Originally Posted by
Loki
Thracian soldiers in Roman Britain
Epigraphic evidence for the presence of individual
Thracian soldiers, as well as for Thracian military units
of the Roman army, is found in several locations in
Britain. Jarrett (1969) traced the probable careers and
locations of thirty-seven separate Thracian units in the
Roman military, ranging from the provinces of Syria to
Britannia. He noted the difficulty of determining
exactly how many Thracian units were formed in total,
because of the Roman military’s unmethodical habit of
naming many of the newly raised units the cohors I
Thracum (First Thracian Cohort), regardless of how
many of these units with the same name had existed
previously. These Thracian cohorts initially were raised
for service (probably) in Germany; some later were
assigned to service in Britain. The cohors I Thracum eq.
(mounted cohort of Thracian cavalry), is recorded on a
tombstone in Cologne from the first century; this unit
had moved to Britain by 122 and was still there under
Severus (r. 193-211). The cohors II Thracum moved
from Germany to Britain between the mid-first century
and CE 103, perhaps as a result of the Bouddican revolt.
Only one seventh cohort is known, the cohors VII
Thracum. It was attested in Britain in 122 and 135 and
in Brittania Inferior (corresponding to northern
England, with its capital at York) in the third century.
Among the alae (“wings” of cavalry), the ala I Thracum
was attested in Britain in 103 and 124; tombstones from
Colchester (about CE 45) and Cirencester (CE 62) attest
to the unit’s presence in Britain in the mid-first century
and an engraved trulla (washbasin or ladle), possibly
Flavian, places the unit in Isca Silurum (Caerleon,
Gwent) in the late 1st century.
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The unit was moved to
lower Germany (Germania inferior) by the mid-second
century and was still there in 219 (Jarrett, 1969, p 218).