COMITATENSES

'Comitatenses' is the Latin plural of 'comitatensis', originally the adjective derived from ''comitatus'' ('company, party, suite'; in this military context it came to the novel meaning of 'the field army'), itself rooting in ''Comes'' ('companion', but hence specific historical meanings, military and civilian).
However, historically it became the accepted (substantivated) name for those Roman imperial troops (legions and auxiliary) which were not merely garrisoned at a limes (fortified border, on the Rhine and Danube in Europe and near Persia and the desert tribes elsewhere) — the ''limitanei'' or ''ripenses'', i.e. 'along the shores' — but more mobile line troops; furthermore there were second line troops, named ''pseudocomitatenses'', former limitanei attached to the comitatus; ''palatinae'', elite ('guard') units typically assigned to ''Magistri militum''; and the ''scholae'' of actual palace guards, notably under the ''magister officiorum'', a major court official of the Late Empire.

Contents

List of ''comitatenses'' units

External links

See also

List of ''comitatenses'' units

Among the ''comitatenses'' units listed by ''Notitia Dignitatum'' there are:

★ under ''Magister Peditum'':

★ # Undecimani.

★ # Secundani Italiciani (Legio II ''Italica'', Africa);

★ # Tertiani Italica (Legio III ''Italica'', Illyricum);

★ # Tertia Herculea, Illyricum;

★ # Secunda Britannica, Gallias;

★ # Tertia Iulia Alpina, Italia;

★ # Prima Flavia Pacis, Africa;

★ # Secunda Flavia Virtutis, Africa;

★ # Tertia Flavia Salutis, Africa;

★ # Secunda Flavia Constantiniana, Africa Tingitania;

★ # Tertio Augustani (Legio III ''Augusta'');

★ under the ''Magister Militum per Orientem'':

★ # Quinta Macedonica (Legio V ''Macedonica'');

★ # Septima gemina (Legio VII ''Gemina'');

★ # Decima gemina (Legio X ''Gemina'');

★ # Prima Flavia Constantia;

★ # Secunda Flavia Constantia Thebaeorum;

★ # Secunda Felix Valentis Thebaeorum;

★ # Prima Flavia Theodosiana;

★ under the ''Magister Militum per Thracias'':

★ # Prima Maximiana Thebaeorum;

★ # Tertia Diocletiana Thebaeorum;

★ # Tertiodecimani (Legio XIII ''Gemina''?);

★ # Quartodecimani (Legio XIV ''Gemina Martia Victrix''?);

★ # Prima Flavia gemina;

★ # Secunda Flavia gemina.

External links

★ Comitatus (A Late & Post-Roman Romano-British Historical reenactment & Living history group portraying the Legio Praesidiensis, a comitatensis unit listed in the Notitia Dignitatum under the Gallic command, but based in Britain during the late 4th century.)

See also