This page created: 1 January, 2003 and last modified: 31 December 2014 (Maier reference numbers added)
![]() Frontpiece from the Bodleian manuscript (O). The stations depicted are: Seriane, Occariba, Matthana, Adada, Barbalissus, Neocaesar, Aratha, Acadama, Rosapha, Sura, Acavatha, Oresa. |
The following units or detachments of units, and a prefect and his unit are listed as being under the command of the Duke of Syria and Euphratine Syria (the numbers in front of the names refer to Ingo Maier's numbering scheme):
65.2 Equites scutarii Illyriciani, at Seriane along with the following units or detachments of units, and a prefect and his unit, in Augusto Eufratensi: 65.11 Equites Dalmatae Illyriciani, at Barbalisso as well as the following units from a "lesser register":
65.16 Ala prima nova Herculia, at Ammuda |
The men under the Praefectus legionis sextaedecimae Flaviae firmae are clearly Legio XVI Flavia Firmae, which had since the 2nd century been stationed at Samosata (modern Samsat, Turkey, by the Syrian border, now under a hydroelectric lake), but which in the Notitia is stationed at Sura (Soura, modern Sourriya, near al-Hammam in Syria).
The men under the Praefectus legionis quartae Scythicae are clearly (part of) Legio IIII Scythica, which was in the early 3rd century stationed at Zeugma (near Belkis in Gaziantep, Turkey, and now partially underwater), but which in the Notitia is recorded as being stationed at Oresa, which is probably to be equated with Oriza (modern Ain Tayibe, Syria). A detachment of this unit had apparently been incorporated into the command of the second Master of the Soldiers in the Imperial Presence at some point, as the Scythae.
Note how in the frontpiece the Dux' territory is divided into two portions, with the left portion corresponding to those units said to be stationed in Augusto Eufratensi, which had been formed in the 4th century from the former territories of Commagene and Cyrrhestica on the west bank of the Euphrates; the right portion corresponds to the units stationed in Syria proper.
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