- The Comitatenses was a Roman Cavalry Regiment created by the Roman Emperor, Gallienus in 260 CE.
- They were units of cavalry taken from the Legions and based at Milan, who could travel to any Frontier in the Roman Empire at short notice. The units were listed as still existing in the Notitia Dignitatum (c.400 CE).
Creation
- From the 250’s CE onwards, the Roman Empire faced four combined threats which are known as the Crisis of the Third Century.
- The Plague of Cyprian
- The Germanic Invasions
- Invasion and War in the East against the Sassanid Empire
- Revolts by Provincial Governors and Commanders leading to Civil Wars.
- Under Gallienus, between 258-269 CE, all four threats started to occur at the almost the same time.
- What was needed was a centrally based, highly mobile army, loyal only to the Emperor, that could move to any Frontier in days, and crush an invading Force, suppress a Revolt or pursue a Germanic Tribe who had penetrated deep into the Empire.
Home Base
- Under Gallienus, their first main base seems to have been at Milan (Mediolanum).
- The Comitatenses were not tied to a front line Province, like the Legions, which gave them more mobility.
Known Deployment
- Thrace
- Milan
- In 268 CE, Gallienus successfully used the unit to suppress the Revolt of their own ex-commander Aureolis who had barricaded himself in Milan (Mediolanum).
- Aureolis had tried to raise the unit against Gallienus, by offering to support to the ongoing Revolt of Postumus, Commander of the breakaway Gallic Empire.
Milan