Roman Militia units - Early Empire

[Druso]

Hi guys, i was reading a book about roman Hispania (History of Spain. Vol.5, p.37-Espasa Calpe) when I found a surprising information: apart from the regular army, municipia had organized militia units in the High Empire, and gave the following examples: "Cohors orae maritimae" which operated in coastal Baetica province and is very well known because a lot of epigraphic inscriptions; "Cohors Baetica" known because one inscription and "Cohors Servia Iuvernalis" because several inscriptions in the town of Cástulo.

Have you ever hear about this kind of troops in the Early Empire? Do you know other examples and more information?

[Praefectusclassis]

Hi Druso (please add your real [first] name to your signature, forum rules!)
I have heard of the cohors orae maritimae in Spain, but I'd hardly call it well known because of its inscriptions. There are a handful (5 according to the Manfred Clauss database, but they're hardly descriptive mentioning 5 different praefecti orae maritimae, one of whom is called a praefectus Cohortis I et orae maritimae, which suggests an actual unit. Hadn't heard of the theory that these are militia though, why does he propose that? I suppose it's possible, looking at the careers of all the prefects, they seem to be local notables, not equites doing their tres militiae.

[D B Campbell]

It's more to do with coastal defence, rather than just evidence of some random militia. Chester Starr wrote about this in American Journal of Philology 64 (1943).

As well as your Spanish example, there was a praefectus orae maritimae Mauretaniae, too. Probably to combat smuggling and that sort of thing. Starr reckons that "the praefect directed first one and then two cohorts of tirones or local militia recruited in part perhaps from Tarraco" (citing Cichorius, who presumably suggested this). Starr also points to other localised commands, which were more to do with keeping order in isolated locations (praefectus montis Berenicidis, apparently patrolling the Red Sea coastal area, is another one), rather than defence against external enemies.