This page last modified: 16 December 2015 (Victores seniores link added)

The following cavalry units are listed as being with the Master of Foot in his Italian command, drawn from those nominally under the command of the Master of Horse (Magister Equitum; the numbers in front of the names refer to Ingo Maier's numbering scheme): 102/5.210 Comites seniores (a vexillationes palatinae unit) 102/5.211 Equites promoti seniores (a vexillationes palatinae unit) 102/5.212 Equites brachiati seniores (a vexillationes palatinae unit) 102/5.213 Equites Cornuti seniores (a vexillationes palatinae unit) 102/5.214 Comites Alani (a vexillationes palatinae unit) 102/5.215 Equites Mauri feroces (a vexillationes comitatenses unit) 102/5.216 Equites constantes Valentinianenses iuniores (see notes below) along with the following infantry units drawn from his own infantry roster: 102/5.54 Ioviani seniores (a legiones palatina unit) 102/5.55 Herculiani seniores (a legiones palatina unit) 102/5.56 Divitenses seniores (a legiones palatina unit) 102/5.57 Tungrecani seniores (a legiones palatina unit; Tongrecani seniores) 102/5.58 Pannoniciani seniores (a legiones palatina unit) 102/5.59 Moesiaci seniores (a legiones palatina unit) 102/5.60 Cornuti seniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.61 Brachiati seniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.62 Petulantes seniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.63 Celtae seniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.64 Heruli seniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.65 Batavi seniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.66 Mattiaci seniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.67 Iovii seniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.68 Victores seniores (presumably an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.69 Cornuti iuniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.70 Leones iuniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.71 Exculcatores seniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.72 Grati (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.73 Savini (an auxilia palatina unit; Sabini) 102/5.74 Felices iuniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.75 Atecotti Honoriani iuniores (i.e. Honoriani Atecotti iuniores, an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.76 Brisigavi iuniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.77 Mauri Honoriani iuniores (i.e. Honoriani Mauri iuniores, an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.78 Galli victores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.79 Octavani (a legiones palatina unit) 102/5.80 Thebei (a legiones palatina unit, called Thebaei by Seeck) 102/5.81 Mattiarii iuniores (a legiones comitatenses unit) 102/5.82 Septimani iuniores (a legiones comitatenses unit) 102/5.83 Regii (a legiones comitatenses unit) 102/5.84 Germaniciani (i.e. Germaniciani iuniores, a legiones comitatenses unit) 102/5.85 Prima Iulia (i.e. Prima Alpina, a pseudocomitatenses unit) 102/5.86 Tertia Iulia (i.e. Tertia Iulia Alpina, a legiones comitatenses unit) 102/5.87 Placidi Valentinianici felices (see notes) 102/5.88 Gratianenses iuniores (an auxilia palatina unit) 102/5.89 Marcomanni (presumably an auxilia palatina unit, see notes) 102/5.90 Pontinenses (a pseudocomitatenses unit). 5 prefects and their limitanei units are also listed as being under the command of the Magister Peditum: In provincia Venetia inferiore: 156/8.24 Praefectus classis Venetum, at Aquileiae In provincia Flaminia: 156/8.26 Praefectus militum iuniorum Italicorum, at Ravennae 156/8.27 Praefectus classis Ravennatium cum curis eiusdem civitatis, at Ravennae In provincia Liguria: 156/8.29 Praefectus classis Comensis cum curis eiusdem civitatis, at Como In provincia Campania: 156/8.31 Praefectus classis Misenatium, at Miseno In addition to these military units, 17 prefects of Sarmatian settlers are listed as being stationed in various parts of Italy: In provincia Italia: 156/8.64 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Apuliae and Calabria 156/8.65 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, in Brittios and Lucaniam In provincia Italia mediterranea: 156/8.67 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Apuliae and Calabria (see notes) 156/8.68 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, in Bruttios and Lucaniam (see notes) 156/8.69 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Foro Fulviensi 156/8.70 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Opittergii 156/8.71 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Patavio 156/8.72 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium (location missing) 156/8.73 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Cremonae 156/8.74 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Taurinis 156/8.75 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Aquis or at Tertona 156/8.76 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Novariae 156/8.77 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Vercellis 156/8.78 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Regionis Samnitis 156/8.79 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Boniniae in Aemilia 156/8.80 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Qudratis and Eporizio 156/8.81 Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, at Liguria Pollentia

No illustrations accompany the listings of the units comprising the Italian military forces. Those shown below are some of the illustrations accompanying the civilian Italian listings. Above: Frontpiece of the Praefecti Praetorio Italiae, from the Munich manuscript, M. The Italian Praetorian Prefect held civilian powers second to none, and it is thus fitting his insignia of office are illustrated in the Notitia before those of any other (western) officer. Above: Frontpiece of the Consularis Campaniae, from P, the Parisian manuscript. A Consularis was one of the various kinds of Governor under the late Empire. Above: Frontpiece of the Corrector Apulia et Calabriae, from the Munich manuscript, W. Like a Consularis, a Corrector was one of the various kinds of Governor under the late Empire.

The first two prefects of Sarmatian settlers "in provincia Italia mediterranea", 156/8.67 and 156/8.68, appear to be duplicates of the two "in provincia Italia".

The Equites Cornuti seniores is assigned to both the Italian and the Gallic field commands, while the Equites Cornuti iuniores is unassigned; clearly either the Gallic or the Italian unit is the seniores while the other is the iuniores. There seems no way of conclusively determining which is which. For the sake of simplicity in illustrating their shield patterns below, I will assume that iuniores unit is in the Gallic army, and the seniores in the Italian army. The Equites constantes Valentinianenses iuniores might well be the same as the Equites constantes Valentinianenses seniores, since this unit is recorded under the Magister Equitum but no equivalent iuniores unit is recorded. Only one of the two Equites Brachiates seniores/iuniores patterns is shown, and there is no conclusive way of telling if it is the correct one (although it is more likely to be that of the seniores).

The Marcomanni seems to be either the Honoriani Marcomanni seniores or the Honoriani Marcomanni iuniores, since both of these units are listed under the Magister Peditum; this means however that the other unit appears to have dropped out of the distribution part of the Notitia somehow.

The Placidi Valentiniaci felices is otherwise unknown. Jones suggested that it was raised by Valentinian III in ca. 420 AD or later, and so not yet entered in the appropriate place in this list, or indeed entered at all in the list of units under his nominal command. However, it seems to me more likely they were simply recently transfered to the Italian command. There is an otherwise unassigned Felices iuniores Gallicani, an auxilia palatina unit listed in the Magister Peditum's list that might be the very same unit; see that unit's page for details.

The shield patterns of these units (save those of the Victores seniores and the Exculcatores seniores, which are missing) that can be positively or plausibly identified are shown below, as taken from the Parisian manuscript, P:

Note that many of the shield patterns listed matching the Magister Peditum's infantry roster are mislabelled; see here for more details. Where the label is clearly wrong, but the correct identity is not clear, I have given the illustrated label in quote marks. Where the label is clearly wrong, and the correct label is also (I believe) reasonably clear, I have given the illustrated label in quote marks, and what I believe is correct pattern for the correct label, which is identified by appending "i.e.".

The positions of the Octavani and Thebei in the Italian list would seem to indicate that they were comitatenses units when the Notitia was first drawn up, only later promoted to the palatine status they are recorded as having under the Magister Peditum's infantry roster. Half of the 12 palatine legions in the western empire are such recently upgraded units.

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