II/78 Late Imperial Roman

Proposer: Jim Webster

Synopsis: Allows the use of small number of Alan Allies some years earlier than currently possible.

Proposal:

Insert line

Only in Western Armies after 394AD

Alan Allies - List Alan (Bk 2) 0-7

This is from 'Claudian, poetry and propaganda, at the court of

Honorius' by Alan Cameron

He quotes De Bello Getico where he comments that the one and only detail

about the battle of Pollentia is 'a troop of Alan auxiliaries were on the

point of deserting when Stilicho came up just in time to rally them'

From this I would suggest that the use of Alan allies in the Late Roman army

be modified to allow them earlier

Armies in Africa

Proposer: Jim Webster

Synopsis: Allows the use of those armies which fought in Africae, Tingitaniae, Mauritania, and Tripolitanae

Proposal:

Insert the following

Africae, Tingitaniae, Mauritania, and Tripolitanae 372 to 425

C in C. Reg Cv(O) or Reg Bd (O), 1

Sub-general Reg Cv(O) or Reg Bd (O) 0-1

Skirmishers with javelins, darts, sling, staff sling or crossbow Reg Ps(S) or Reg Ps(O) 0-4

Bolt shooters Reg Art(O) or(F) 0-1

Stone throwers Reg Art(S) 0-1

Laeti or city militia or Donatist Circumcellions Irr Ax(I) 0-4

Marines Irr Ax(O) 0-1 per Galley

Ditch and palisade for camp TF 0-12

Equites Reg Cv(O) 0-1 (2)

Equites Sagittarii Reg LH(F) 0-3

Irregular Moorish mounted Irr LH(O). 10-30

Upgrade Irr LH(O) to Reg LH (O) Mauri equites 2-6

Irregular Moorish infantry. Irr Ps(I) or Irr Ax(I) 0-30

Moorish allies - List: Later Moorish (Bk 2) - 1-3 allied contingents (3)

Western Allies(Late Imperial Roman Bk2) 0-16 * (4)

375-400AD

Border/Pseudocomitatensis Infantry Reg Ax (O) 6- 20 (1)

Upgrade Infantry to legionarii Reg Bd(O) 0-8

Upgrade Infantry to Auxilia Palatina Reg Ax(S) 0-1

Archers supporting legionarii Reg Ps(O) 1 per 2 Bd or 1 per Bd

Archers supporting all Ax(S)or (O) except marines Reg Ps(O) 0 or 1 per Ax

Dromons Reg Gal(F) 0-4

After 400AD

Replace with Border/Pseudocomitatensis Infantry Reg Ax (I) 4- 16

Upgrade Infantry to legionarii Reg Bd(O) 0-2

Upgrade Infantry to Auxilia Palatina Reg Ax(S) 0-1

Archers supporting legionarii Reg Ps(O) 1 per 2 Bd or 1 per Bd

Archers supporting all Ax(S)or (O) except marines Reg Ps(O) 0 or 1 per Ax

Dromons Reg Gal(F) 0-1

*Otherwise compulsory cavalry are not compulsory in these allied forces. Western and Eastern allies cannot be used together.

**Art may only be deployed in a PF or if the enemy has PF

To represent the armies of Theodosius 372 and Mascizel 397 the command of the CinC may be chosen as if it were an allied contingent from the Late Imperial Roman list (Western). Such a command may have a maximum of 16 elements from the Late Roman list.

It need not include otherwise compulsory cavalry from the Late Roman list but may include other elements from this list.

If a Western Allied contingent is taken, no more than one Moorish Ally may be used.

If no Western Allied contingent is taken, then at least two Moorish Allies must be used.

(1) The Infantry

Africa, being a backwater, did not follow too closely the developments elsewhere in the Empire. A look at the Notitia Dignitatum shows very few Auxilia Palatina, and a higher proportion of legionaries.

(2) The Mounted

From Michael P Speidel's article "Mauri equites. The tactics of light

cavalry in Mauretania", Antiquites africaines 29 (1993) pp.121-126 it seems that a large proportion of mounted troops in Africa adopted ‘moorish’ tactics and even equipment, no matter what their unit was called.

(3) Moorish Allies

The division between upper class Romans and Moorish tribal princes seems to have broken down. Nubel, a Moorish ‘prince’. He may have also been known as Flavius Nuvel, a Roman officer and a Christian, if an inscription found in Mauretania Caesariensis relates to him. He may have been praepositus in the equites armigeri iuniores, which was a vexillatio comitatensis. He was father of Firmus, Gildo and Mascizel. All three continued to exercise control and influence over certain tribes and were effectively princes, but the first declared himself emperor and had to be put down by force by Theodosius, the second, Gildo was Comes Africae, and in 393 he was promoted to Magister Utriusque Militiae in Africa. Mascizel was appointed commanded of a Roman force sent to crush Gildo and had a successful career in the Roman army until Stilicho had him pushed off a bridge.

The various Moorish princes were happy to join up with pretenders or Roman forces sent to restore order, and equally happy to betray them later if expedient.

(4)Roman Allies

Ammianus Marcellinus XXIX 5 30 mentions that Theodosius had 3500 men with him in one battle, while Orosius (VII.36.6) says Mascezel only had 5000 men.Both accounts, plus The War Against Gildo by Claudian seem to indicate that these forces were predominantly if not entirely infantry