This page last modified: 31 December 2014 (Maier reference numbers added)
![]() Frontpiece from the Bodleian manuscript (O). The stations depicted are: Menoida, Berosaba, Zodocatha, Sabaia, Chermula, Zoara, Robatha, Hauare, Birsama, Veterocania, Mohaila, Aila, Aelia. Note that not only is the ordering very different from the textual list, but Robatha has no corresponding entry in the textual list. |
The following units or detachments of units, and a prefect and his legionary unit, are listed as being under the command of the Duke of Palestine (the numbers in front of the names refer to Ingo Maier's numbering scheme):
59.2 Equites Dalmatae Illyriciani, at Benosabaealong with the following units from a "lesser register": 59.15 Ala prima miliaria Sebastena, at Asuada |
Note that Seeck interpolated (OR.XXXIV.27) an entry reading Equites sagittarii indigenae Robatha after 59.10 Equites sagittarii indigenae Hauanae, and bracketed the "sagittarii indigenae" in 59.11 for deletion, to produce:
Equites promiti indigenae Zodocathaepresumably because a fort called Robatha appears in the frontpiece; but why he felt that meant "sagittarii indigenae" should be deleted I have no idea; perhaps he thought the inclusion of another unit of Equites sagittarii indigenae at 59.10.1 in addition to 59.11 would be one such unit too many.
Equites sagittarii indigenae Hauanae
Equites sagittarii indigenae Zoarae
[Equites sagittarii indigenae Robatha]
Equites primi felicessagittarii indigenaePalaestini Sabure siue Ueterocariae
Equites sagittarii indigenae Moahile
The Dux Palaestinae controls the only unit of dromedarii (camel-mounted soldiers, in other words); the other three units are under the Dux Thebaidos.
The men under the Praefectus legionis decimae Fretensis are the old Legio X Fretensis, stationed at Ailae (modern Elat in Israel on the Red Sea), where they had been transferred in the 3rd century; previously they had been based in Jeruslaem. It is possible that the Decimanique Fortenses that Ammianus records (18.9.3) as being destroyed at Amida in 359 AD were a detachment of this unit, having arrived there by forced marches before the siege, as none of the legions numbered X are otherwise recorded as being styled Fortenses; another less likely possibility is an otherwise unknown Tenth legion of 3rd century origin called the Fortenses (not beyond the realms of possibility, given a Legio XII Victrix known only from bricks from Strasbourg dating to the 3rd/4th century).
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