This page created 23 March 2014, and last modified: 10 October 2014 (Froben picture added)

The Superventores iuniores is listed as one of the pseudocomitatenses units in the Magister Peditum's infantry roster; it is assigned to the Magister Equitum's Gallic command. Its shield pattern is shown in various manuscripts as below under the label Superventores:

It is clear these are the same men as formerly commanded by the Praefectus militum superventorum, stationed at Mannatias under the Dux tractus Armoricani et Nervicani; see under his entry for details. Because these men are commanded by a prefect, and not a tribune, this implies they were legionary troops, and not auxiliaries. Since the Milites superventores that appears under the Dux Scythiae is an an auxiliary unit, it would thus appear to be unrelated to the Superventores iuniores (no Superventores seniores is to be found in the Notitia).

The shield pattern is simple, being a plain red field with a yellow boss, quartered (except in B) with white. A number of units bear this pattern, although no others have yellow quartering.

The exact meaning ofSuperventores is unclear; Ammianus mentions (18.9.3) a unit of Superventores at the siege of Amida, but it is unclear if that unit is the same as any of those listed in the Notitia; another unit apparently so-named is the Numerus supervenientium Petueriensium under the Dux Britanniarum.

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