This page created 23 March 2014, and last modified: 4 December 2015 (References rearranged)

The Equites sagittarii cordueni is listed (102/5.42 in Ingo Maier's numbering scheme) as 30th of the 32 vexillationes comitatenses in the Magister Equitum's cavalry roster; it is assigned (102/5.260) to the Comes Tingitaniae, as the Equites cardueni comitatenses. Its shield pattern (101#20) as shown in various manuscripts, under the label (101.u) Cordueni, is as below:

The pattern is simple, showing a boss quartered in black (blue in W, purple in B) and white (yellow in M); a yellow band encircling the boss; and a plain white main ground without a rim. All other shield patterns in the Notitia that have an undecorated white main field also have a rim of a different colour.

The name Cordueni presumably derives from Corduene region in Mesopotamia (Gordyene in Greek; whence likely originate the Kurds). Since the area was given up by the Romans during Jovian's retreat from Persia, any recruiting Rome did in the area is likely to have occurred before this date, such as for the Ala quintadecima Flavia Carduenorum, which is recorded in the Notitia (69.15) as being stationed at "Caini" (the modern location of which I have been unable to ascertain), under the Dux Mesopotamiae, and which is itself unknown from any source outside the Notitia as far as I can tell.

Judging from its title, the Equites sagittarii Cordueni was presumably (but not conclusively) bow-armed.

1. Ingo Maier; "Appendix 4: Numeration of the new edition of the compilation 'notitia dignitatum' (Cnd)"; last accessed 26 October 2015. See also for here for numbering examples. Return

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