This page last modified: 26 July 2015 (Ammianus reference updated)

Frontpiece from the Bodleian manuscript (O). The stations depicted are: Menoida, Berosaba, Zodocatha, Sabaia, Chermula, Zoara, Robatha, Hauare, Birsama, Veterocania, Mohaila, Aila, Aelia. Note that not only is the ordering very different from the textual list, but Robatha has no corresponding entry in the textual list.

The following units or detachments of units, and a prefect and his legionary unit, are listed as being under the command of the Duke of Palestine (the numbers in front of the names refer to Ingo Maier's numbering scheme): 59.2 Equites Dalmatae Illyriciani, at Benosabae 59.3 Equites promoti Illyriciani, at Menochiae 59.4 Equites scutarii Illyriciani, at Chermulae 59.5 Equites Mauri Illyriciani, at Aeliae 59.6 Equites Thamudeni Illyriciani, at Birsama 59.7 Equites promoti indigenae, at Sabiaea 59.8 Equites promoti indigenae, at Zodocathae 59.9 Equites sagittarii indigenae, at Hauanae 59.10 Equites sagittarii indigenae, at Zoarae 59.10.1 [(... ..., at) Robatha] (see notes) 59.11 Equites primi felices sagittarii indigenae Palaestini, at Sabure or at Veterocariae (see notes) 59.12 Equites sagittarii indigenae, at Moahile 59.13 Praefectus legionum decimae Fretensis, at Ailae along with the following units from a "lesser register": 59.15 Ala prima miliaria Sebastena, at Asuada 59.16 Ala Antana dromedariorum, at Admatha 59.17 Ala Constantiana, at Toloha 59.18 Ala secunda felix Valentiana, near Praesidium 59.19 Ala prima miliara, at Hasta 59.20 Ala Idiota constituta (i.e. the Ala stationed at Idiota; no unit name given) 59.21 Cohors duodecima Valeria, at Afro 59.22 Cohors decima Carthaginensis, at Cartha 59.23 Cohors prima agentenaria, at Tarba 59.24 Cohors quarta Frigum (Frygum in Seeck), at Praesidio 59.25 Cohors secunda Gratiana, at Iehibo 59.26 Cohors prima equitata, at Calamona 59.27 Cohors secunda Galatharum, at Arieldela 59.28 Cohors prima Flavia, at Moleaatha 59.29 Cohors IIII Palaestinorum, at Thamana 59.30 Cohors secunda Cretensis, by the Jordan river 59.31 Cohors prima salutaria, between Aeliam and Hierichunta

Note that Seeck interpolated (OR.XXXIV.27) an entry reading Equites sagittarii indigenae Robatha after 59.10 Equites sagittarii indigenae Hauanae, and bracketed the "sagittarii indigenae" in 59.11 for deletion, to produce:

Equites promiti indigenae Zodocathae
Equites sagittarii indigenae Hauanae
Equites sagittarii indigenae Zoarae
[Equites sagittarii indigenae Robatha]
Equites primi felices sagittarii indigenae Palaestini Sabure siue Ueterocariae
Equites sagittarii indigenae Moahile

The Dux Palaestinae controls the only unit of dromedarii (camel-mounted soldiers, in other words) listed in the Notitia outside Egypt; the other three units are under the Dux Thebaidos.

The men under the Praefectus legionis decimae Fretensis are the old Legio X Fretensis, stationed at Ailae (modern Aqaba in Jordan on the Red Sea), where they had been transferred in the 3rd century; previously they had been based in Jeruslaem. It is possible that the Decimanique Fortenses that Ammianus records (18.9.3) as being destroyed at Amida in 359 AD were a detachment of this unit, having arrived there by forced marches before the siege (Ammianus' text as it has come down to us may have been corrupted, for apparently 8 units are listed, not the 7 he states: the Legiones V Parthica, Magnetiaci, Decentiaci, Tricensimani, Decimani, Fortenses, Superventores, & Praeventores; accordingly, many have taken "Decimanique Fortenses" to refer to a single unit, and not two); it has been proposed that the text be amended to "Decimanique Fretenses", thereby reducing similarly the number of legions by one, as none of the legions numbered X are otherwise recorded as being styled Fortenses. Another less likely possibility is an otherwise unknown Tenth legion of 3rd century origin called the Fortenses (not beyond the realms of possibility, given an apparent Legio XII Victrix known only from bricks from Strasbourg dating to the 3rd/4th century).

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

Note how some text from the previous list, that of the Dux Thebaidos, overflows on to the page in P. Below are shown the frontpieces from the first set of pictures in the Munich manuscript, M; and the second set, W.

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