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Where was the Roman Army in AD408?
#18
Quote:I doubt that - there seems to have been no military force in Rome at all. The scholae and protectores would have accompanied the emperor and his court, which had departed the city for Ravenna and Ticininum in early summer 408.

I don't think so, although the Schola followed the Emperor (who would regularly transit between Rome and Ravenna) the Notitia indicates that despite the Capital was in Milan and then Ravenna, the Protectores are stated as being stationed in Rome.

And IIRC, Sidonius says Majorian was in Rome when he was appointed Comes Domesticorum and took command of the "Palatine bands" (palatinis turmis) as well.

Although like I said, the Protectores were a placeholder unit for future bureaucrats and officers at this point, not an actual military regiment. The Schola seem to have been mostly a parade unit too.

Quote:He had 37 if we include the cavalry. But yes, depots and other cities could have accounted for a large-ish force - but to leave such a force in garrison while an enemy was devastating your country, and to have to call troops from elsewhere and even hire mercenaries, still implies that for some reason the army was not in any sort of effective state or mood.

Well the sudden toppling of Stilicho if you read the primary sources pretty clearly indicates that much of the army did not wish to follow him. We also see this with Felix who was hung by the army in 430 and Sebastian in 432, where as soon as Aetius returned the army backed him and Sebastian was exiled.
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RE: Where was the Roman Army in AD408? - by Flavivs Aetivs - 01-22-2017, 09:32 PM

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