This page created 1 January 2004, and last modified: 1 April 2014 (Ammianus references added)
Eleven units of comites are noted in the Notitia, three in the west:
Comites seniores, a palatine vexillation in the Magister Peditum's Italian commandand eight in the east:
Comites Alani, another palatine vexillation under the Magister Peditum
Comites iuniores, an unassigned comitatenses vexillation (possibly under the Comes Africae?)
Comites clibanarii, a palatine vexillation under the Magister Militum Praesentalis IThat all are cavalry, and all bar two (or three) are palatine units has long been seen as evidence that these are elite units, possibly drawn from noblemen in the case of the 'foreign' units, the Alani, the Taifali, and the Armeni (see Ammianus below). This is reflected in their name - "comites" meaning "companions" as in "companions of the Emperor", cf. Alexander the Great's "hetairoi" also meaning "companions".
Comites sagittarii iuniores, another palatine vexillation under the Magister Militum Praesentalis I
Comites Taifali, another palatine vexillation under the Magister Militum Praesentalis I
Comites seniores, a palatine vexillation under the Magister Militum Praesentalis II
Comites sagittarii Armeni, another palatine vexillation under the Magister Militum Praesentalis II
Comites catafractarii Bucellarii iuniores, a comitatenses vexillation under the Magister Militum per Orientem (see notes)
Comites Arcadiaci, a palatine vexillation under the Magister Militum per Thracias
Comites Honoriaci, another palatine vexillation under the Magister per Thracias
The Comites catafractarii Bucellarii iuniores is likely actually two units: the Comites catafractarii and the Bucellarii iuniores, given the nature of the name; more pertinently, in the Paris manuscript, unlike the Munich manuscript, the Magister Militum per Orientem is listed as having an extra cavalry unit over what is found in the Munich manuscript. See more under my discussion under the Magister Militum per Orientem).
Ammianus gives (18.9.3) a unit of Comites, without further distinction, as being amongst the defenders at the siege of Amida in 359 (although at 18.9.4 he not only describes its men as being sagittarii, but explains they were freeborn foreigners); likewise a "turma" of mounted Comites is mentioned without further distinction at 15.4.19.
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