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Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hung. 56 (2005) 2452490001-5210/$20.00 2005 Akadmiai Kiad, Budapest

P. KOVCS

A NEW IMPERIAL EPITHET OF THE COHORS VII BREUCORUM

In honorem Nicolae Szab

Among the stamped tiles of the excavations which were carried out in the Roman military fort ofAnnamatia (Baracs) between 19992004 (Pannonia Inferior: Fig. 12)1 several stamps of the cohors VIIBreucorum can be found (approx. 1:4 of the total material).2 In this shorter paper I will publish an earlierunknown stamp-type of this unit.

The cohors VII Breucorum c. Rom. eq. is one of the best-known auxiliary units of PannoniaInferior.3 The cohort was transferred to Pannonia Inferior and stationed at Lugio (Dunaszekcs) fromthe reign of Antoninus Pius to the middle of the 3 rd c. The unit is well known on the basis of the dozens ofits known stamp-types. The tiles of the cohort are known from Brigetio. Aquincum, Sopianae, Mursa, Si r-mium and they were found in almost all auxiliary forts from Celamantia to Burgenae as well. 4 Tiles of theunit were found in Pannonia Superior as well (Ad Flexum?).5 On the basis of their find-spots it can bestated that cohort transported tiles (or sent soldiers to make tiles) in most places of Pannonia Inferior, esp.along the limes and it was the biggest military unit in the province specialized to tile-making in the 2 nd3rd

centuries.6 Unfortunately, the kilns of the tilery of the unit in Lugio have not found and revealed yet. 7 Ear-lier the following imperial epithets of the cohort were known only on the basis of the stamped tiles of theunit8:

Sev(eriana) or Sever(iana) or Severian(a): CIL III 6472, 10668, SZILGYI 1933, 90, Nos 3941, FITZ1983, T. 445 (3 types).Ant(oniniana) or An(toniniana): Ap 1955, 13, 1968, 432, SZILGYI 1933, 89, Nos 2538, FITZ

1983, 57, T. 192 (14 types).Ale(xandriana) orAlex(andriana): (two types).Gord(iana) or Gordi(ana): CIL III 10668, SZILGYI 1933, 90, Nos 4244, FITZ 1983, T. 615 (3 types).Phil(ippiana): SZILGYI 1933, 91, No. 45 (2 types).

In 2001 during the excavation of the northern gate (porta prinicpalis sinistra) of the auxiliary fortthe following tiles was found in the northern tower (Figs 12):

1 KOVCS 2001.2 LRINCZ 1975, 48, Nos 912, 49, Nos 45, 50, Nos 1718,

20, 51, No. 45; KOVCS 2001, 76, CatNos 1, 56, 8, 1113.Among the unpublished ones there are 5 other pieces.

3 PWRE IV (1900) 259260; SZILGYI 1933, 8891, Nos1745; LRINCZ 1976, 1720; LRINCZ 1978, 2931; LRINCZ2001, 31, No. 11; SPAUL2000, 325326.

4 Cf. their full list: LRINCZ 1976, 18, Anm. 44, 19, Abb. 5.5 LRINCZ 1981, 15, No. 19.6 LRINCZ 2001, 116118.7 O. GBORL. NAGY: Rmai kori erd s telepls Duna-

szekcsn (Vrhegy, szt. Jnos-hegy, Pspk-hegy) Rmerzeitli-che Festung und Siedlung in Dunaszekcs (Burgberg, Johannes-

berg, Bischofsberg). Rgszeti rtkeink ArchologischeSchtze Ungarns 9. Budapest 2004.

8 Cf. B. LRINCZ: I bolli laterizi militari in Pannonia. Ri-sultati delle ricerche cronologiche. In: G. Hajnczy (ed.): Pan-nonia e limpero romano. Milano 1995, 124. During the excava-tion of Thermae Maiores in the 1780s at Aquincum most proba-bly a stamp of the cohort with the epithet Maximiniana wasfound: S. SCHNWISNER: De ruderibus laconici caldariiqueRomani et nonnullis aliis monumentis insolo Budensi partim hocprimum anno MDCCLXXVIII repertis partim hondum vulgatisliber unicus. Budae 1778, 115. I wish to thank Z. Havas for hisinformation.


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Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hung. 56, 2005

Fig. 1. The northern gate of Annamatia

Fig. 2. Stamped tile of the cohors VII Breucorum Maximiniana (scale 1:2)


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Frag. of a tegula. COH VII BRE MAX 48 39 cm. Th: 2,53,3 cm. Section IV, above the thres-hold-stone of the gate-tower. On the basis of this whole stamp the cohort also had the epithet Max-(iminiana) as well. The tegula was found turned upside-down by the entrance of the gate tower and it wasused as threshold.

There is another fragmentary stamped tile among the earlier finds from Annamatia which must becompleted as this stamp: F. RMER, ArchKzl 10 (1876) 57=CIL III 10685e=LRINCZ 1976, 49, No. 9: ]EMAX. The stamp was earlier enrolled to the OFARMAX-type stamps but in the original publication writ-ten by Rmer the first letter was an E (not R) therefore it cannot belong to the above mentioned late R o-man stamp-type. The only possible completion is [coh(ors) VII Br]e(ucorum) Max(iminiana).

Among the stamps of the cohort the following datable ones were found in Annamatia:Antoniniana: COHVIIBRAN: LRINCZ 1976, 48, No. 11.Alexandriana: COHVIIBRALE or ALEX: CIL III 3757e= LRINCZ 1976, 49, No. 4, 50, No. 17.Philippiana: COHVIIBRPHIL: CIL III 3757f=LRINCZ 1976, 48, No. 12.

On the basis of these stamps together with the new one it can be summarized that the fort or at

least a part of the castellum was rebuilt during each decades of the 1st

half of the 3rd

c. between the 210s240s. On the other hand, this fact can only mean that as it became necessary the towers and the innerbuildings were continuously repaired. It is obviously cannot be sure that the stamped tiles can always beconnected with the bigger building periods of a Roman military fort.

Beside the cohort VII Breucorum and the 2 legions (legio I adiutrix: RIU 402: 29.12.236 andstamped tile,9 legio II adiutrix: CIL III 1435445: 236 and stamped tile10) only 3 other auxiliary units fromPannonia Inferior had the imperial epithet Maximiniana: cohors milliaria Maurorum: RIU 1428 (A. D.235238), cohors cohors milliaria Hemesenorum: CIL III 3728=10636, Ap 1975, 701 (A. D. 237), cohorsI Thracum Germanica (the garrison of Annamatia): CIL III 10639 (A. D. 237).11 On the basis of this data,it was earlier emphasized that the epithets dated 237 can be referred to a Sarmatian war of the emperor. 12

It is also noteworthy to mention that the auxiliary units with this epithet were garrisoned in the neighbou r-ing forts along the ripa Sarmatica between Matrica (Szzhalombatta) and Lugio (Dunaszekcs). Another

fact is that the above mentioned inscriptions from Intercisa (Ap 1975, 701) and Annamatia (CIL III10639) are milestones from the same year and from the two neighbouring auxiliary forts (237).13 The onlyproblem is with the above mentioned hypothesis that the inscriptions can be dated to 237 but it is unknownin which year the units deserved their imperial epithet. In the period between 235 and 237 there are at leastthree different occasions where they could show their loyalty towards the emperor:

1. First of all in majority Pannonian recruits elevated Maximinus (aspraefectus tironibus: cf. CIL V7990, 7989=ILS 48714) to throne as Herodianus several times definitely emphasized: VI.8.3. VII.8.11.

9 J. BANNERA. BLINTM. PRDUCZ: A hdmezvsrhe-lyi reformtus gimnzium rgisggyjtemnye [ArchaeologicalCollection of the Calvinist Secondary School in Hdmezvsr-hely]. Dolg 13 (1937) 127, T. XX/6.

10 B. LRINCZ: Tglaget kemenck Pannoniban Brick-kilns in Pannonia. In: J. Gmri (ed.): Iparrgszeti kutatsokMagyarorszgon (getkemenck rgszeti s interdiszciplinriskutatsa) Research Industrial Archaeology in Hungary (Ar-chaeological and interdisciplinary researches on kilns and fur-naces). Veszprm 1981, 91, fn. 20.

11 FITZ 1983, 144145, Nos 538545; LRINCZ 2001, 147.12A. ALFLDIGY. LSZLL. NAGY (eds): Budapest tr-

tnete [The History of Budapest] I. Budapest 1942, 730; PWRE

IX Supplementum (1962) 565; A. MCSYJ. FITZ (eds): Panno-nia rgszeti kziknyve [Archaeological Handbook of Panno-nia]. Budapest 1990, 44.

13 J. FITZ: tjavtsok Aquincum s Mursa kztt (Romanroad-repairs between Aquincum and Mursa). Archrt 83 (1956)197206, 200201;Id.: rtornyok Intercisa s Annamatia kztt(Burgi zwischen Intercisa und Annamatia). Archrt 82 (1955)6979, 77; Zs. VISY: Rmai jelztornyok s a limes-t Intercisatrsgben (Rmische Wachttrme und die Limesstrasse imRaum von Intercisa). Archrt 107 (1980) 166175, 172.

14 Cf. C. R. WHITTAKER: Herodian in two volumes with anEnglish translation I. LCL 455. Cambridge/MassachusettsLondon 1970, 134, n. 1.


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(sc. Maximinus) , VIII.6.1. did not like the new order after Maximinus death. It is impossible that the Pannoniantroops did not help Maximinus from the very beginnings. Zosimus explicitly wrote (he took his data mostprobably from Dexippus work) that the revolt began among the legions of Pannonia and Moesia: I.13.1. (sc. Severus Alexander) Several units could received their honorific titles this time too. A similar case is already at-tested: the legio III Augusta in Numidia had the imperial epithet already in the May of 235 (just 2 monthsafter the elevation to throne!): Ap 1940, 153.

2. It is more than probable that Pannonian troops participated in the German wars of the emperorin 235236. On the basis of Herodianus VI.8.8. the base of the revolting troops was not far away fromSeverus Alexander camp: It is absolutely unlikely when the emperor (or more correctly Severus Alexander) collected a huge

army against the Germans (cf. SHA vita Alex. 61.8. sed omnis apparatus militaris, qui postea est ductus inGermaniam a Maximino, Alexandri fuit et potentissimus quidem per Armenios et Osdroenos et Parthos et om-nis generis homin) the loyal Pannonian garrisons were not taken into account (cf. Her. VII.8.11). Theparticipation of Pannonians in the Italian campaign of the emperor is also repeatedly attested: Her.VII.8.11, VIII.2.2, VIII.6.1. After his victory in Germania it is sure that the princeps rewarded severaltroops including auxiliary units (e. g. cohors I Treverorum: CIL XIII 11791) with his epithet.15

3. Naturally, the most obvious possibility is the Dacian and Sarmatian wars of Maximinus in 236237. The chronology of these years and the wars in confuse because our most important source, Herodia-nus compressed two years into one short chapter and omitted to mention his earlier victories against theDacians and Sarmatians because he was interested only in the events of the year 238: VII.2.9.

.16

The vita Max. does not help us either becausethe biographer here word for word follows Herodianus work (vita Max. 13.34). Later he just mentionedthe war against the Sarmatians put his words into Maximinus mouth in 238: VII.8.4. The events are mostly known on the basis of Maximinus imperial epithets DacicusMaximus and Sarmaticus Maximus which can be dated to the end of 236. The emperor received severalimperial acclamations in 236237 (IIIVI) and most of them must be referred to these wars. 17 The warswere called most probably bellum or expeditio Daci(s)cum but there is no dated inscription which surelyrefers to this war.18 These inscriptions (CIL III 5218=11691=ILS 2309, V 3372=ILS 8502, RIU 718, 759)can be dated earlier (A. D. 214, cf. RIU 590, 753, 800) 19 or later (Philippus reign: cf. RIU 1155)20 as well.On the basis of these data one thing seems to be sure: the centre of the wars was in the Barbaricum be-tween southern part of Pannonia Inferior and Moesia Superior that is why Sirmium became Maximinusimperial seat.21 Participation of the Pannonian units in these wars cannot be doubted and they could re-

15 FITZ 1983, 146147.16 Cf. C. R. WHITTAKER: Herodian in two volumes with an

English translation I. LCL 455. Cambridge/Mass.London, 1970,166167, n. 3.

17 D. KIENAST: Rmische Kaisertabelle. Grundzge einerrmischer Kaiserchronologie. Darmstadt 19962, 183184.

18 V. ROSENBERGER: Bella et expeditiones. Die antikeTerminologie der Krige Roms. HABES 12. Stuttgart 1992, 118.

19 L. BARKCZI: Dk tolmcs Brigetioban (Ein dakischer

Dolmetscher in Brigetio). Archrt N.F. 56 (19441945) 178189; G. ALFLDY: Studia Pannonica I. Archrt 88 (1961) 2631.

20 S. SOPRONI: Castellum Carporum. FolArch 15 (1963) 4354.

21 M. MIRKOVI: Sirmium its history from the I centuryA. D. to 582 A. D. In: Sirmium I. Archaeological investigationsin Syrmian Pannonia. Beograd 1971, 34; cf. Ap 1990, 856; B.LRINCZ: Amici in Pannonien. Tyche 17 (2002) 116117.


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A NEW IMPERIAL EPITHET OF THE COHORS VII BREUCORUM 249


ceive their epithets in 236 as well. The legio I adiutrix had the imperial epithet Maximiniana in the end of236: RIU 402. Two inscriptions from Aquincum which were erected by a primipilus and a cornicularius ofthe legio II adiutrix can be dated to 235 and 236 (Ap 1962, 111, 1937, 188). The inscriptions do not me n-tion the imperial epithet but these votive inscriptions were not official ones (as the above mentioned mile-stones of the legion with imperial epithet).22

Summarily, it can be stated that the Pannonian troops more probably deserved their honorific t i-tles during Maximinus Sarmatian wars but other possibilities must be considered as well and they cannotbe excluded.

REFERENCES

FITZ 1983 = J. FITZ: Honorific titles of Roman military units in the 3rd century. BudapestBonn1983.

KOVCS 2001 = P. KOVCS:Annamatia (Baracs) A Roman auxiliary fort in Pannonia. ActaAntHung41 (2001) 5580.

LRINCZ 1976 = B. LRINCZ: Pannonische Stempelziegel I. Limes-Strecke Annamatia-Ad Statuas.DissArch II:5. Budapest 1976.

LRINCZ 1978 = B. LRINCZ: Pannonische Ziegelstempel II. Limes-Strecke Vetus Salina-Intercisa.DissArch II:7. Budapest 1978.

LRINCZ 1981 = B. LRINCZ: Pannonische Ziegelstempel III. Limes-Strecke Ad Flexum-Ad Mures.DissArch II:9. Budapest 1981.

LRINCZ 2001 = B. LRINCZ: Die Hilfstruppen in Pannonien whrend der Prinzipatszeit. Wien 2001.SPAUL = J. SPAUL: Cohors 2. The evidence for, and a short history of the auxiliary infantry units

of the imperial Roman army. BAR IntSer 841. Oxford 2000.SZILGYI 1933 = J. SZILGYI: Inscriptiones tegularum Pannonicarum. DissPann II:1. Budapest 1933.

22 The milestones cannot be dated to a certain year between235 and 238.

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