Cohors I Aurelia Antonina Hemesenorum milliaria (First Cohort Aurelia Antonina of the Hemeseni, milliaria) was a Roman auxiliary infantry regiment of milliary strength (nominally 1,000 men, organized in 10 centuries). The unit is attested epigraphically primarily through military diplomas.
Epigraphic Attestation
The unit is securely attested in a military diploma dated to AD 222 (AE 2003, 1343), issued during the consulship of Severus Alexander and Cassius Dio. The diploma records the unit as stationed in the province of Cappadocia. The text reads: cohortem I Aurelia Antoninam Hemesenorum milliariam.
Nomenclature
The unit's name reflects its honors and origins:
- Cohors I: First Cohort.
- Milliaria: Indicates a milliary cohort (double strength, approx. 800–1,000 infantry), as opposed to a quingenaria cohort (approx. 480–500 infantry).
- Hemesenorum: Denotes the unit's ethnic origin; it was originally recruited from the region of Emesa (modern Homs, Syria), whose inhabitants were the Hemeseni.
- Aurelia Antonina: An honorific title granted by an emperor of the Severan dynasty bearing the names Aurelius Antoninus. This title was most likely conferred by Caracalla (Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Augustus, r. 198–217) or Elagabalus (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, r. 218–222), both of whom used "Aurelius Antoninus" as core imperial nomenclature. The grant of this title typically followed the Constitutio Antoniniana (AD 212) or specific distinguished service.
Garrison and Deployment
- Cappadocia: The AD 222 diploma places the cohort in Cappadocia (central Anatolia), likely deployed along the limes or strategic roads guarding the eastern approaches against Parthian/Sasanian incursions.
- Syria/Cappadocia Region: Earlier attestations of related Hemesene units (e.g., Cohors I Hemesenorum sagittaria, Cohors I Augusta Hemesenorum milliaria) place Hemesene cohorts in the same general theater (Syria, Cappadocia, Armenia) from the 1st through 3rd centuries AD. The Cohors I Aurelia Antonina Hemesenorum milliaria appears to be a later Severan reorganization or renaming of an existing Hemesene milliary cohort (possibly the Cohors I Augusta Hemesenorum milliaria attested in AD 188).
Historical Context
Units designated Hemesenorum were typically sagittaria (archers) or standard infantry raised from the client kingdom of Emesa, which was annexed by Rome in the 1st century AD. The transition to the title Aurelia Antonina reflects the Severan policy of integrating eastern provincial manpower and rewarding loyalty during the Parthian wars of Septimius Severus and Caracalla. The unit's presence in Cappadocia in AD 222 confirms its active role in the defense of the Anatolian plateau during the early 3rd century.
