The Cohors II Lucensium quitata(2nd cohort from the Conventus Lucensis artly mounted was a Roman auxiliary unit. It is attested by military diplomas and inscriptions.

Name

*Lucensium: from the conventus Lucensis. The soldiers of the cohort were recruited, at least initially, from in the territory of conventus Lucensis with the capital Lucus Augusti (modern

Lugo Lugo (, ; la, Lucus Augusti) is a city in northwestern Spain in the autonomous community of Galicia. It is the capital of the province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 98,025 in 2018, making it the fourth most populous city in Gal ...

), Spain. *equitata: partly mounted. The cohort was a mixed unit of infantry and cavalry. Since there is no evidence for the suffix ''milliaria'' (1000 men), the unit was a ''cohors quingenaria equitata''. The target strength of the cohort was 600 men, 480 infantry and 120 cavalry, consisting of 6

centuria ''Centuria'' (, plural ''centuriae'') is a Latin term (from the stem ''centum'' meaning one hundred) denoting military units originally consisting of 100 men. The size of the century changed over time, and from the first century BC through most ...

s of infantry with 80 men each and 4

turma A ''turma'' (Latin for "swarm, squadron", plural ''turmae''), (Greek: τούρμα) was a cavalry unit in the Roman army of the Republic and Empire. In the Byzantine Empire, it became applied to the larger, regiment-sized military-administrative ...

e of cavalry with 30 men each.

History

The cohort was stationed in the provinces of

Moesia Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; el, Μοισία, Moisía) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River, which included most of the territory of modern eastern Serbia, Kosovo, north-eastern Alban ...

Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now wes ...

, Moesia Inferior, and

Thracia Thracia or Thrace ( ''Thrakē'') is the ancient name given to the southeastern Balkan region, the land inhabited by the Thracians. Thrace was ruled by the Odrysian kingdom during the Classical and Hellenistic eras, and briefly by the Greek ...

, in that order. It is listed on military diplomas for the years 78 to 180/192 AD. The first evidence of the unit in the province of Moesia is based on a military diploma dated to the year 78. The diploma lists the cohort as part of the troops stationed in the province. The cohort's deployment in 80 in the province of Pannonia is controversial. The military diploma, issued for the province of Pannonia dated 13 June 80 AD, lists Cohors I Lucensium in one place and Cohors II Lucensium elsewhere. John Spaul, Jörg Scheuerbrandt and Margaret M. Roxan assign the diploma to Cohors I Lucensium, while Agustín Jiménez de Furundarena to Cohors II Lucensium, leading to uncertainty over the presence of the cohort in Pannonia. Further diplomas, dated 92 to 127, place the unit in Moesia Inferior. Around 130 a

vexillatio A ''vexillatio'' (plural ''vexillationes'') was a detachment of a Roman legion formed as a temporary task force created by the Roman army of the Principate. It was named from the standard carried by legionary detachments, the '' vexillum'' (plural ...

of the unit was stationed in

Chersonesus Chersonesus ( grc, Χερσόνησος, Khersónēsos; la, Chersonesus; modern Russian and Ukrainian: Херсоне́с, ''Khersones''; also rendered as ''Chersonese'', ''Chersonesos'', contracted in medieval Greek to Cherson Χερσώ� ...

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...

. The first evidence of unit in the province of Thracia is based on a military diploma dated to 138. The diploma lists the cohort as part of the troops stationed in the province. Other diplomas dated from 155 to 180/192 attest to unit in the same province.

Stations

Locations of the cohort in Moesia and Thracia were possibly: *

Abritus Abritus (Abrittus) was an impressive Roman walled city and one of the biggest urban centres in the province of Moesia Inferior. Its remains are in the Archaeological Park of Razgrad. History A Thracian settlement of the 3rd–4th century BC ...

(

Razgrad Razgrad ( bg, Разград ) is a city in Northeastern Bulgaria in the valley of the Beli Lom river that falls within the historical and geographical region of Ludogorie (Deliorman). It is an administrative center of Razgrad Province. Etymolog ...

) * Germania in Dacia (

Sapareva Banya Sapareva Banya ( bg, Сапарева баня, transliterated ''Sapareva banya'') is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, part of Kyustendil Province. As Ancient Germania (in Dacia), a former bishopric, it is a Latin Catholic titular see. It is loca ...

) * Kabyle *

Montana, Bulgaria Montana ( bg, Монтана ) is a town in northwestern Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the Montana Province. On the 2021 census, it had a population of 36,455. Names When the town was first settled by Slavs it was known as Ku ...

Members of the cohort

he following members of the cohort are known.

Commanders

*[]s Philippus: he is named in a diploma of 180/192 as commander of the cohort. * Claudius Lupus, a prefect (c. 135) * Flavius Maximianus: he is named in a diploma of 160 as commander of the cohort. * Lucius Pollius Gratus, a prefect (c. 195) * Publius Gavius Balbus * T(itus) Herennius Niger, a prefect (c. 217/218) * Ulpius Marius, a prefect

Others

* Aelius Tarsas, a centurion * Auluzenis, a soldier * Aurelius Saturninus, a soldier * Caius Iulius Maximus, a cavalryman * Flavius Mestrius Ius us a soldier * M(arcus) Antonius Valens, a soldier * Rescuporus, a foot soldier

References

{{Reflist Auxiliary equitata units of ancient Rome Military of ancient Rome