This page created 12 December 2015, and last modified: 12 December 2015
The Equites Brachiati iuniores is listed (102/5.216 in Ingo Maier's numbering scheme) as the third of the cavalry units assigned to the Magister Peditum's Italian command. However, it is not listed in the Magister Equitum's cavalry roster, and no shield pattern is given for it.
Since there is an Equites constantes Valentinianenses seniores (102/5.11) in the cavalry roster that is apparently unassigned to any field army, it is tempting to conclude that the two units are one and the same, and indeed, Seeck did so in his edition. Nonetheless, caution is advised. The presence of a seniores necessarily implies the one-time presence of a iuniores counterpart (and vice versa), so if the units are one and the same, one must posit not only the deletion of one of the units in any case, but textual confusion on top of that. If the two units are not the same, then one must only posit confusion as to which of the two units was supposed to have been deleted in the roster and the assignment lists, respectively. The iuniores, like the seniores, would probably have been ranked as one of the vexillationes palatinae.
The name Valentinianenses presumably refers to either emperor Valentinian I or II, but there seems no way of knowing which (a unit named after Valentinian III would likely not be split into seniores and iuniores detachments, even if it was somehow given such a high rank so quickly after being named). Constantes means constant, steadfast (and is the root from which Constantius Chlorus and his dynasty took their names); it may perhaps refer either to the unit's performance on the field at some point, or its loyalty to the victorious side during a civil war; both kinds of instances are known for other units.
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. Otto Seeck (Ed.); "Notitia Dignitatum accedunt Notitia urbis Constantinopolitanae et Latercula prouinciarum", Weidmann, Berlin, 1876; available here (last accessed 26 October 2015). Return
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