Cohors VI Asturum

The history of the Cohors VI Asturum is only know in fragments by two inscriptions. As suggested by their name, Cohors Vi Asturum origins from the region Asturia in the province Hispania citerior. The first evidence for its existance is an inscription of honour for the equestrian Pompeius Faventius. This inscription was placed in Asturica and names him as commander of this unit. Presumably he commanded the cohors during the Batavian revolt. The inscriptions tells us, that he served as military tribune at the Legio VI Victrix later.

It is quite likely, that the cohors was shifted to the army of lower germany during the Batavian revolt as it was done with the Legio VI Victrix. But the cohors might have come to germany earlier, too. A military diploma from 80 AD, which is clearly a date after the Batavian revolt, lists a Cohors VI as part of the army of lower germany. We can assume, that this is Cohors VI Asturum, because there were no other auxiliary cohorts with number VI in germany.

The location if the fortess of this cohort or any fact of its future are unknown. Its name is not listed in any other lits of units from other provinces in later times, so it seems as if the cohort stayed in the province Germania inferior for a longer time. Unfortunately any kind of inscriptions for soldiers of auxiliary cohorts are very rare für the second and third century AD, so we do not have any proof for this assumtion.

POMPEIO F QVIR
FAVENTINO
PRAEF COH VI ASTVR
TRIB MIL LEG VI VIC PRAEF
EQVITVM ALAE SVLPICIAE C R DONA
TO CORONA AVREA HASTA PVRA VEXIL
LO AB IMP DIVO VESPASIANO FL
PROVINCIAE HISP CITER FL VRBIS ROMAE PRO
VINCIAE BAETICAE RIM

. Pompeio . f(ilio) Quir(ina tribu) / Faventino, / praef(ecto) coh(ortis) VI Astur(um), / trib(uno) mil(itum) leg(ionis) VI vic(tricis), praef(ecto) / equitum alae Sulpiciae c(ivium) R(omanorum), dona/to corona aurea hasta pura vexil/lo ab imp(eratore) Divo Vespasiano, fl(amini) / provinciae Hisp(aniae) citer(ioris), fl(amini) urbis Romae pro/ vinciae Baeticae (?), - - - - RIM / - - - - .

(CIL II 2637; G. Alföldy - Madr. Mitt. 6, 1965, S. 107ff.)

- TITVS - PEDITIBVS ET EQVITIBVS QVI MILITANT IN COHORTIBVS VNDECIM I FLAVIA ET I CLASSICA ET I LATOBICORVM ET VARCIANORVM ET I ET II THRACVM ET II CIVIVM ROMANORVM ET II ASTVRVM ET III DALMATARVM ET IIII ET VI THRACVM ET VI ASTVRVM QVAE SVNT IN GERMANIA SVB D NOVIO PRISCO QVI QVINA ET VICENA STIPENDIA AVT PLVRA MERVERANT QVORVM NOMINA SVBSCRIPTA SVNT IPSIS LIBERIS POSTERISQVE EORVM CIVITATEM DEDIT ET CONVBIVM CVM VXORIBVS - COHORT IIII THRACVM CVI PRAEST Q LVTATIVS Q F PVP DEXTER LAELIANVS PEDITI DVRISE BITHI F THRAC -

- Titus - peditibus et equitibus, qui militant in cohortibus undecim I Flavia et I classica et I Latobicorum et Varcianorum et I et II Thracum et II civium Romanorum et II Asturum et III Dalmatarum et IIII et VI Thracum et VI Asturum, quae sunt in Germania sub D. Novio Prisco, qui quina et vicena stipendia aut plura meruerant, quorum nomina subscripta sunt, ipsis liberis posterisque eorum civitatem dedit et conubium cum uxoribus - cohort(is) IIII Thracum ,cui pra(e)est Q. Lutatius Q. f(ilius) Pup(inia tribu) Dexter Laelianus, pediti Durise Bithi f(ilio), Thraci -.

(CIL XVI 158 = AE 1948, 56; D. Detschew - Bull. de l'Inst. Arch. Bulg. 15, 1946,S. 86 ff.; ders. - Germania 28, 1944-1950, S. 97; A. Degrassi - La Parola del Passato 6, 1947, S. 349; A. Alföldy - L'Ant. Class. 17, 1948, S. 13.)