, so they shouldn't have been a soft touch. (Barry Cunliffe thinks they may not have been a very cohesive nation). Was creating a unit and sending them north a clever move to get rid of all the fighting men a long way from home, even if they were still in Britannia. As far as they were concerned, of course, they were in a foreign land I suppose, up at the wall. (Nearly all grave stones of Britons say the civitas they're from, not Britannia).

It appears that, some at least, were well in to the Roman thing as they themselves built Viriconium - not a single legionary stamped tile has been found - yet there are so few villas in the area. A fascinating region, that I live in, but so little known. Love to hear what you've learned.

[D B Campbell]

Did you manage to find anything on the unit?

I think we pretty much covered that over on your other thread, Mak. (Still ... always worth asking!)

It fascinates me why a unit would be derived from a tribal group at this time and be based in Britannia when the policy was to ship any national unit abroad.

Of course, the unit is unlikely to be Hadrianic. As you know, the only evidence is late, so it may have been raised in the 3rd or even 4th C.

We often read that there was a "policy" to ship auxiliaries far from their home -- I cannot think of an ancient author who actually says this (but I'd loved to be proved wrong!) -- but of course, when the bulk of the auxilia originate in Spain, Gaul and the Balkans, they cannot all serve near their home!

[Arturus Uriconium]

Sorry Duncan, didn't put you together with that other thread... which I totally forgotten about posting!

I thought they were 3rd and 4th century but someone else mentioned them being Hadrianic... or did I dream that. Probably my state of health at the moment, which is definitely affecting my mental faculties... which weren't up to much in the first place!

You may be right that there is no contemporary author that says locals weren't used in their own province until the latter empire, but it seems to be said by an awful lot of historians. Is this down to an interpretation of the Notitia? I don't know.

[Arturus Uriconium]

Hi Bruce, I meant to ask if you were meaning 'Celtic' units or British units? I know some see them as the same thing which I personally think is a mistake.