Numerus Batavorum

TheNumerus Batavorum,^[2]also called thecohors Germanorum,^[3]Germani corporis custodes,^[4]Germani corpore custodes,^[5]Imperial German Bodyguard^[6]orGermanic bodyguard^[7]was a personal, imperialguards unitfor theRoman emperorsof theJulio-Claudian dynasty(30 BC – AD 68) composed ofGermanicsoldiers. Although thePraetoriansmay be considered the Roman emperor's main bodyguard, the Germanic bodyguards were a unit of more personal guards recruited from distant parts of the Empire, so they had no political or personal connections with Rome or the provinces.^[8]

FromCommentarii de Bello Gallico,it is known thatJulius Caesaralso had a Germanic bodyguard.^[9]^[10]

Overview[edit]

The members of the Numerus Batavorum were recruited from the Germanic tribes resident in, or on the borders of, theRoman provinceofGermania Inferior,with most recruits drawn from theBatavi^[11]but also from neighbouring tribes of theRhine deltaregion, including theFrisii,^[12]Baetasii^[13]andUbii.^[14]^[15]Little is known about their organization; the 500 bodyguards were formed up in fivecenturies,each century commanded by acenturion.From inscriptions it is known that there existed, as in all Roman cavalry units, the officer rank ofdecurion.The exact size of the unit, which was at least partially mounted, is also unknown, but is described in ancient sources as acohort,which in this period normally implied a strength of 500 men or less, similar to anumerus,whose size could vary. Under the EmperorCaligula,the Bodyguard may have consisted of 500 to 1,000 men.^[16]

The Germanic Cohort was valued as loyal and reliable.^[17]Emperors likeNerotrusted the Germani especially because they were not of Roman origin.^[18]

The guard was disbanded briefly after theBattle of the Teutoburg Forest,^[19]and was finally dissolved byGalbain 68^[3]because of its loyalty to Nero (ruled 54–68), whom he had overthrown. The decision caused deep offense to the Batavi, and contributed to the outbreak of theRevolt of the Bataviin the following year.^[20]Their indirect successors were theEquites singulares Augustiwhich were, likewise, mainly recruited from the Germani. They were apparently so similar to the Julio-Claudians' earlier Germanic Bodyguard that they were given the same nickname, the "Batavi".^[21]

Herod the Great,aclient kingofJudea,had a Germanic bodyguard modeled upon that ofAugustus.^[22]

References[edit]

^National Museum of Rome,Baths of Diocletian,Rome. Inscription:AE1952, 148:Indus / Neronis Claudi / Caesaris Aug(usti) / corpor(is) custos / dec(uria) Secundi / natione Batavus / vix(it) ann(os) XXXVI h(ic) s(itus) e(st) / posuit / Eumenes frater / et heres eius ex collegio / Germanorum"Indus, bodyguard ofNeroClaudius Caesar Augustus, of the Second Decuria, of the Batavian nation, [who] lived 36 years, is buried here. [The gravestone] was erected by his brother and heir, Eumenes, from thecollegiumof the Germanic tribesmen ".
^Suetonius,Caligula43.
^^a ^bSuetonius,Galba12.
^Suetonius,Caligula58, 3and inscriptions, e. g.AE1952, 148.
^CIL VI 4340, 4342, 4343, 4437, 21068; AE (1976) 750, (1923) 73
^Rankov 1994,p. 5.
^Grünewald & Schalles 2001,p. 97.
^Webster, Graham (1985).The Roman Imperial Army of the First and Second Centuries A.D.,Black, London/Oklahoma, p. 101.ISBN 0-8061-3000-8.
^Caesar,de bello Gallico7, 13, 1.
^Roymans, Nico (2000).Germania inferior(ed. Newald and Schalles), Walter de Gruyter, Berlin.ISBN 3-11-016969-X.p. 97(in English)
^CIL VI 8802, 8803, 8804, 8807; AE (1952) 146, 147, 148, 149, (1968) 32
^CIL VI 4342, VI 4343
^CIL VI 8808
^CIL VI 8809
^Roymans (2000), p. 258.
^Alexandra W. Busch:Militär in Rom. Militärische und paramilitärische Einheiten im kaiserzeitlichen Stadtbild(=PaliliaVol. 20). Reichert, Wiesbaden 2011, ISBN 3-89500-706-4,Die Unterkunft der Germani corporis custodes,p. 94
^Suetonius,Galba12:multisque experimentis fidelissimam.
^Tacitus,Annals15, 58:Germanis, quibus fidebat princeps quasi externis.
^Suetonius,Augustus,49.1
^TacitusHist.II.5
^Fuhrmann, Christopher J. (2012).Policing the Roman Empire: Soldiers, Administration, and Public Order,OUP, New York, pp 128/129.ISBN 978-0-19-973784-0
^Rocca, Samuel(2009).The Army of Herod the Great.Osprey Publishing.pp. 15–16.ISBN 978-1-8460-3206-6.Retrieved8 March2014.

External links[edit]

Die germanische Leibgarde der julisch-claudischen Kaiser ( "The Germanic Bodyguard of the Julio-Claudian Emperors" )at kriegsreisende.de.

[1] National Museum of Rome,Baths of Diocletian,Rome. Inscription:AE1952, 148:Indus / Neronis Claudi / Caesaris Aug(usti) / corpor(is) custos / dec(uria) Secundi / natione Batavus / vix(it) ann(os) XXXVI h(ic) s(itus) e(st) / posuit / Eumenes frater / et heres eius ex collegio / Germanorum"Indus, bodyguard ofNeroClaudius Caesar Augustus, of the Second Decuria, of the Batavian nation, [who] lived 36 years, is buried here. [The gravestone] was erected by his brother and heir, Eumenes, from thecollegiumof the Germanic tribesmen ".

[2] Suetonius,Caligula43.

[galba12-3] Suetonius,Galba12.

[4] Suetonius,Caligula58, 3and inscriptions, e. g.AE1952, 148.

[5] CIL VI 4340, 4342, 4343, 4437, 21068; AE (1976) 750, (1923) 73

[FOOTNOTERankov19945-6] Rankov 1994,p. 5.

[FOOTNOTEGrünewald_&_Schalles200197-7] Grünewald & Schalles 2001,p. 97.

[8] Webster, Graham (1985).The Roman Imperial Army of the First and Second Centuries A.D.,Black, London/Oklahoma, p. 101.ISBN 0-8061-3000-8.

[9] Caesar,de bello Gallico7, 13, 1.

[10] Roymans, Nico (2000).Germania inferior(ed. Newald and Schalles), Walter de Gruyter, Berlin.ISBN 3-11-016969-X.p. 97(in English)

[11] CIL VI 8802, 8803, 8804, 8807; AE (1952) 146, 147, 148, 149, (1968) 32

[12] CIL VI 4342, VI 4343

[13] CIL VI 8808

[14] CIL VI 8809

[15] Roymans (2000), p. 258.

[16] Alexandra W. Busch:Militär in Rom. Militärische und paramilitärische Einheiten im kaiserzeitlichen Stadtbild(=PaliliaVol. 20). Reichert, Wiesbaden 2011, ISBN 3-89500-706-4,Die Unterkunft der Germani corporis custodes,p. 94

[17] Suetonius,Galba12:multisque experimentis fidelissimam.

[18] Tacitus,Annals15, 58:Germanis, quibus fidebat princeps quasi externis.

[19] Suetonius,Augustus,49.1

[20] TacitusHist.II.5

[21] Fuhrmann, Christopher J. (2012).Policing the Roman Empire: Soldiers, Administration, and Public Order,OUP, New York, pp 128/129.ISBN 978-0-19-973784-0

[Guard-22] Rocca, Samuel(2009).The Army of Herod the Great.Osprey Publishing.pp. 15–16.ISBN 978-1-8460-3206-6.Retrieved8 March2014.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

Numerus Batavorum

Overview[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]