Limitanei

The limitanei ( Latin for " border guards " ) units were mentioned along with the comitatenses the Roman late antiquity army. They were unlike the comitatenses ( the mobile field army ) not stationed at strategic points in the hinterland, but right on the border.

Development

Under Septimius Severus the military were granted many new privileges that should have far-reaching consequences. Soldiers with Roman citizenship was, inter alia, the marriage was not allowed during their active time in the army. That's why they were now outside of their service with their families living in the camp villages. Since the units have already been largely completed locally, it promoted additionally the - unthinkable in earlier centuries -been - the settling of the border troops. Under Alexander Severus these privileges were cemented by the native to the state land ( ager publicus ) only to withdraw the allocated land was hereditary. These lands had to be built and permanently protected, so that the soldiers were to landowners and a kind of weir farmers. At the end of this transformation process, the castles of accommodation to pure duty stations and the soldiers to fixed border guards ( limitaneus ) had become. The limitanei are first mentioned in 363 by name, but they must at this time have already existed for a long time. Were stationed on the flow limits the border guards, the sources name them as Ripenses or " Riparienses milites " ( = bank guard, from Latin ripa for riverside ), sometimes they are referred to in the sources as castellani or burgarii.

The final separation in a movement and border army go back to the Emperor Diocletian and Constantine the Great, especially the latter drove the appropriate reforms to the financial statements. Under Diocletian the limitanei were already partially released from the control of the governor ( praeses provinciae ) and been the dukes assumed. A law passed in 372 certain that recruits who were unfit for the army in the field, instead, should be classified in the border army. It also happened that comitatenses were demoted as a punishment measure to limitanei. On the other hand, experts like Yann LeBohec today often assume that the older research has overestimated the separation and the quality differences between border and field army.

After Denis van Berchem, the governor of the old school had the power to dispose of the older until the reign of Constantine - held alae and cohorts that included traditionally among the auxiliary troops ( auxilia ) - set up in the Principate. All new regular military units, however, such as the Equites and the legions which were now far more numerous, but smaller, were subordinated to the Duce. One inscription from Brigetio, which dates from the year 311, shows that at that time apparently distinguished in the frontier armies between the newly established units of Ripenses and the old auxilia while the Ripenses also some privileges were granted.

From the middle of the 4th century, the auxilia, which had existed in the beginning of the Late Antiquity especially from Germanic warriors and had made ​​the most of the border troops to the limites to the 3rd century, will no longer be mentioned in the relevant sources. Reich Foreign soldiers were different now than in the Principate directly into the regular army, meaning a larger number of Germans also explained in the higher echelons that have been previously associated with a " barbarism " of the Roman army.

In the West Rome Limitaneieinheiten had resolved many cases in the late 5th century, as they could no longer pay the state, or have been integrated into the armies of the successor states ( eg, on the Rhine frontier ). In Ostrom they can demonstrate at least until the late sixth century ( partly as kastresianoi ) in Libya, Palestine and in the provinces of western North Africa. After the destruction of the Vandal Empire Justinian I immediately put there 534 new units. Your responsibilities had not changed, they went there so as sedentary garrison or border troops, whose numerical dux of each under the command. Your tax privileges should also have been retained. The names had changed little: limitanei, castresiani, riparenses castriciani and Castellani. However, Prokop claims that Justinian the limitanei would have taken on the Persian front the " military character ". In this case, however, it could well be a measure of a financial nature, which probably was only effective in individual regions. But only during the breaks at the end of Late Antiquity ( around the year 630), they also disappeared in Ostrom.

Structure, function and tactics

The strike force was roughly divided into two groups; the better educated and better salaried units of laterculum maius had higher combat power and were stationed at the more important places and in larger centers, the units of laterculum minus with low combat value were located mostly in outposts and villages. The limitanei were in

• Legiones,
• Cohortes,
• Alae,
• Auxilia,
• Equites,
• Limites,
• Milites,
• Gentes ( barbarian tribes under the command of their own officers ),
• Numerical and
• Cunei

Organized.

The task of limitanei consisted primarily in border surveillance and defense of smaller enemy attacks. The soldiers were responsible for the daily patrols and were doing the usual garrison duty in the forts. In addition, they were also entrusted with police duties, the. Preservation of internal security, monitoring of roads through to support of state officials, such as tax collectors and magistrates included, With a massive breakthrough they should at least stop or hinder until help arrived by the comitatenses and Palatinii the invaders as long, or if this was not possible, keep important bases, cities, or pass crossings and then support the operating in their area field army, to was destroyed or expelled the enemy. With the management of invasions of entire peoples, they were overwhelmed.

The destruction of major downturns, even if they included only a few thousand warriors was purely a matter of comitatenses who were stationed in bases behind the Limes. Have they been defeated or destroyed by the invaders to flight, the border guards remained nothing more than to barricade with the civilian population and as much inventory as possible in their fortresses and personal at early relief by the advance of the, mostly by the emperor or a his army Master ( Magister Militum ) commanded palace army to hope ( palatini ), which again expelled the invaders, or at least could force the conclusion of a peace treaty. If they ventured to advance from their forts, their destruction was most certainly. So they were for successfully invading enemy armies Although no immediate threat, and yet were able in many cases to block or prevent the intruders were able to provide for a longer period from the surrounding area with important food pass crossings or traffic routes. For most barbarian tribes it was in the early 4th century still tedious and time -consuming to besiege a castle Limes successful if it was defended resolutely enough of his crew. Usually the limitanei therefore served their purpose. If their number is also usually not sufficient to repel a major raid or military invasion without support, they have proven themselves in skirmishes often.

From a study Hugh Elton 's show be stopped is that in relevant sources at the mention of raids by barbarians almost always less than 400 warriors are mentioned, because those usually by the border guards ( a numerus comprised usually 300 men ) could. Larger raids on the empire, however, required a longer preparation time, and the Romans hoped in time to experience with their intelligence and spy networks have it. Was a major attack but come once in motion (eg, in 406 AD on the Rhine or 502 on the Persian front ), he could no longer be stopped or only with great difficulty often. The limits were too long and the number of late antique Limes units too small to contain massive losses immediately to könnenen. Until sufficient comitatenses arrived, passed by a certain time, also because of the long-drawn news and march routes. With smaller groups the Roman frontier army could be easily done. Almost all the attacks of the barbarians long also did not pursue the goal of annexing Roman territory in the long run, it only went to the booty; often enough, therefore, already the march up an imperial army at the border, to move them to retreat without fighting back. What followed was then (at least to the 4th century), a Roman retaliation campaign.

Commander and Officers

The relevant competent Heermeister ( Master of the Soldiers ) was commander of the limitanei. Directly subordinate to it were the command of section commanders, the duces limitis (see dux ), one or sometimes several of - monitored border provinces into which the Late Roman Empire was divided - now much smaller. Some of these dukes later received the higher rank of comites militare (eg Comes Litoris Saxonici by Britanniam ). These officers were influential men in the everyday life of the provinces and responsible for everything, which fell within the remit of the stationed for long periods of time in one place Roman troops. A boundary portion or fort commanded a praepositus limitis ( originally the name for an officer of the temporary or representative command of a unit had ). Other names for the commanders of the various military units were:

• Tribuni or
• Prefects.

Among them there was still ranks as

• The centurion ( the 100 men were under )
• The decurio,
• The draconarius or signifer ( Standard Bearer )
• The semi- salis and
• The tiro ( recruit ).

The scope of authority of these ranks is not clearly preserved.

Infantry

Contrary to earlier claims, it was at the limitanei not militiamen, this thesis applies to the latest state of research largely obsolete, but regular units of the Roman army. The classification as a pure " military peasants " probably goes back to a misinterpretation of isolated and incomplete ancient texts. In general, one can not necessarily speak of a strict separation between a " location-based " and a " mobile " late antique army. It is hard to believe that the border guards in a message - have not moved out barbarians attack from the near vicinity of her castle - not too far away. Overall, the limitanei but nevertheless were often less educated and inexperienced and therefore probably less regarded than their comrades in the movement of the army, they were accordingly also lower salaried; in turn, represented mainly by the earlier research - - assumption has now been called into question again, however, even this is. Benjamin Knör even considers that the soldiers in truth the entrance at the limitanei showed a preference because of arduous service in the army in the field, the ever herumzog in the kingdom and was often involved in fights, in the long run probably was only slightly desirable. This would also make the higher grade of comitatenses appear plausible. It is also known that most limitanei drawn into the crisis of the 5th century in the West for lack of soldiers from the boundaries are classified into the mobile armies and were upgraded to comitatenses without in the ancient sources mention this would be that this the combat effectiveness of troops have decreased.

Cavalry

If you follow the information in the Notitia Dignitatum, the rider must have in the late 4th century at the limitanei a share of almost 50 % had, as a principal activity of limitanei in conducting patrols existed. Her status was lower than that of the horsemen units in the field army.

Pseudocomitatenses

An important battles limitanei usually did not participate. If it was necessary to fight their strongest units but were, as mentioned above, as pseudocomitatenses incorporated into the army in the field; they enjoyed but not automatically its privileges. Such units are ( for the East ) 365 AD known for the first time since the year where they are mentioned in embassies to the Emperor Valentinian I.. In the West, pseudocomitatenses are only mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum. However, it is very likely that it earlier (eg in civil wars ) came to mobilizations of such quotas. Prove this is not, however, as the often long -lasting use in the field armies increased the chance of being "promoted" to comitatenses.

Ralf Scharf does not rule out that the pseudocommitatenses were promoted after a certain period or less automatically to regular comitatenses. Payment and meals were approximately two-thirds of what the comitatenses related. However, this raises the question of how it was possible to permanently integrate all Limitaneieinheiten into the field army, which had to have the effect that this section of the border was completely denuded of troops. The border guards were also usually deeply rooted in their deployment areas, as they were often recruited in the vicinity and their families came from there. Thus, many questions remain yet to open.

• Notitia Dignitatum: shield emblems of units of Pseudocomitanses under the command of the '' Master '' Peditum ( Occ. V and VIII Orientum )

Lanciarii Comaginenses

Transtigritani

Garrison life

Despite apparently rather less prestige, lower pay and smaller rations was the life of border guards - for that time - halfway bearable. Food and shelter were their families benefit directly. Limitanei who also worked on their own farms in addition to their service that are occupied for the first time since 443. After withdrawal and retired they could also expect that the family farm has been largely exempt from taxes. They were (but not always ) enlisted in the vast majority of in the immediate vicinity, their sons served again in the same units and had rarely, if ever, away from home. On the other hand, they had only very little coins and rarely had an opportunity to plunder in enemy territory.

Due to the service in often remote and isolated outpost they were their commanders largely delivered, which were often corrupt, arbitrarily shortened the rations and the profits put it into his own pocket. Thank limitanei therefore remained the only alternative to pursue a sideline in order to secure additional income. Sources from the 6th century report so by the family of Flavius ​​Patermunthus, worked his male relatives next to the service in the army as boatmen. Since they obviously mainly going about this business, they could fulfill their obligations soldiers limited. There are also reports of a soldier from the Eastern Roman unit of transtigritani, who had rented a bakery by a member of clibanarii leones.

Although many forts were in late antiquity only of small size, they still made ​​the presence of the imperial army in large areas clearly perceptible. Most limitanei were housed directly in such castles or fortified towns along the Limes (cf. Danube -Iller -Rhine- Limes ). Some very long remained in use forts in Britain (such as Housestead and Great Chesters on Hadrian's Wall ) show towards the end of the 3rd century AD, traces of extensive modifications to their troop barracks. A series of paired rooms according to the classical model ( contubernium ) was established by six separate accommodations - all with private outdoor walls and roof - replaced and are separated by a narrow passage. In Housestead these accommodations measure 8 to 12 m in length and 3.6 to 15.15 m in width. The number of these buildings, most of whom also had a fireplace or stove, however, was lower than that of the barracks blocks of the 1st and 2nd century AD Such buildings were simple to set up and maintain than old and dilapidated timber barracks of rehabilitating. It is estimated that two soldiers found place in these dwellings together with their families, which may be explained also by the fact that the late antique units were always smaller in substance.