ENDA - The Roman occupation army

THE ROMAN OCCUPATION ARMY

Translated by Kirsty Bennett, Matt Canty and haiducul

This article intends to describe in detail the type, role, size and ethnic origin of the Roman armies occupying the Dacian province.

In order to calculate the total number of soldiers within occupation force we need to know the individual military units that make up the Roman army:

· The Legion - The key Roman organizational unit, composed of 10 cohorts numbering 5,600 soldiers in total. block It was recruited from Roman citizens. The Legion retained this universal format until the 2nd century AD.

· The Cohort - The basic infantry unit and the main organizational unit for auxiliary troops. Each bears the name of the place from where it was initially founded (annotated below) They were 500 soldiers strong or 1000 if they bore the name millitaria.

· The Ala – The basic cavalry unit and part of the auxiliary troops, recruited from non-Roman citizens within the Empire. The name of the Ala was taken from the name of the place where it was founded (annotated below). It was 500 strong or 1000 if they bore the name millitaria.

The military units set out below are probably not the exact ones that occupied the Dacian province but they represent a close enough approximation.

1. Leg I Flavia Ulpia Hispanorum milliaria – they built the Napoca-Potaissa road;
2. Leg V Macedonica – Potaissa, Turda;
3. Leg XIII Gemina – Apulum, Alba Iulia;
4. Leg IV Flavia Felix - Sarmizegetusa Regia, Grãdistea Muncelului;
5. Leg VI Ferrata – fought in the wars.
6. Leg I Adiutrix – Apulum, Alba Iulia;
7. Leg II Adiutrix;
8. Leg VII-a Claudia - Cuppae si Viminacium and after that to Romula;
9. Leg XI-a Claudia - Durostorum;
10. Leg Numerus Palmyrenorum Porolissensium sagittariorum civium Romanorum – Moigrad, com Mirsid, SJ;
11. Coh I Aelia Gaestorum milliaria – Resculum, Bologa, com Poieni, CJ;
12. Coh I Antiochesium;
13. Coh I Augusta – Buciumi, SJ;
14. Coh I F.M. Aurilia Brittonum Malvensis;
15. Coh I Batarorum milliaria – Romita, com Românasi, SJ;
16. Coh III Bessorum – Olteni, com Bodoc, CV;
17. Coh I Bracaraugustanorum – Bretcu, CV;
18. Coh I Britannica milliaria – Caseiu, CJ;
19. Coh II Britannica milliaria – Iliusa, BN;
20. Coh II Britanica – Romita, com Românasi, SJ;
21. Coh I Britannorum milliaria – Moigrad, com Mirsid, SJ;
22. Coh III Britannorum;
23. Coh III Campestris miliaria;
24. Coh I Cannanefactium – Tihau, com Surduc, SJ;
25. Coh I Cretum;
26. Coh IV Cypria;
27. Coh II Flavia Bessorum – Olteni, com Bodoc, CV;
28. Coh II Flavia Commagenorum – stayed permanently in Micia;
29. Coh II Flavia Numidarum – Feldioara, com Ucea, BV;
30. Coh III Gallorum – Hoghiz, BV;
31. Coh V Gallorum;
32. Coh Hispanorum – Bretcu, CV;
33. Coh I Hispanorum – Românasi, SJ;
34. Coh I Hispanorum milliaria – Orheiu Bistritei, om Cetate, BN;
35. Coh II Hispanorum – Resculum, Bologa, com Poieni, CJ;
36. Coh I Lingonum;
37. Coh V Lingonum – Moigrad, com Mirsid, SJ;
38. Coh I Montanorum – Sebes;
39. Coh II Nervia Brittonum – Buciumi, SJ;
40. Coh VI Nova Cumidavensium Alexandrina – Cumidava, Râsnov, BV;
41. Coh Prima Alpinorum – Cãlugareni, com Fremitu, MS;
42. Coh VI Thracum – Românasi, SJ;
43. Coh I Tyriorum;
44. Coh I Ubiorum – Sighisoara, Podmoale, MS;
45. Ala I Asturum – Hoghiz, BV;
46. Ala Brittonum – Gherla, CJ;
47. Ala I Claudia Gallorum Capitoniana;
48. Ala I Claudia nova miscellanea;
49. Ala I Dardanorum;
50. Ala I Hispanorum Campagonum;
51. Ala I Hispanorum pia fidelis Antoniniana;
52. Ala II Hispanorum et Aravacorum;
53. Ala I Numeri Illyricorum – Brîncovenesti, MS;
54. Ala I Pannoniorum;
55. Ala II Pannoniorum – Gherla, CJ;
56. Ala Siliana – Gilãu, CJ;
57. Ala Tungrorum Frontoniana – Iliusa, BN;

At any one ‘castrum’ or military base, there would be a maximum of approximately 50,000 soldiers at any one time, made up of various units. The above list suggests that, approximately, only a fifth to a quarter of the units were of Roman origin.