This page created 3 August 2014, and last modified: 3 August 2014
In the eastern half of the empire, one of the auxilia palatina units under the command of the Magister Militum per Illyricum is called the Atecotti. Its shield pattern in various manuscripts is as shown below:
The has an indigo-purple rim (faded to pink in M, W) with a yellow band on the inside (blue in W). The next band inwards is indigo-purple (deep maroon in W and faded to pink in M). The boss is white (O, M), green (P, B), or red (W); surrounding the boss is a red scalloped "star" (faded yellow in W) with 12 (O), 13 (M, B), or 14 (P, W) points. Three other units bear similarly scalloped star motifs, all in the eastern half of the empire: the Victores, under the Magister Militum Praesentalis I; the Felices Arcadiani iuniores, under the Magister Militum Praesentalis II; and the Matiarii constantes, under the Magister Militum per Illyricum. Their shield patterns are compared below, using the pictures found in the Parisian manuscript:
The name Atecotti is a tribal one, indicating an obscure people from the north of the British Isles; Ammianus records they raided Roman Britain in the late 4th century; while St Jerome, a contemporary of Ammianus, notes that they took their wives in common. Three other units bearing the name are found in the Notita:
Honoriani Atecotti seniores, a unit of auxilia palatina in the Magister Equitum's Gallic commandA comparison of the following patterns taken from the Parisian manuscript shows that the patterns of the three western units appear to be related, whereas the pattern of the eastern Atecotti unit bears no strong relationship with those of the western units, although it does at least share their main field colour.
Honoriani Atecotti iuniores, a unit of auxilia palatina in the Magister Peditum's Italian command
Atecotti iuniores Gallicani, another unit of auxilia palatina in the Magister Equitum's Gallic command
Inscriptional evidence (CIL 3, 9538) for the Atecotti comes from Salona (near modern Split in Croatia), recording a numero Atta, which has been expanded to "numero Atta[corum]". See here.
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