COH I BATAVORUM (M C R P F) COH I BATAVORUM

A BRIEF HISTORY OF COH I BATAVORUM (M C R P F) by Peronis

In AD43 the First Cohort of Batavians were associated with Legio XIIII Gemina for the invasion of Britain. They are thought to have been part of the force of auxiliaries which crossed the river at the Battle of the Medway and at Mona insula, (at this time they are 'quingenaria' or '500 strong').

Sometime during AD64 the XIIIIth Legion Gemina , now with the honorific titles 'Martia Victrix', was withdrawn from Britain by the emperor Nero and stationed on the Rhine frontier; it is thought that all eight Claudian units of Batavi were removed to the continent at the same time.

Once moved to Germania, they were almost certainly involved in the Civilisan revolt of AD69.
Julius Civilis (A Batavian noble) had served as an officer in command of some Batavian Auxiliaries, perhaps in Britain under Vespasian. When Vespasian made his bid for Imperial power his supporters encouraged Civilis to revolt on their behalf and in the rearguard of his opponent Vitellius.

Unfortunately the Batavians themselves had grievances of their own. Chief amongst these were the Roman methods of recruitment and how, according to Tacitus, young good-looking lads were dragged off to satisfy the lusts of the recruiting officers!

After many successes against the forces of Rome the rebellion was quashed by the Roman army under the command of 'Quintus Petilius Cerialis'. Following the revolt, four Batavian infantry cohorts were reinstated at milliary strength. Cohorts I, II, III, and VIIII.

One of the first acts of Vespasian upon his arrival in Rome in AD70 was to appoint a new governor for Britain, the able commander Q. Petilius Cerialis, who had recently put down the Batavian revolt of Civilis in Germany. He was seen as the perfect choice to command the campaign against Venutius of the Brigantes. Cohors Primae Batavorum were the first of four one-thousand strong, units, levied from the Batavi following their revolt and shipped out to Britain with governor Cerialis. There is no evidence that the units were equitata or 'part-mounted'.

In AD84 the unit probably took part in the battle of Mons Graupius in Caledonia, under the command of Gnaeus Julius Agricola. According to Tacitus, the battle, fought entirely by auxiliary soldiers, utilised four units of Batavian auxiliaries.

"Agricola ordered four battalions of Batavi and two of Tungri to bring things to the sword's point and to hand-to-hand fighting; ... when the Batavi began to exchange blows hand to hand, to strike with the bosses of their shields, to stab in the face, and, after cutting down the enemy on the level, to push their line uphill, the other battalions, exerting themselves to emulate their charge, proceeded to slaughter the nearest enemies".
Tacitus 'The Agricola' (xxxvi.1-2)

Following the battle, the first cohort of Batavians was either used in the Antonine occupation of Scotland, or as reserve in Wales or Southern England prior to being transferred, possibly c 85/86 with Legio II Adiutrix, when that legion left for the Danube. The Batavians of the first cohort went then to their new station in Upper Pannonia, between Romita and Brusturi, and later Solva.

It was during this period, prior to February 20th AD98 that the unit was granted the 'Pia Fidelis' or 'loyal and faithful' title for their loyalty during Saturninus' revolt of the Danubian forces following the murder of Domitian. (Diplomas CIL 16, 00042 from Felsonana, Pannonia Inferior and RMD-03, 00144 from Moesia superior).

The 'Civium Romanorum' or 'Citizens of Rome' suffix, giving the entire unit full citizen status was granted during the Dacian campaigns of the emperor Trajan (AD102 - 106) . The diploma from Raetia (RMD-02, 00086 dated December AD113) found at Regensburg (Castra Regina) details the full honorific titles granted to the cohort, as does another diploma from Pannonia Superior, provenance unknown. (AE 1997, 01782 = RMD-04, 00223 dated to 3 May 112).

The cohort was then transferred back to Solva in Upper Pannonia and later Dacia Porolissensis. Its whereabouts in the third century is unknown except that after Dacia was given up in the third century, there is a possibility that the unit was at Salonika, in Macedonia.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF COH I BATAVORUM

This unit is not to be confused with the cohort above. This British-based unit was not raised until the first quarter of the second century either by Trajan, or Hadrian.

The earliest record of its presence in Britain is a diploma dating to AD122. (CIL xvi. 00069). At this time, or shortly after There is evidence that the first cohort of Batavians was also involved in building part of the Vallum of Hadrian's Wall near Carvoran and Castlesteads. (RIB 2015, RIB 1823/24). Hardly an activity for a battle-hardened unit, but suitable however, for a newly raised one. Both stones record the construction of the Vallum. The career of the unit in the second century is unknown, but it may have formed part of the expeditionary force for the Antonine occupation under Lollius Urbicus, although no evidence for this has been found. Alternatively it may have been sent to another province for service. Service in which it met with the 'new religion' Mithraism.

It seems clear that the officers of the first cohort of Batavians introduced the cult of Mithraism to the fort at Carrawburgh (Brocolitia) on Hadrian's Wall. There are many inscriptions from Carrawburgh detailing names of soldiers from the unit and their prefects. Three of their commanders gave altars to the temple, (RIB 1544, 1545, 1546) which, like the shrine to Coventina, was in the valley near the fort. Of the careers of officers named on the altars, Cluentius Habitus was an Italian from Larinum, of the Ultinian voting tribe. Marcus Simplicius Simplex probably came from Lower Germany, while Lucius Antonius Proculus' origins are unknown.

The cohort appears to have been stationed at Carrawburgh from sometime prior to AD222 until the time of the Notitia Dignitatum, early in the fifth century. It may have arrived in AD213 since the name 'Antoniniana', which appears on one of the Mithraic altars attests the unit's loyalty to either Caracalla or Elagabalus. Their cemetery appears to have been west of the fort, some of the tombstones having been found in a demolished bath-house. Among which were a trumpeter named Longinus and an un-named standard bearer whose grave stele shows him carrying the zodiac Signum of a Bull.