The Notitia Dignitatum



Auxiliary Milites



This page created 26 June 2015, and last modified: 26 June 2015

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The following 21 units of auxiliary milites are apparently noted in the Notitia (the numbers beside the names refer to Ingo Maier's numbering scheme):

56/7.14 Milites miliarenses, under the Dux Thebaidos
74.10 Milites navclarii, under the Dux Scythiae
74.11 Milites superventores, also under the Dux Scythiae
74.12 Milites scythici, also under the Dux Scythiae
74.13 Milites secundi Constantini, also under the Dux Scythiae
74.14 another Milites Scythici, also under the Dux Scythiae
74.15 Milites primi Constantiani, also under the Dux Scythiae
74.16 Milites quinti Constantiani, also under the Dux Scythiae
74.17 Milites primi Gratianenses, also under the Dux Scythiae
76.10 Milites praeventores, under the Dux Moesiae secundae
76.11 Milites Constantini, also under the Dux Moesiae secundae
76.12 Milites Dacisci, also under the Dux Moesiae secundae
76.13 Milites tertii navclarii, also under the Dux Moesiae secundae
76.14 Milites novenses, also under the Dux Moesiae secundae
76.15 Milites primi Moesiaci, also under the Dux Moesiae secundae
76.16 Milites Moesiaci, also under the Dux Moesiae secundae
76.17 Milites quarti Constantiani, also under the Dux Moesiae secundae
76.18 Milites Cimbriani, also under the Dux Moesiae secundae
76.19 Milites navclarii Altinenses, also under the Dux Moesiae secundae
149.2 Milites latavienses, under the Dux Provinciae Sequanici
152.4 Milites nervii, under the Dux Belgicae secundae (see note).



Disclaimer: Remember, a lot of what comes below is speculation. Hopefully informed speculation, but speculation nonetheless. Comments welcome! (lukeuedasarson "at" gmail.com)


In addition, the following praepositus is described as commanding milites who may be assumed to be auxiliaries, as opposed to legionaries, given the unit name, for the units of Tungri in Britain are attested elsewhere as being auxiliary:

132.3 Praepositus militum Tungrecanorum, under the Comes litoris Saxonici per Britanniam.
There is also one unit listed under a section heading entitled auxiliaries, but which is nonetheless commanded by a prefect, the
80.18 Praefectus militum exploratorum, under the Dux Daciae ripensis.
This unit has likely been slipped one position higher in the roster of the Dux Daciae ripensis than it should be, and should probably be in the legionary list, following line 80.19, which is a heading saying Item legiones (item 80.20 is the Praefectus legionis quartae Flaviae). See here for units of milites in the Notitia that are more firmly identified as being legionary.

The word milites broadly means "solidiers" in Latin, and finds its way into the English language in e.g. "miltary"; later, in medieval Latin, it came to connote a well-born soldier; what in English we would call a "knight", and thus also be well-borne (on a horse) as well as well-born. However in Roman times it had no such connotation; indeed, in the Notitia, all the units styled milites are clearly infantry units.

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