THE LEGIONS AND AUXILIARY UNITS IN MOESIA THE MOVEMENT AND EMPLACEMENT OF THE LEGIONS AND AUXILIARY UNITS OF THE ROMAN ARMY IN MOESIA FROM 29 BC TO AD 235 By CONOR WHATELY, B.A. A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Alis McMaster University © Copyright by Conar Whately, September 2005 MASTER OF ARTS (2005) MCMASTER UNIVERSITY (Classics) HAMILTON, ONTARIO TITLE: The Movement and Emplacement of the Legions and Auxiliary units of the Roman Army in Moesia from 29 BC to AD 235 AUTHOR: Conar Whately, B.A. (McMaster University) SUPERVISOR: Dr. E. Haley NUMBER OF PAGES: viii, 137 ABSTRACT This thesis is a history of the legions and auxiliary units of the Roman province of Moesia from 29 BC to AD 235. Sorne of the principal battles and campaigns undetiaken in the area are discussed; however, the focus of the study is the movement of those units both in and out of the province, and also their emplacement, where possible, in the numerous forts so far found in Moesia. A variety of different types of evidence are used: inscriptions, and in particular stone inscriptions and the bronze diplomas are the most valuable sources; the ancient authors are impOliant, and Tacitus, Josephus, Cassius Dio, and Ptolemy are the most valuable, although others are used. There are a handful of conclusions drawn from this study. Generally, during the Julio­ Claudian period military units tended to cluster around each other. In the second and third centuries, they are more spread out, and tend to be fairly evenly distributed along the Danube. During the two major campaigns that happened over the course ofthe years from 29 BC to AD 235, there was a significant influx oftroops, and in patiicular auxiliary units, which were well suited to the conditions. The totallegionary disposition remained fairly consistent from Vespasian to Severus Alexander. In the second century, units became stationary and vexillations were often dispatched when the gravit y of the moment called for reinforcements. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There many without whose help this would not have been possible. 1 want to my examiners, Dr. Eilers and Dr. Retzleff, for their helpful comments and suggestions in the oral defense. In addition, 1 must aiso thank the rest of the faculty of the Department of Classics at McMaster, aIl of who have made my four years at the university such a pleasure. 1 want to thank aIl of my friends, both fmm inside and outside of the acaden1Ïc environment, for heiping me get through sorne of the more difficult tunes. My family, and especially my mom, dad, and sister, has heiped me over the past few years in more ways than they wiH ever know. FinaUy, 1 must thank my supervisor, Dr. Haiey, for an of his help over the past year and a half, and in particular from the gestation of this thesis to its completion. Over the past three years he has shaped my development as an ancient historian in so many positive ways, and so for that too, 1 owe him my sincerest gratitude. TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS The abbreviations used for ancient authors are those found in the 3rd (1996) edition of the Oxford Classical Dictionary. AE = l'Année Épigraphique CIL = Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum IDR = Inscriptiones Daciae Romane IGRR = Inscriptiones Graecae ad res Romanas Pertinentes ILBulgR = Inscriptiones Latinae in Bulgaria Repertae ILlug = Inscriptiones Latinae quae in Iugoslavia inter annos MCMXL et MCMLX Repertae et Editae sunt ILS = Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae IMS = Inscriptions de la Mésie Supérieure ISM = Inscriptiones Scythiae Minoris RA = Revue Archéologique RMD = Roman Military Diplomas Volumes 1-4 RMR = Roman Militaly Records on Papyrus ZPE = Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION: The Roman army 1 The Topie 2 CHAPTER 1: THE SITUATION IN MOESIA FROM 29 BC TO AD 81 Background Augustus 6 Nera 9 The Year of the Four Emperors and Vespasian 10 Troop Movements from Augustus through Vespasian Legions 10 Auxilia 23 Troop Emplacement from Augustus through Titus Legions 30 Amd1ia 32 CHAPTER 2: THE SITUATION IN THE MOESIAS FROM AD 81 TO AD 161 Background Domitian 35 Trajan 36 Hadrian 37 Troop Movements from Domitian through Antoninus Pius Legions 38 AUxilia 43 Troop Emplacement from Domitian through Antoninus Pius Legions 73 Auxilia 75 CHAPTER 3: THE SITUATION IN THE MOESIAS FROM AD 161 TO AD 235 Background Mareus Aurelius 80 Conunodus 81 Septimius Severus to Severus Alexander 82 Troop Movements from Marcus Aurelius to Severus Alexander Legions 83 Aüxilia 88 Vexillations Background 100 Vexillations in Use in the Lower Danube Region 102 Vexillations Sent Abroad and Vexillations from Abroad Sent to Moesia 106 Vexillations in the Chersonesos 108 Troop Emplacement from Marcus Aurelius to Severus Alexander Legions 115 Auxilia 117 CONCLUSION: General Comments 120 The Strength and Size of the Moesian Army 120 Troop Emplacement 121 Strategy and Tactics in Moesia 122 APPENDIX 1: THE LEGIONS AND AUXILIARY UNITS OF THE MOESIAS 126 BIBLIOGRAPHY 128 MAP OF THE MOESIAS 137 INTRODUCTION: THE ROMAN ARMY: Scholarship concemed with the Roman army has remained steady throughout the last century. Recently, however, we have been privy to the updating of sorne of the fundamental works of Roman army studies. For decades, Ritterling's article, "legio", was the reference tool for anyone interested in the history of any particular legion. 1 Although that article is still useful, we have more inscriptions now than Ritterling did in 1925; thus, the history of sorne legions has changed. Fortunately, a team of scholars led by Le Bohec and with the assistance of Wolff, have updated Ritterling's article with the publication of the two volume collection, Les Légions de Rome sous le Haut-Empire? While Ritterling' s article was the standard work for the history of the individuallegions, Cichorius' two articles, "ala", and "cohors" were the counterparts for the auxiliary units of the Roman army.3 In this case the difference between the legions and the auxiliary units is rather dramatic: we know significantly more now about the history of the auxiliary units than Cichorius did over 100 years ago.4 Furthennore, one lone and brave lOf course, we cannot forget the important monograph of Parker (1958). Parker's work, however, looked at the legions as a whole, and although he did discuss many aspects of the individuallegions, appendix aside, he did not treat the legions individually. In his book-sized article Ritterling, by contrast, looked at the development of the legions as a whole; he also treated each legion on an individu al basis. 2 Le Bohec and Wolff 2000. 3 Cichorius 1893, "ala"; Cichorius 1900, "cohors". Cheesman gave us his important monograph, The Auxilia ofthe Roman Imperial Army, in 1914. Just as with Parker in his book on the legions, Cheesman treated the auxilia as a who le, rather than piecemeal. In both articles Cichorius tackled the various units on an individual basis. Rolder (1980) and Saddington (1982) have each contributed a volume on the auxiliary units, but neither author's study extends far beyond the first century, nor do they treat each individual unit with any depth. 4 If we look at the diplomas alone we can get some idea of the increase in the amount of evidence at our disposaI. See for example, Roxan's (in the last case with the aid ofRolder) four corpora entitled Roman Militmy Diplomas. The frrst volume, which was published in 1978, contains 78 relatively complete diplomas and 4 fragments that are not found in CIL XVI. The second volume, which was published in 1985, contains 56 diplomas not found in CIL XVI. The third volume, published in 1994, contains 67 diplomas not found in CIL XV!. The fou..rth and most recent volume, published in 2003, contains 121 complete and fragmentary diplomas not found in CIL XVI. 1 scholar has taken it upon himselfto update Cichorius' articles. Spaul releasedAla 2 in 1994, which was followed by Cohors 2 in 2000. In these works Spaul has done a masterful job of presenting significant portions of the respective inscriptions, the literary references, providing a respectable bibliography, discussing the scholarly literature for each unit, and providing, where necessary, his own interpretation of each unit's history. One need only flip through the pages of these two volumes to appreciate the amount of work that has gone into their preparation. Despite the publication of three such important reference works more work on the army on the frontiers is indeed necessary. THE TOPIC: In 1952 at a conference for epigraphists the eminent student ofthe Roman army Eric Birley presented a paper in which he set out those aspects of the anned forces that at that time still needed work. 5 Almost forty years later, Michael P. Speidel was asked to do the same and take stock of the current "state of the art" in Roman army studies.6 Speidel noted that much of what Birley had called for had been accomplished, and in many cases hy his own students.7 )':et, he also acknowledged that there was still a lot of work remaining. And 80, Speidel decided to highlight those aspects of the organisation of the army that still need work.8 The list that Speidel provides is both daunting, and inspiring.9 5 This intriguing paper was republished as the opening chapter ofBirley's collection of essays, The Roman Army Papers 1929-1986 (1988). Pp 3-11. 6 It was originally published in 1989 (BIAL 26), and republished in Speidel's second collecton of essays, Roman Army Studies Volume 2 (1992). 7 In an enlightening recent review article Lendon (2004: 441-449) made sorne similar pronouncements - although he did not specifically outline those particular topies that should garner more attention - in regard to the Roman army which for him, and rightfully so, was "essentially Roman", "part of Roman society", and "an aspect of Roman culture." 8 Speidel1992: 13=20.