This page created 25 September 2014, and last modified: 23 September 2015 (Maier reference numbers added)

The 23rd of the 32 units of legiones comitatenses listed (98/9.120 in Ingo Maier's numbering scheme) in the Magister Peditum's infantry roster is called the Geminiacenses; it is assigned (102/5.139) to the Magister Equitum's Gallic command. Its shield pattern (96#13), as found in various manuscripts under the matching label (96.n) Geminiacenses, is shown below:

The pattern is both simple and unique, showing a plain red field and a single charge in yellow: what appears to be a drop suspended from a crossbar attached by two rivets. What this is actually intended to represent I currently have no idea. Suggestions welcome!

The name Geminiacenses refers to Geminiacum (modern Liberchies in Belgium), whose fort has yielded rich coin finds dating to the 4th century. The Geminiacenses is one of a number of units that, given their names, appear to have been stationed under the command of the Dux Belgicae secundae in the past but had been transferred into the Gallic field army by the tome the Notitia was compiled (or to be more exact, last edited). Other such legionary units are the Cortoriacenses (98/9.119), from Cortoriacum (modern Kortrijk / Courtrai) and listed immediately before the Geminiacenses> in the infantry roster, and the Prima Flavia Metis (98/9.143) from Metis (modern Metz).

Since these three units are not duplicated as being under the command of the Dux Belgicae secundae, in contrast to the many duplicated units under various other western Duces, it seems that the province of Belgicae secundae had many of its units drafted into the depleted Gallic field army before those of many other provinces, if we work on the premise that such deletions from the border forces took time to be deleted from their original listing place in the Notitia Dignitatum, assuming they were listed there in the first place. To these three units we might also add the Tongrecani seniores (98/9.82, after the Civitas Tungrorum, modern Tongeren / Tongres), and the Menapes seniores (98/9.098, after the Civitas Menapiorum, modern Kassel / Cassel), although their very senior positioning in the Magister Peditum's infantry roster implies they had joined a field army long before the Notitia was drawn up: external evidence points to the years 310 to 312 in the case of the Tongrecani.

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