Bucellarii (the
Latin plural of ''Bucellarius''; literally "biscuit–eater", '' el, Βουκελλάριοι'') were formations of escort troops used in the
Roman Empire in
Late Antiquity. They were employed by high-ranking military figures (such as
Flavius Aetius and
Belisarius) or civil office-holders. Their name is derived from the type of bread rations eaten by these troops, so-called ''buccellatum''. The term ''bucellarii'' came into common use during the reign of Emperor
Honorius ().
According to Jon Coulston, one ''bucellarii'' regiment is attested in the ''
Notitia Dignitatum
The ''Notitia Dignitatum'' (Latin for "The List of Offices") is a document of the late Roman Empire that details the administrative organization of the Western and the Eastern Roman Empire. It is unique as one of very few surviving documents of ...
''. The creation of the ''bucellarii'' reflected an increase in the "use of armed retinues by public officials" in the Roman Empire. These armies were, therefore, associated with the decline of imperial authority because they demonstrated that it no longer had the monopoly of violence.
The ''bucellarius'' had close ties with its commander, supporting him in his quarrel with other commanders and even against the Empire, court, and emperor. This is shown by the army of
Heraclian, which was used in his attempt to seize
Roman Italy
Roman Italy (called in both the Latin and Italian languages referring to the Italian Peninsula) was the homeland of the ancient Romans and of the Roman empire. According to Roman mythology, Italy was the ancestral home promised by Jupiter to A ...
from
Emperor Honorius
Honorius (9 September 384 – 15 August 423) was Roman emperor from 393 to 423. He was the younger son of emperor Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla. After the death of Theodosius, Honorius ruled the western half of the empire while ...
.
Coulston notes that the ''bucellarii'' provided the best cavalry in 5th and 6th century Roman armies, and were "recruited from Romans,
Persians,
Goths, and
Huns, amongst others". The recruitment of soldiers of barbarian origin is well-documented as evidenced in the description of the army inherited by
Constantius' widow
Galla Placidia
Galla Placidia (388–89/392–93 – 27 November 450), daughter of the Roman emperor Theodosius I, was a mother, tutor, and advisor to emperor Valentinian III, and a major force in Roman politics for most of her life. She was List of Visigothi ...
.
The poet
Claudian
Claudius Claudianus, known in English as Claudian (; c. 370 – c. 404 AD), was a Latin poet associated with the court of the Roman emperor Honorius at Mediolanum (Milan), and particularly with the general Stilicho. His work, written almost ent ...
also described the ''bucellarii'' as an army of barbarians under the employ military figures, politicians, and warlords such as
Stilicho, Aetius, and the
praetorian prefect
The praetorian prefect ( la, praefectus praetorio, el, ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders be ...
Rufinus.
The ''bucellarii'' generally received the highest salaries and were armed with the best equipment from the empire's factories. Some sources state that the ''bucellarii'' were mercenaries and describe their leaders as soldiers of fortune.
This was particularly the case for the military companies that operated in Italy from the sixth to seventh centuries.
See also
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Bucellarian Theme
*
Ka'ak
Explanatory notes
Citations
General and cited sources
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Late Roman military units
Military units and formations of the Byzantine Empire
Types of cavalry unit in the army of ancient Rome
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