Army Organization East Roman army

1 army organization

1.1 excubitores
1.2 scholae
1.3 palatini , comitatenses
1.4 limitanei

army organization

units classified according whether attached guard (excubitores , scholae), field armies (palatini , comitatenses) or border armies (limitanei).

the strength of these units uncertain , may have varied on 5th , 6th centuries. size may have varied depending on status of regiment. table below gives recent estimates of unit strength, unit type , grade:

shield insignia of regiments under command of magister militum praesentalis ii of east roman army c. 395 ad. page notitia dignitatum

the overall picture comitatenses units either c. 1,000 or c. 500 strong. limitanei units appear average 250 effectives. uncertainty remains, regarding size of limitanei regiments, can seen wide ranges of size estimates.

excubitores

the emperor leo created excubitores elite bodyguard of 300 soldiers. however, intrigues , political ambitions of commanders (the counts of excubitors, rendered in latin comes excubitorum) such priscus during reigns of emperors maurice, phocas , heraclius , count valentinus during reign of emperor constans ii, doomed leo s formerly famed isaurian unit obscurity.

scholae

the emperor constantine created scholae palatinae elite guards unit of 6,000 soldiers, , replace praetorian guard of 10,000 soldiers. 40 select troops scholae, called candidati white uniforms, acted emperor s personal bodyguards. apart agentes in rebus, scholae organized cavalry units accompany emperors on campaign, although later, individual members of scholae have non-military missions. eventually, justinian auctioned off positions in still prestigious ceremonial unit, no longer fighting force.

they outside normal military chain of command did not belong comitatus praesentales , reported magister officiorum, civilian official. however, administrative purposes: on campaign, tribunes commanding each schola reported direct emperor himself.

the notitia dignitatum lists 7 scolae of cavalry , 1 of agents in east roman empire, 5 of cavalry , 1 of agents in west roman empire.

palatini , comitatenses

comitatenses cavalry units known vexillationes, infantry units either legiones or auxilia. half units in comitatus, both cavalry , infantry, classified palatini. palatini majority of comitatus praesentales (80% of regiments) , constituted minority of regional comitatus (14%). palatini elite group higher status , pay.

the majority of cavalry units in comitatus traditional melee formations (61%). these units denoted scutarii, stablesiani or promoti, honorific titles rather descriptions of function. 24% of regiments light cavalry: equites dalmatae, mauri , sagittarii (mounted archers). 15% heavily armoured shock charge cavalry: cataphracti , clibanarii

limitanei

the limitanei garrisoned fortifications along borders of roman empire. lower-status , lower-paid comitatenses , palatini. nature of limitanei changed considerably between introduction in 3rd or 4th century , disappearance in 6th or 7th century. in 4th century, limitanei professional soldiers, , included both infantry , cavalry river flotillas, after 5th century part-time soldiers, , after 6th century unpaid militia. role of limitanei appears have included garrisoning frontier fortifications, operating border guards , customs police, , preventing small-scale raids.