Cohors sexta Delmatarum equitata ("6th part-mounted Cohort of Dalmatae") was a

Roman auxiliary The (; ) were introduced as non-citizen troops attached to the citizen Roman legion, legions by Augustus after his reorganisation of the Imperial Roman army from 27 BC. By the 2nd century, the contained the same number of infantry as the ...

mixed infantry and cavalry regiment.

The Delmatae

It is named after the

Dalmatae The Dalmatae, alternatively Delmatae, during the Roman period, were a group of Illyrian tribes in Dalmatia, contemporary southern Croatia and western Bosnia and Herzegovina. The region of Dalmatia takes its name from the tribe. The Delmatae ap ...

, an Illyrian-speaking tribe that inhabited the

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

coastal mountain range of the eponymous

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

. The ancient geographer

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

describes these mountains as extremely rugged, and the Dalmatae as backward and warlike. He claims that they did not use money long after their neighbours adopted it and that they "made war on the Romans for a long time". He also criticises the Dalmatae, a nation of pastoralists, for turning fertile plains into sheep pasture. Indeed, the name of the tribe itself is believed to mean "shepherds", derived from the Illyrian word ''delme'' ("sheep"). The final time this people fought against Rome was in the Illyrian revolt of 6–9 AD. The revolt was started by Dalmatae auxiliary forces and soon spread all over

and

Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, on the west by Noricum and upper Roman Italy, Italy, and on the southward by Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia and upper Moesia. It ...

. The resulting war was described by the Roman writer

Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is ''De vita Caesarum'', common ...

as the most difficult faced by Rome since the

Punic Wars The Punic Wars were a series of wars fought between the Roman Republic and the Ancient Carthage, Carthaginian Empire during the period 264 to 146BC. Three such wars took place, involving a total of forty-three years of warfare on both land and ...

two centuries earlier. But after the war, the Dalmatae became a loyal and important source of recruits for the Roman army.

Origins and service history

According to Holder, a total of 12 ''cohortes Delmatarum'' appear to have been raised after the suppression of the Illyrian revolt in two series, of 7 and 5 respectively. All these units were in existence by the time of emperor

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...

(r. 41–54)Holder (1980) 112 Of these, 9 appear to have survived into the 2nd century.Spaul (2000) 302-14 The regiment was probably raised by founder-emperor

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

(r. 30BC-14AD) after 9 AD. It was certainly in existence by the time of

(r. 41–54). There is no

diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offi ...

evidence for this regiment and the remaining inscriptions cannot be accurately dated. However, it is certain that it was serving in

Mauretania Caesariensis Mauretania Caesariensis (Latin for "Caesarea, Numidia, Caesarean Mauretania") was a Roman province located in present-day Algeria. The full name refers to its capital Caesarea, Numidia, Caesarea Mauretaniae (modern Cherchell). The province had ...

in the 1st century. It is unlikely to have continued there into the 2nd century, as it is missing in a diploma list for 107. All its surviving inscriptions have been found on one site, Cherchel (Algeria), presumably its regular base.Spaul (2000) 310 Given the complete absence of later evidence, it is likely that the regiment was disbanded or destroyed in action by the end of the 1st century.

Known personnel

The names of one ''

decurio ''Decurio'' was an official title in Ancient Rome, used in various connections: * Decurion (administrative), a member of the senatorial order in the Italian towns under the administration of Rome, and later in provincial towns organized on the Ita ...

'' (cavalry officer) and 2 ''caligati'' (rankers) are attested, all Illyrians.

Citations

References

* Holder, Paul. (1980). ''Studies in the Auxilia of the Roman Army''. Oxford, England: B.A.R. . * Spaul, John. (2000). ''Cohors 2: The Evidence for and a Short History of the Auxiliary Infantry Units of the Imperial Roman Army''. Oxford: Archaeopress. {{ISBN, 978-1-84171-046-4. Auxiliary equitata units of ancient Rome

The Delmatae

Origins and service history

Known personnel

See also

Citations

References