This page last modified: 27 December 2015 (Cuneus equitum Dalmatarum Divitensium link added)

The following cavalry cunei units (or detachments of units) are listed as being under the command of the Dux Daciae ripensis (i.e. the Duke of riverine Dacia, corresponding to northern Bulgaria; the numbers in front of the names refer to Ingo Maier's numbering scheme):

Above: Frontpiece from the Bodleian manuscript. The stations depicted are: Dortico, Bononia, Cebro, Drobeta, Augustae, Varina, Almo, Aegetae, Lito.

80.2 Cuneus equitum Dalmatarum Fortensium, at Bononia 80.3 Cuneus equitum Dalmatarum Divitensium, at Dortico 80.4 Cuneus equitum scutariorum, at Cebro 80.5 Cuneus equitum Dalmatarum Divitensium (location missing, probably Drobeta) 80.6 Cuneus equitum Dalmatarum, at Augustae 80.7 Cuneus equitum Dalmatarum, at Varina 80.8 Cuneus equitum stablesianorum, at Almo 80.9 Cuneus equitum scutariorum, at Agete 80.10 Cuneus equitum Constantinianorum, at Uto along with the following units of auxiliares (or detachments of units): 80.12 Auxilium Miliarentium, at Transalba Dacie 80.13 Auxilium primorum Daciscorum, at Drobeta 80.14 Auxilium Crispitienses, at Crispitia 80.15 Auxilium Mariensium, at Oesco 80.16 Auxilium Claustrinorum, at Transluco 80.17 Auxilium secundorum Daciscorum, at Burgo Zono 80.18 Praefectus militum exploratorum, at Transdiernis (see notes) and the following (prefects and tribunes and their) legionary units: 80.20 Praefectus legionis quintae Macedonicae, at Variniana 80.21 Praefectus legionis quintae Macedonicae, at Cebro 80.22 Praefectus legionis quintae Macedonicae, at Oesco 80.23 Praefectus legionis tertiaedecimae geminia, at Aegeta 80.24 Praefectus legionis tertiaedecimae geminia, at Transdrobeta 80.25 Praefectus legionis tertiaedecimae geminia, at Burgo Novo 80.26 Praefectus legionis tertiaedecimae geminia, at Zernis 80.27 Praefectus legionis tertiaedecimae geminia, at Ratiaria 80.28 Praefectus legionis quintae Macedonici, at Sucidava 80.29 Tribunus cohortis secundorum reducum Siosta (see notes) 80.30 Tribunus cohortis nove, at Sostica 80.31 Praefectus classis Histricae, at Agete 80.32 Praefectus classis Ratianensis (see notes)

Despite their listing under a rubric (80.20) stating "Item legiones", entries 80.29 and 80.30 would appear to be non-legionary cohorts, given they are commanded by tribunes, while the status of the two fleet units (80.31 and 80.32) as legionary or non-legionary is somewhat ambiguous. The men under the Praefectus classis Ratianensis (80.32) would appear to be stationed at Ratiaria (near modern Archar in Vidin, Bulgaria). His unit is thus not given a name; it was undoubtably another detachment of the Classis Histricae ("Danubian fleet").

The men under the Praefectus militum exploratorum (80.18) are listed under a rubric (80.11) stating "Auxiliares", but since they are commanded by a prefect, they would appear to have been misplaced from under the legionary rubric (80.19).

The men under the various Praefecti legionis quintae Macedonici are clearly a detachment of Legio V Macedonica, long stationed at Oescus (modern Gigen in Bulgaria); one of the above detachments (80.22) is still recorded as being there. Further detachments of this legion are found under the Magister Militum per Orientem and under the Comes limitis Aegypti.

The men under the Praefectus legionis tertiaedecimae geminia are similarly a detachment of Legio XIII Gemina, which was stationed at Ratiaria after Aurelius withdrew from Dacia, and which was the capital of Daciae ripensis; one of the above detachments (80.27) is still recorded as being there. Further detachments of this legion are found under the Magister Militum per Thracias and the Comes limitis Aegypti.

Inscriptional evidence referring to a PRAEPOSITUS COHORTIS II RED[...] found at Sostra (modern Lomets in Lovech, Bulgaria) would seem to indicate that the "Siosta" recorded in the Notitia refers to Sostra, and thus is not a current garrison location name; i.e. the unit is from Sostra, and not at Sostra.

For some reason I used to think the Auxilium Crispitienses was named after Crispus, Constantine the Great's eldest son, who was executed in 326 AD (probably because A.H.M. Jones thought the similarly-named Praefectus equitum Crispianorum (154.4) under the Dux Britanniarum was "certainly" named after him). But clearly it are named after the place it is stationed at: Crispitia! Perhaps Crispus was born there.

The shield patterns of the detachments of the Thirteenth and the Fifth legions, under the Magister Militum per Thracias and the Magister Militum per Orientem, respectively, are given below; those under O come from the Bodleian manuscript in Oxford, those under P from the Paris manuscript, those under M from the first portion of the Munich manuscript, those under W from the second portion of the Munich manuscript, and those under B from the Froben edition (which, being printed, reverses the facings of the designs).

These are unlikely to be the same as those borne by the detachments still under the Dux Daciae ripensis, however. That of the Thirteenth in particular is clearly related to three seemingly otherwise unrelated units under the Magister Militum per Thracias and could have been adopted when these four units all joined that command, presumably simultaneously.

Below are shown the frontpieces from the Parisian manuscript, P; and the Froben printed edition, B:

And below are shown the frontpieces from the first set of pictures in the Munich manuscript, M; and the second set, W.

1. Ingo Maier; "Appendix 4: Numeration of the new edition of the compilation 'notitia dignitatum' (Cnd)"; last accessed 7 December 2015. See also for here for numbering examples. Return

2. Matei-Popescu, Florian ; "The Roman Army in Moesia Inferior"; National Museum of Romanian History, Centre for Roman Military Studies, 7; Eds O. Tentea, F. Matei-Popescu; Conphys, Bucharest (2010); at p 228, available here (last accessed 27 December 2015). Return

3. A.H.M. Jones; "The Later Roman Empire, 284-602; A Social, Economic, and Administrative Survey"; Blackwell, Oxford, 1964; vol. 1 of 3, at p 99. Return

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