Commagene II 163BC-17AD and 38AD - 72AD

See also Hellenistic fortified camps

Author: Jim Webster

Under Discussion

Proposal: Revised List

Warm. Ag 1. Rv, H(S), H(G), O, RGo, Rd, BUA.

C-in-C Reg Kn(X) 1

Sub-general - as above 1-2

Replace CnC or Sub-general with CnC or sub- general as Reg Pk(O) 0-1

Cataphracts- Reg Kn(X) 2-5

Bodyguard Reg Pk(O) 0-4 1

Horse Archers Irr LH(F) 8-16

Archers. Irr Bw(I) 15-35

Replace Archers Irr Bw(I) with Archers Irr Bw(O) 0-15

Slingers Irr Ps(O) 0-6

Javelinmen Irr Ps(S) 0-4

Before 80BC

'Hoplitai' All Reg Pk(I) or All Reg Sp(I) 8-24

80BC and after.

'Hoplitai' all Reg Bd(I) or all Reg Sp(I) 8-24

Only before 38AD

Thracian mercenaries Irr Ax(S) 0-2

Galatian mercenaries. Irr Bd(I) 0-2

Tarantines- Reg LH(O) 0-4

Mercenary Thureophoroi. Reg Ax(O), Reg Ax(S) or Reg Sp(O) 0-6

(1) Although not compulsory, allied contingents can contain up to 4 elements

of bodyguard.

Justification

After a discussion of Commagene armies I went back and actually

read my Penguin, Josephus "The Jewish War".

On page 164 (II 498) "Cestius felt the necessity of action now that on every

side the Jews were involved in war. He set out from Antioch at the head of

the twelfth legion at full strength, 2000 picked me from each of the others,

six infantry cohorts, and four troops of cavalry, reinforced by contingents

sent by the kings, Antiochus furnishing 2,000 horse and 3,000 foot, all

bowmen."

Whether the horse were bowmen as well depends on your interpretation.

On Page 185 (111 71)

"A large allied contingent was also contributed by the kings, Antiochus,

Agrippa, and Soaemus each providing 2,000 unmounted bowmen and 1,000 horse,

while the Arab Malchus sent 1000 horse as well as 5,000 foot, most of them

bowmen."

Later on, Page 315 (V 460)

"At this time Antiochus Epiphanes arrived with a large force of heavy

infantry and a bodyguard of so-called Macedonians, all just out of their

teens, tall and trained and equipped in the Macedonian manner- hence the

title, through few of them bore much resemblance to that martial

race!"-------------"He himself was a born fighter, naturally venturesome,

and so phenomenally strong that his audacity rarely failed to achieve its

end. Titus smiled and said that they were partners in the struggle; so

without more ado Antiochus led his Macedonians in a sudden onslaught on the

wall. He himself, thanks to his strength and skill, was untouched by the

Jewish missiles as he shot his arrows at them. But his youngsters were

severely battered, except a very few; for to fulfil their promise they

fought tooth and nail, and when they at last retired many had become

casualties. No doubt they said to themselves that even real Macedonians

could only conquer if they had Alexander's luck!

Note here that the Macedonians were only a part of the Heavy Infantry,

'Hoplitai' who were apparently armed in a different fashion. The primary

assumption made is that prior to 80BC these would be pike armed, and after

that date (an approximate date based on when other countries were changing

from pikes to pseudo legionaries) they would be blades. On the other hand we

cannot discount that they were actually spear armed, almost literally

Hoplites. This option is included although personally I suspect that if

Josephus noted something as obsolete as sarissa pikemen, genuine hoplites

would surely attracted his attention. But absence of evidence is not

evidence of absence.

Page 378 (VII 216)

The Romans turn on Commagene and decide to absorb it. Paetus, governor of

Syria, invades at the head of the 6th legion, supported by some cohorts and

a few troops of horse, further assisted by the kings of Chalcidice and

Emesa, Aristobulus and Soaemus.

"Paetus sent a force to occupy Samosata, thus securing the city while he

with the rest of his troops set of in pursuit of Antiochus. Not even his

desperate situation could tempt the king to take any warlike measures

against the Romans; bewailing his lot he awaited what was coming to him. His

sons on the other hand, young, experienced in war and phenomenally strong,

could not bring themselves to submit to such a calamity without a struggle,

and so Epiphanes and Callinicus resorted to arms. The battle was violent and

lasted the whole day, the two leaders displaying noteworthy courage; their

forces were intact when dusk broke off the struggle. But not even when the

battle ended thus did Antiochus see fit to stay: he took his wife and

daughters and fled with them into Cilicia, doing irreparable damage to the

morale of his own men."

For Cataphracts we have the siege of Jotapata, Josephus 3.7.24 or 3.253

according to your numbering system: (Pointed out to me by Duncan)

"... he made the most courageous of the horsemen get off their

horses, and placed them in three ranks over against those ruins of

the wall, but covered with their armor on every side, and with poles

in their hands (pantothen pephragmenous tois hoplois kai tous kontous

proïschontas), so that these might begin their ascent as soon as the

instruments for such ascent were laid; behind them he placed the

flower of the footmen; but for the rest of the horse, he ordered them

to extend themselves over against the wall, upon the whole hilly

country..."

The inclusion of cataphracts in the published list is on the

assumption that this passage - describing cavalry covered with

armour on all sides and with kontoi in their hands - refers to

cataphracts, and that the only cavalry present who may be candidates

for cataphracts are the Commageneans. Of course Josephus says all

the Roman cavalry used a kontos (by which he may or may not mean the

standard long cavalry lancea); but being covered "pantothen", "on

all sides", does sound like cataphracts.

Regardless of direct evidence, for a Seleucid successor state on the

Armenian border, cataphracts are at least not improbable.

With regard to the Thracians, Galatians, Tarantines and Thureophoroi, it is

very difficult to see where they could have come from under the Empire.

Hence the decision to disallow them from the list after 38AD.

It is probable that they disappeared before this, but dates are impossible

to come by.