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Vexillatio Equitum, Equites, Numerus Equitum
#5
Just out of interest, I've been looking a bit more at these 'new cavalry' units (particularly the Dalmatae, as they're most numerous) as listed in the Notitia and as they appear in inscriptions.

In the Notitia, these units are divided between the field army (comitatensis) forces of the Magistri Militum, and the limitanei forces commanded by the provincial duces. Interestingly, most (but not all) of the field army units have a numerical designation, whereas the limitanei units are mostly distinguished by the name of their garrison post.

ND. Pars Occ. Vi lists Vexillationes comitatenses, featuring Equites octavo Dalmatae and Equites Dalmatae Passerentiaci. The second of these appears to have been a formerly-limitanei unit, named for its old garrison, moved to the comitanesis. Octavo Dalmatae appears in two inscriptions from Concordia, probably c.AD400 (CIL 05, 08777: nu(mero) equi(tum) VIII Dalm(atarum) & AE 1891, 00105: numero octava Dalmata). Both times called a numerus.

ND. Pars Or. V lists Vexillationes comitatenses featuring Equites quinto Dalmatae and Equites nono Dalmatae. The first of these appears in CIL 13, 03458, but is in the west rather than the east, at Lyons: vexil(l)atione Dalmatorum V. The second appears in the east under Valentinian and Valens, at Umm al Jimal in Jordan, but appears to be a garrison (limitanei?) unit: AE 1996, 01612: vex(illationem) VIIII Dalmatam. Both times the units are called vexillationes.

ND. Pars Or VI lists, under Vexillationes comitatenses, the Equites sexto Dalmatae. This unit is (probably) also attested, but again in the west (CIL 10, 00268 from southern Italy: n(umero) eq(uitum) de sexta / Dalmata). This time the unit is called a numerus. [Edit - it also appears on a 5th-6th century papyrus (P.Vindob. G 30121) from Heracleopolis in Egypt as 'Sextodalmati'].

ND Pars Or VII lists, under the Vexillationes comitatenses for the magistri militum per Orientem, Equites tertio Dalmatae. This unit seems to be unattested in epigraphy.

There are 23 Equites Dalmatae units listed among the limitanei forces in the west, none with a number but most with a location name. In the east there are 13, distinguished as cuneii or Equites Dalmatae Illyricani.

There are several other units known from inscriptions, without a number and in only a few cases with a garrison location name. One of these (CIL 03, 00405), also has the title 'comitatensium', indicating that it once formed part of the field army. Others are called n(umero) [equitu]m Dal(matarum) (CIL 03, 10527), eqq(uites) Dalmat(a)e (AE 1990, 00822) and num(eri) Dal(matarum) (CIL 05, 7000).

Some units from the limitanei seem to have been moved to the comitatensis (eg Equites Dalmatae Passerentiaci), while some comitatensis units appear to have been used as garrison troops (VIIII Dalmatam at Umm al-Jimal and CIL 03, 00405 / 5565). Certain units also appear to have moved from east to west (and presumably vice versa!) at some point in their career, or numbered units were duplicated.

It seems, therefore, that all of these units are effectively the same, whether called a vexillatione (equitum), a numerus (equitum) or simply equites. There appears to be no chronological development in these titles, or any regional difference.

The earliest dated unit is CIL 03, 5565 (AD310: [vexillatione?] eqq(uitum) Dalm(atarum) Aq/u(a)esianis comit(atensium, from Noricum). Also perhaps CIL 05, 7000, if we relate the inscription to the battle at Turin in AD312. The next, I think, is IGLS-14-02, 00561a, from Syria - a (n)u(me)ri eq(uitum) Dal(matarum) with a dedication to Licinius Augustus (AD313-324).

So - is there any certain dated reference to one of these equites units prior to Diocletian?
Nathan Ross
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RE: Vexillatio Equitum, Equites, Numerus Equitum - by Nathan Ross - 09-08-2017, 04:06 PM

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