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Hello.
My name is Marco, and this one is my first message for RAT
Simon MacDowall says that Diocletian probably maintained a small central field army (comitatus or sacer comitatus) that included two vexillationes of cavalry and three small legions of elite.
Other authors, however, suggest that Diocletian and each of his colleagues in the Tetrachy maintained a small field army to his disposition.
Under Diocletian there existed an alone central field army or one for each of the four emperors (Diocletian, Maximinian, Constantius and Galerius)?
From already, thank you for his answers (and you forgive for my english).
I am very interested in the evolution of the roman army from Gallienus to Heraclius (c. 260-640)
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Hi Marco,
Welcome to the forum.
As to the field armies, there aren't so many clear sources that we can tell the exact shape and form of these armies. I recall that Galerius is credited with the first true field army, consisting of several cavalry units.
Are you counting the Parthica legion as a field army or as a strategic reserve?
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Thank you Robert
As to the II Parthica, I think that, as Ross Cowan and other authors indicate, Septimius Severus established it as a mobile reserve and, together with the Praetorian Guard, as nucleus of all the expeditionary imperial forces.
I think that the II Parthica fue so much as a strategic reseva as an field army when it was forming the nucleus of the expeditionary forces.
Regards,
Marco.
I am very interested in the evolution of the roman army from Gallienus to Heraclius (c. 260-640)
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Maybe, but was this legion (Parthica II) still used as a reserve under Caracalla en Alexander Severus? Caracalla took this legion to Germania to fight the Alamanni but was is the whole legion or just some detachments?
Was Parthica II not also used as a force to control the praetorian guard and not entirely as a reserve force?
Tot ziens.
Geert S. (Sol Invicto Comiti)
Imperator Caesar divi Marci Antonini Pii Germanici Sarmatici ½filius divi Commodi frater divi Antonini Pii nepos divi Hadriani pronepos divi Traiani Parthici abnepos divi Nervae adnepos Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax Augustus Arabicus ½Adiabenicus Parthicus maximus pontifex maximus
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II Parthica was used by the successors of Septimius Severus as a mobile reserve and nucleus of the expeditionary imperial forces. In 260, in agreement with Ross Cowan, the mobile force created by Septimius (the II Parthica and Praetorian Guard) was established as a permanent institution.
It is possible that in a beginning II Parthica was fighting as a complete legion, but under Gallienus this used in detachments, one of which is suggested by Cowan that evolved in the Lanciarii, present later in Diocletian's comitatus as one of three legions that was composing it, as MacDowall proposes.
Finally, Cowan says that the II Parthica was replaced increasingly by the new legions of elite Ioviani and Herculiani (both integrated to the comitatus).
I am very interested in the evolution of the roman army from Gallienus to Heraclius (c. 260-640)
