Next up we have the Comitatensis. I have been able to expand the unit roster for the Comitatensis quite considerably. I have to thank Joar, lief_erikson and Razor for the use of textures and shield designs. Roman helmets and equipment by Razor.
Legio Primani Iuniores and Legio Secundae Iuniores (Britones Seniores)
It has been suggested that the Primani iuniores are the rump of the old Legio VI formally stationed at York. Secundani iuniores would appear to be the Legio Secunda Britannica siue Secundani of the Magister Peditum's list, a legiones comitatenses unit that is also listed as being in Gallia, where it is called the Secundani Britones. It has also been suggested that the Secundae Iuniores are the rump of the old Legio II Augusta. Recruited in Britain.
You will notice that these units have muscular leather for their armour instead of chain mail. Again, I have heard the debate in regard to mail vs leather and again I have taken a more middle ground approach like I have with the limitanei units. For units in Britain, where their opponents are less armed I have made the decision that as Britain was an outpost these troops would not necessarily have received top of the grade armour, this being given to Palatinae and Guard troops.
Screenshots:
Legio Lanciarii Gallicani Honoriani and Legio Flavia Vitrix Constantina
Lanciarii Gallicani Honoriani origins may stem back to the VI Gallicana which belonged to the garrison of Mainz, when this city was part of the Gallic Empire (260-274), though this information is unreliable. Alternatively it was raised in Gaul under the reign of Honorius. Flavia Vitrix Constantina means 'the Victorious Flavians of Constantius' and was most likely founded when Constantius II was emperor.
Recruited along the Rhine.
Screenshots:
Legio Septimani Seniores and Legio Praesichantes
Septimani Seniores name comes from the old Legio VII Gemina Felix, long stationed at Legio (modern Leon), which is exactly where the Praefectus legionis septimae geminae is still stationed according to the Notitia. Other units deriving from the same legion would appear to be the Septimani iuniores in the Magister Peditum's Italian command and the Septimani Gemina under the Magister Militum per Orientem, and possibly the Septimani in the Magister Equitum's Gallic command (these last however could equally also derive from the Septimani Claudiae stationed in Moesia primae).
Praesichantes means 'garrison' and most likely its origins may stem back to a unit probably named after the fort Praesidium in the north of the British Isles, passed on the continent with Maxime or Stilicho. The Praesidienses may simply have taken their name form their job description, being a garrison, but they have usually been identified with the locality Praesidium that is mentioned under the Dux Britanniarum as being the station of a Praefectus equitum Dalmatarum, and which is perhaps to be equated with the Humberside's Bridlington (coastal erosion may have destroyed the site).
Septimani Seniores recruited in Spain. Praesichantes recruited along the Rhine.
Screeshots:
Legio Tertia Flavia Salutis and Legio Tertio Augustani
Again you will notice these units have muscular leather instead of mail, due to the Berbers being on the whole less armoured.
Tertia Flavia Salutis means 'the Flavian Legion of Salvation' and was most likely founded by Constantine along with its sister legions Legio I Flavia Pacis and Legio II Flavia Virtutis after defeating the usurpers Carausius and Allectus at the time under the command of the Armoricani Dux et Nervicani Gallic Atlantic Coast. Count Theodosius , the father of Theodosius I (379-395), moved the legions 373 to North Africa after defeating the usurper Firmus. In the early 5th century the Tertia Flavia Salutis in the Notitia Dignitatum as comitatenses under the command of the magister peditum.
Tertio Augustani name clearly shows it to be a descendent of Legio III Augusta, long stationed at Lambaesis (in what is now northeast Algeria). In addition to the unit under the Comes Africae, the Notitia has the Dux et praeses provinciae Mauritaniae et Caesariensis commanding the Praepositus limitis Augustensis, whose men are likely a detachment of this unit. The unit was raised in the year 43 BCE most likely by the consul Gaius Vibius Pansa and the emperor AugustusThe legion was disbanded in 238 CE "because of its role in putting down an African-based revolt against the emperor Maximinus in favor of the provincial governor Gordianus. In 252, Valerian reformed the legion to deal with the "five peoples", a dangerous coalition of Berber tribes. The legion prevailed in 260 but the threat remained and the fortifications of Lambaesis were increased over the following years. In 289, the struggle began again and the emperor Maximianus took personal control of the legion. The war lasted until 297 at which point the legion was victorious. In the early 4th century, Diocletian personally put down a rebellious governor and immediately afterward, transferred the Legio III Augusta from Lambaesis to another, unknown base within the region.
Recruited in Africa.
Screenshots:
Legio Solenses Seniores and Legio Tertia Iulia Alpina
Solenses Seniores might date from the time of Constantine the Great (who was devoted to the worship of Sol before converting to Christianity), or, even more likely, from the time of his father, Constantius Chlorus, who was associated with Sol in the same way Diocletian was with Jupiter, Maximianus with Hercules, and Galerius with Mars. Appropriately enough, its shield device is indeed a solar emblem, a star, although not too much need be read into this, given the shield pattern of the Martii, presumably named for Galerius, also shows a white seven-pointed star, as the two units may well have been initially brigaded together when they received their shield patterns.
Tertia Iulia Alpina means 'the Third Julian Alpine legion' and was most likely founded by Julius Constans. The name Alpine suggets it may originally have been the garrison of a province in the Italian diocese, most likely Alpes Cottiae.
Recruited along the Danube.
Screenshots:
Legio Quartodecimani and Legio Prima Flavia Gemina
Quartodecimani origins stem from the Legio quarta decima Gemina (Fourteenth Twin Legion), levied by Octavian after 41 BC. The cognomen Gemina (twin in Latin) suggests that the legion resulted from fusion of two previous ones, one of them possibly being the Fourteenth legion that fought in the Battle of Alesia. Martia Victrix (martial victory) were cognomens added by Nero following the victory over Boudica. Between 364 and 378, the emperor Valerian waged war against the Marcomanni, using Carnuntum as HQ. XIV Gemina must have been involved. At the end of the fourth, beginning of the fifth century, the fourteenth legion still guarded the Danube at Carnuntum. It must have disappeared when the frontier collapsed in 430.
Prima Flavia Gemina name Flavia presumably refers to one of the (second so-named) Flavian-dynasty emperors, starting with the elevation of Constantius Chlorus as Caesar in 293, and ending with the death of Julian in 363. The moniker gemina shows the unit was in some way a "twin"; and indeed, the unit immediately following the Prima Flavia gemina in the list of the Magister Militum per Thracias, and with which it was presumably brigaded, is the Secunda Flavia gemina.
Recruited along the Danube.
Screenshots:
Legio Fectienses Seniores and Legio Germaniciani Iuniores
Fectienses seniores are a (ficticious) unit originally were a cohort on the Lower Rhine, stationed in the fort named Fectio.
Germaniciani means "from Germany"; presumably the unit was either recruited there, or served there before joining the field army (in the Notitia as has come down to us, coverage of the province of Germania secunda is much reduced, while that of Germania prima is almost entirely absent, reflecting the aftermath of the Germanic invasions across the Rhine in 406/7). Complementing the Germaniciani iuniores in the west is the Germaniciani seniores in the east, a legio comitatenses under the Magister Militum per Illyricum.
Recruited in the east.
Screenshots:
Legio Secunda Flavia Constantia Thebaeorum and Legio Secunda Felix Valentis Thebaeorum
Secunda Flavia Constantia Thebaeorum name means 'the reliable Flavian legion', but the element constantia is also a reference to the emperor Constantius I Chlorus. This legion was probably founded in 296 or 297 by the emperor Diocletian, together with I Maximiana, to defend the southern part of Egypt against neighboring tribes. They were stationed in the neighborhood of Cusas. The legion is called after Constantius I Chlorus, one of the emperors in the western half of the empire.
Secunda Felix Valentis Thebaeorum appears to be a detachment of the Legio secunda Valentiniana under the Dux Thebaidos, stationed at Hermunthi (i.e. Hermonthis, modern Armant, near Thebes - modern Luxor - in Egypt). Legio II Valentiniana may have been created by Valentinian I (reigned 364-375) along with Legio I Valentiniana.
Recruited in Egypt.
Screenshots:
Legio Quinta Macedonica and Pseudocomitatensis Sexta Parthica and Pseudocomitatensis Quarta Italica
Quinta Macedonica means 'the legion from Macedonia'. This legion was probably recruited by consul Gaius Vibius Pansa and Octavian (the later emperor Augustus) in 43 BCE. Between 30 BCE and 6 CE, the fifth legion served in Macedonia, where it received its surname. After 400, these soldiers are found in Syria, which is the last time we hear from them. The old mother-legion had remained in Moesia, where it is still attested at the beginning of the fifth century. Both units must have been integrated in the Byzantine army.Sexta Parthica means 'the Sixth Parthica legion'. This legion was created by the emperor Diocletian (284-305), who reorganized the eastern frontier of the Roman empire. Originally, it defended one of the provinces between the Euphrates and the Tigris, but in the catalogue of late-fourth century military units that is included in the Notitia Dignitatum, it is mentioned as part of the mobile field army of the Orient. The change may be caused by the loss of the eastern provinces after the disastrous Persian campaign of the emperor Julianus Apostata (363).
Quarta Italica means 'the Fourth Italian legion'. The legion was Formed during the reign of Alexander Severus in 231, with Italian and Pannonian soldiers, and perhaps took soon part in the expedition against the Sassanids in 231-231. Its first commander, IV Italica and some legions at this time were commanded by Equestrian Praefectus Legionis compared to the Senatorial Legatus Legionis, was Maximinus Thrax, the former common soldier and future emperor. It participated in all Maximinus' campaigns in the Danubian area in 235-238. Under Gordian III, it returned to the eastern frontier in 242-244 to fight the Sassanids, under the prefect Serapamo, with its base set perhaps in the province of Mesopotamia.Later, it may have been based in the Gaul under Diocletian.It is mentioned in the Notitia dignitatum, as a pseudo-comitatenses legion under the magister militum per Orientem. It perhaps survived until the reformation of Justinian in 545.
Recruited in the East.
Screenshots:
Pseudocomitatensis Armenia Primae and Pseudocomitatensis Armenia Secundae
The Prima Armeniaca is listed as the first of the pseudocomitatenses units under the Magister Militum per Orientem. The shield pattern is simple, having a yellow boss and a yellow main field; surrounding the boss is an unusual design in blue, which looks like a circle with two deep lobes cut out at approximately the 11 o'clock and the 1 o'clock positions. This would appear to be a mythological Amazonian shield.
The Secunda Armeniaca is listed as the second of the pseudocomitatenses units under the Magister Militum per Orientem. The shield pattern of the Secunda Armeniaca is thus very similar to that of the preceding unit in the Magister Militum per Orientem's list: the Prima Armeniaca.
Recruited in the East.
Screenshots:
Sagitarii, Funditores Arcuballistarii
Screenshots:
IB: SAI-ALEX Roman Unit Roster Revisions - Comitatensis
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Originally Posted by Magister Militum Flavius Aetius
Look! There are even some Loricae Musculatae!
They're no longer visible.
