Dux Belgicae secundae

The Dux Belgicae secundae (literally " commander of the province Belgica II" ) was a senior officer in the late Roman army of the West, Supreme Commander of the limitanei and a naval squadron to the so-called Saxon Shore in Gaul.

An unnamed known Dux was the Frankish king Childeric I ( late 5th century).

Definition

The Office was probably established around 395 AD. At the imperial court of Dux was one of the highest ranking class of viri spectabiles. In the Notitia Dignitatum be for the Gallic part of the Litus saxonicum two high command units and units for securing the coasts

  • Flanders ( Belgica II)
  • Normandy ( province Lugdunensis II) and
  • Brittany ( province Lugdunensis III)

Enumerated in the above commander and the adjacent tract Armoricani Dux et Nervicani. These two section commanders were probably the successors of a public official, the former command over both the British and on the Gallic part of the Saxon Shore held ( Comes maritimi tract ) Their coastal defense could be maintained until the middle of the 5th century.

Forts, officers and units

In addition to administrative staff ( officium ) were still eight tribunes / prefects and their units available this Dux (sub dispositione ):

  • Equites Dalmatae ( no officer stated).
  • Praefectus classis Sambricae, commander of a flotilla of patrol ships ( naves iusoriae ), which was stationed on the Somme since the 4th century. Their bases were in locus Quartensis or Vicus ad Quantiam (Port d' Etaples, France, north of the Somme estuary ) and locus Hornensis (Cap Hornez, France).
  • Tribune of the Soldiers Nerviorum,

A prefect for Sarmatian settlers:

  • Praefectus Sarmatarum gentilium, inter Renos et Tambianos secundae provinciae Belgicae,

And four prefects, the contingents of Germanic Laeten commanded:

  • Praefectus laetorum Nerviorum in Fanomantis,
  • Praefectus laetorum Batavorum Nemetacensium in Atrabatis,
  • Praefectus laetorum Batavorum Contraginnensium in Noviomago and a
  • Praefectus laetorum gentilium in Remo et Silvanectas.

Their shield emblems are not shown in the Notitia, however.

The Dux has in earlier times, however, more units have united under his command. Arnold Hugh Martin Jones identified the origin of, inter alia, units from the Gallic army. They originally came also from the Belgica II; their names are the same as the well-known cities of this province:

  • Geminiacenses, a legio comitatenses from Geminiacum,
  • Cotoriacenses, a legio comitatenses from Cotoriacum,
  • Prima Flavia, pseudocomitatenses from Metis.

Unlike other vexillations Duces these units are no longer additionally as under the command of the Dux Belgicae II indicated standing. It seems that this province had to give up after the defeat of the border units on the Rhine ( Rhine crossing of 406 AD), one of the first many of their units to the field army.

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