Posts: 23
Threads: 16
Joined: Jan 2019
Reputation:
0
Been trying to find some hint of this, but everything leads to the conclusion that Vexillations were primarily for the legionnaire, with Auxiliaries sometimes included.
But I was wanting to know, could it have ever been possible for an Auxiliary only detachment to exist? Even if it was led by one of the prefects.
I imagine a situation where there is a small party of Barbarians harassing small communities in a frontier province, this is not something the whole legion needs to be present for. So surely a detatchment of some Auxilia Ala could sort this out fairly quickly and easily?
Posts: 1,973
Threads: 40
Joined: Mar 2011
Reputation:
101
My impression, rightly or wrongly, is that vexillations were generally of one- or two-cohort size. If this is correct and auxiliaries were to be sent to deal with a situation, they would be sent as a complete unit.
Michael King Macdona
And do as adversaries do in law, -
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew: Act 1, Scene 2)
Posts: 567
Threads: 46
Joined: Aug 2010
Reputation:
19
I supposed that if you want to send a "vexilation" from a cohort (500 peeps) it will be more or les couple of centuries never encountered the word vexilatio for auxiliaries.
Posts: 4,226
Threads: 176
Joined: Mar 2003
Reputation:
172
Some inscriptions suggest vexillations of auxiliary units. Here is a selection:
RIB-03, 03491 / AE 1983, 00641 (High Rochester): Vex(illatio) coh(ortis) IIII Gall(orum) et / vex(illatio) c[o]h(ortis) II Nerv(iorum) / fecerunt (detachments of two cohorts on building work. Several like this from Britain).
AE 1980, 00758 (Sarmizegetusa): Ulpio... praep(osito) vexill(ationis) auxiliar(iorum) / Pann(oniae) infer(ioris) praef(ecto) coh(ortis) / VII Breucor(um) (cohort prefect taking temporary command of auxiliary detachments from Pannonia inferior).
CIL 12, 01358 (Vasio): pra[ef(ecto) coh(ortis) I Brac]arum Augustanorum praeposito vexillationi exercitus M[oesiae] (cohort prefect in temporary command of a detachment (probably auxiliary) of the army of Moesia).
CIL 13, 07693 (Brohl): vexil(l)atio c/o(ho)rtis II Astur(um) (single detachment of a cohort dedicating an altar. There are several like this from Brohl).
AE 1997, 01352 (Gradista): M(arcus) Valerius M(arci) f(ilius) Quir(ina) Lollianus... praepositus in Mesopotamia vexillationibus equitum electorum alarum / praetoriae Augustae Syriacae Agrippianae Herculianae / singularium item cohortium I Lucensium II Ulpiae equit(atae) / c(ivium) R(omanorum) I Fl(aviae) c(ivium) R(omanorum) I(I) Thracum III Ulpiae Paphlagonum II eqquitum I / Ascalolitanorum I Fl(a)v(iae) Chalcidenorum V Petr(a)eorum IIII / Lucensium I Ulpiae Petr(a)eorum II Ulpiae Paphlagognum I Ulpiae / sagittariorum III Dacorum I Syngambrum... (we've discussed this one before - a massive collection of cavalry and infantry detachments from various units under the command of one man).
Nathan Ross
Posts: 23
Threads: 16
Joined: Jan 2019
Reputation:
0
What about just Cavalry detatchments?
