01-13-2014, 06:48 PM
Hello!
I'm doing some research on Judaea/Syria Palaestina and wondering how common it was for soldiers or officers to serve in both the auxilia and Roman client kings' forces.
Here are a few examples that I have found within the Levant:
1) Ἡρώδ[ῃ] Αὔμου, στρατοπεδαρχήσαντι ἱππέων | Κολωνειτῶν καὶ στρατιωτῶν καὶ στρατηγήσας | βασιλεῖ μεγάλῳ Ἀγρίππᾳ κυρίῳ. Ἀγρίππας υἱὸς ἐποίησεν. (ἔτους) κ’. (AE 1895.78; OGIS 425; IGR 3.1144)
Trans: Herod son of Aumos, stratopedarch of the Colonite cavalry and infantry, also strategos to the great lordly king Agrippa. His son Agrippa made this in the 20th year.
2) [Τί]τῳ Μουκίῳ Μάρ[κου υὶῷ …] | [Κλ]ήμεντι ἐπάρχῳ στ[ρατεύματων τοῦ] | βασιλέως μεγάλου Ἀγρίπ[πα, βοηθῷ] | Τιβερίου Ἀλεξάνδρου ἐπάρ[χου Αἰγύπτου,] | ἐπάρχῳ σπείρης πρώτ[ης τῆς … Λεπι-] | διανῆς ἱππικῆς, β[οηθῷ …] | Τιβερίου Κλαυδίο[υ …] | ἐπιτρόπου Σε[βαστοῦ Συρίας.] | Σιμωνίδης καὶ Τ[… οἱ] | υἱοὶ τῶ(ν) ἑαυτῶν […] | χα[ῖρε.] (AE 1967.525; AE 1986.963; AE 1987.950; SEG 33.1266; SEG 47.1982; SEG 51.2020; CIIP 2.2123)
Trans: To Titus Mucius, son of Marcus Clemens […], praefectus castrorum of the great king Agrippa. Adiutor under Tiberius Alexander prefect of Egypt, prefect of cohors I Lepidiana equitata. Adiutor to […] of Tiberius Claudius […], imperial procurator of Syria. Simonides and T[…] their sons […]. Farewell.
3a) Ἐπὶ βασιλέω[ς μεγάλου Μάρκου Ιὀυ-] | λίου Ἀγρίππα [ἔτους … Διομήδης] | Χάρητος, ἔπα[ρχος …] | σπείρης Αὐ[γούστης καὶ στρατηγ-] | ὸς νομάδων […] | […]ης καὶ Χαλ[κίδος …] (OGIS 421; IGR 3.1136; IGLS 2112)
Trans: Under the great king Marcus Julius Agrippa, in the year […] Diomedes, son of Chares, eparch […] of cohors Augusta and strategos of the nomads, […] and of Chalcis […]
3b) Δ[ι]ομήδης [Χ]άρη[τ]ος | ἔπαρχος βασιλέως | μεγάλου Ἀγρίππα ἀπ- | ὸ θεμελίων ἀνήγειρεν. (OGIS 422; ILGS 2135)
Trans: Diomedes, son of Chares, eparch of the great king Agrippa, raised this from its foundations.
4a) σι[…]ιος […] | Λούκιος Ὀβούλνιος | ἑκατοντάρχης σπ(ε)ίρης | Αὐγούστης παρηκολού- | θησα τῷ ἔργῳ | (ἔτους) ηκ’ τοῦ ςι’. || Ἔτους ηκ’ βασιλέως με- | γάλου Μάρκου Ἰουλίου Ἀγρίπ- | πα κυρίου Φιλοκαίσαρος Εὐ- | σεβοῦς καὶ Φιλορομαίου τ[οῦ] | [ἐκ βασιλέως μεγάλου] | […] (AE 1925.121; SEG 7.970; SEG 33.1306)
Trans: […] Lucius Obulnius, centurion of cohors Augusta, oversaw this work in the 28th year. The 28th year of the great king Marcus Julius Agrippa: lord, friend of Caesar, pious, and friend of Rome from the great king […]
4b) [Διὶ] κυρί[ῳ] | Λούκιος Ὀβούλ- | νιο[ς] | ἑκατοντ[άρχης] | σπ(ε)ίρης Αὐ[γούστης.] (SEG 7.1100)
Trans: To the Lord Zeus. Lucius Obulnius, centurion of cohors Augusta.
4c) Λούκιος Ὀβούλνιος ἑκατοντάρχης σπείρης Αὐγούστης ἀνήθηκ(εν). (AE 2003.1816)
Trans: Lucius Obulnius, centurion of cohors Augusta, erected this.
5) Ἀρχιεὺς ὁ ἐπὶ Ἀγρίππ- | ου βασιλέος γε- | νόμενος κεντ- | υρίων δεκαοκ- | τὼ ἔτους ἐπὶ | Τραιανοῦ στρατη- | γὸν δέκα. (Seyrig, Henri. 1965. “Antiquités syriennes.” Syria 42: 25-34 [here 31-34])
Trans: Archieus, who was a centurion under King Agrippa eighteen years and was a strategos ten years (!) under Trajan.
MP Speidel addressed the issue of dual employ in his famous article 1982-83. “The Roman Army in Judaea under the Procurators: The Italian and the Augustan Cohort in the Acts of the Apostles.” Ancient Society 13-14: 233-240.
He argued that the Julius the centurion of Acts of the Apostles 27:1 was subordinate to both king Agrippa II and the Judaean governor Festus.
Forgive my ignorance, but Speidel also refers to the following without citing any texts or inscriptions: "Roman troops stationed in client states, side by side with native irregulars, are not unusual: they are known for example in the Bosporanian kingdom and in Palmyra." Does anyone know what he might be referring to? Or any other examples of the phenomenon? Any help would be appreciated!
I'm doing some research on Judaea/Syria Palaestina and wondering how common it was for soldiers or officers to serve in both the auxilia and Roman client kings' forces.
Here are a few examples that I have found within the Levant:
1) Ἡρώδ[ῃ] Αὔμου, στρατοπεδαρχήσαντι ἱππέων | Κολωνειτῶν καὶ στρατιωτῶν καὶ στρατηγήσας | βασιλεῖ μεγάλῳ Ἀγρίππᾳ κυρίῳ. Ἀγρίππας υἱὸς ἐποίησεν. (ἔτους) κ’. (AE 1895.78; OGIS 425; IGR 3.1144)
Trans: Herod son of Aumos, stratopedarch of the Colonite cavalry and infantry, also strategos to the great lordly king Agrippa. His son Agrippa made this in the 20th year.
2) [Τί]τῳ Μουκίῳ Μάρ[κου υὶῷ …] | [Κλ]ήμεντι ἐπάρχῳ στ[ρατεύματων τοῦ] | βασιλέως μεγάλου Ἀγρίπ[πα, βοηθῷ] | Τιβερίου Ἀλεξάνδρου ἐπάρ[χου Αἰγύπτου,] | ἐπάρχῳ σπείρης πρώτ[ης τῆς … Λεπι-] | διανῆς ἱππικῆς, β[οηθῷ …] | Τιβερίου Κλαυδίο[υ …] | ἐπιτρόπου Σε[βαστοῦ Συρίας.] | Σιμωνίδης καὶ Τ[… οἱ] | υἱοὶ τῶ(ν) ἑαυτῶν […] | χα[ῖρε.] (AE 1967.525; AE 1986.963; AE 1987.950; SEG 33.1266; SEG 47.1982; SEG 51.2020; CIIP 2.2123)
Trans: To Titus Mucius, son of Marcus Clemens […], praefectus castrorum of the great king Agrippa. Adiutor under Tiberius Alexander prefect of Egypt, prefect of cohors I Lepidiana equitata. Adiutor to […] of Tiberius Claudius […], imperial procurator of Syria. Simonides and T[…] their sons […]. Farewell.
3a) Ἐπὶ βασιλέω[ς μεγάλου Μάρκου Ιὀυ-] | λίου Ἀγρίππα [ἔτους … Διομήδης] | Χάρητος, ἔπα[ρχος …] | σπείρης Αὐ[γούστης καὶ στρατηγ-] | ὸς νομάδων […] | […]ης καὶ Χαλ[κίδος …] (OGIS 421; IGR 3.1136; IGLS 2112)
Trans: Under the great king Marcus Julius Agrippa, in the year […] Diomedes, son of Chares, eparch […] of cohors Augusta and strategos of the nomads, […] and of Chalcis […]
3b) Δ[ι]ομήδης [Χ]άρη[τ]ος | ἔπαρχος βασιλέως | μεγάλου Ἀγρίππα ἀπ- | ὸ θεμελίων ἀνήγειρεν. (OGIS 422; ILGS 2135)
Trans: Diomedes, son of Chares, eparch of the great king Agrippa, raised this from its foundations.
4a) σι[…]ιος […] | Λούκιος Ὀβούλνιος | ἑκατοντάρχης σπ(ε)ίρης | Αὐγούστης παρηκολού- | θησα τῷ ἔργῳ | (ἔτους) ηκ’ τοῦ ςι’. || Ἔτους ηκ’ βασιλέως με- | γάλου Μάρκου Ἰουλίου Ἀγρίπ- | πα κυρίου Φιλοκαίσαρος Εὐ- | σεβοῦς καὶ Φιλορομαίου τ[οῦ] | [ἐκ βασιλέως μεγάλου] | […] (AE 1925.121; SEG 7.970; SEG 33.1306)
Trans: […] Lucius Obulnius, centurion of cohors Augusta, oversaw this work in the 28th year. The 28th year of the great king Marcus Julius Agrippa: lord, friend of Caesar, pious, and friend of Rome from the great king […]
4b) [Διὶ] κυρί[ῳ] | Λούκιος Ὀβούλ- | νιο[ς] | ἑκατοντ[άρχης] | σπ(ε)ίρης Αὐ[γούστης.] (SEG 7.1100)
Trans: To the Lord Zeus. Lucius Obulnius, centurion of cohors Augusta.
4c) Λούκιος Ὀβούλνιος ἑκατοντάρχης σπείρης Αὐγούστης ἀνήθηκ(εν). (AE 2003.1816)
Trans: Lucius Obulnius, centurion of cohors Augusta, erected this.
5) Ἀρχιεὺς ὁ ἐπὶ Ἀγρίππ- | ου βασιλέος γε- | νόμενος κεντ- | υρίων δεκαοκ- | τὼ ἔτους ἐπὶ | Τραιανοῦ στρατη- | γὸν δέκα. (Seyrig, Henri. 1965. “Antiquités syriennes.” Syria 42: 25-34 [here 31-34])
Trans: Archieus, who was a centurion under King Agrippa eighteen years and was a strategos ten years (!) under Trajan.
MP Speidel addressed the issue of dual employ in his famous article 1982-83. “The Roman Army in Judaea under the Procurators: The Italian and the Augustan Cohort in the Acts of the Apostles.” Ancient Society 13-14: 233-240.
He argued that the Julius the centurion of Acts of the Apostles 27:1 was subordinate to both king Agrippa II and the Judaean governor Festus.
Forgive my ignorance, but Speidel also refers to the following without citing any texts or inscriptions: "Roman troops stationed in client states, side by side with native irregulars, are not unusual: they are known for example in the Bosporanian kingdom and in Palmyra." Does anyone know what he might be referring to? Or any other examples of the phenomenon? Any help would be appreciated!
Chris Zeichmann - New Testament Ph.D.
