• The following is a list of Roman Fleets in each Province.
• Classis means fleet in Latin.

List of Roman Fleets by Province

Italy

The Two Praetorian Fleets of Italy:

• Misenum:
  • Portus Julius, Misenum (Ruins, near Naples):
    • Classis Misenensis 27 BCE – 324 CE
      • Abbreviation: ‘CL PR MIS‘ (Classis Praetoriae Misenensis)
• Ravenna:
  • Classe (Classis, near Ravenna):
    • Classis Ravennas 27 BCE – 324 CE
• Ostia (Ostia, Rome):
  • Classis Africana Commodiana Herculea created by Commodus (176-192 CE) to protect the African Grain fleet to Rome. Its Base is not recorded, but it was most probably Ostia or Portus.
• Aquileia
  • Classis Venetum 30 BCE  (until unknown date) Ruins in Aquileia.
• Lake Como
  • Classis Comensis. They patrolled this largest Italian Lake. No records exist but the Ruins of a chain of bases remain.

Sardinia

• Aleria
  • Classis Misenensis

Corsica

• Olbia
  • Classis Misenensis

Gallia Belgica

• • Boulogne (Gesoriacum)
    • Classis Britannica (CLBR c. 41 – 474 CE_
  • Samarobriva Amiens (Samarobriva)
    • Classis Sambrica Fleet patrolling the Somme, base unknown.

Gallia Lugdunensis

• • Rotomagus (Rouen, France):
    • Unit at operating along the Seine c. 400 CE
  • Lutetia (Paris, France):
    • Classis Anderetianorum. Operating on the R. Seine and R. Oise c. 400 CE
  • Caballodunum (Chalons-sur-Marne):
    • Classis Ararica. Operating on the R. Saone c.400 CE
  • Locus Quartensis:
    • Classis Sambrica Operating on the River Somme.
  • Lugdunum (Lyon
    • Classis Fluminis Rhodani

Gallia Narbonensis

• • Arelate Arles
    • Classis Fluminis Rhodani
  • Massalia Marseille
    • Classis Fluminis Rhodani
  • Forum Julii Frejus (The Port of Claustra Maris or ‘Sea Bolt’)
    • Unknown Fleet

Gallia Aquitania

• • Bordiglia (Bordeaux)
    • Classis Aquitanica

Britannia

• Dover (Dubris) and Rutupiae Richborough (Rutupiae) The main entry point into Britannia.
• Saxon Shore Forts including Dover.
  • Classis Britannica CLBR (43 – c. 410 CE).

Germania Inferior

• • Castra Vetera (Birten, Xanten, Germany) HQ from 12 BCE – 69 CE
  • Alteburg (Colonia Agrippinensis, Cologne, Germany) HQ from 69 – c. 410 CE
    • Classis Germanica CLGR

Germania Superior

• • Mainz
  • Strasbourg
    • Classis Germanica CLGR

Raetia

• • Lake Constance:
    • Patrolled by an unknown naval unit.
  • Lake Neuchatel:
    • Castrum Ebredunense (Fortress) and Eburodunum (Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland)
      • Classis Barcariorum. Patrolled this largest Lake.

Pannonia Inferior:

• • West of the Kazan Gorge or Iron Gates
    • Mursa Osijek, Croatia (also at Florentia and Arruntum)
    • Taurunum (Zemun)
    • Aquincum
      • Classis Pannonica

Moesia Inferior

• • East of the Kazan Gorge or Iron Gates
    • Noviodunum (Isaccea, Roumania)
      • Classis Moesica (from c. 10 CE)
  • Other Units at:

• • • Comagena:
      • Classis Comaginensis
    • Arelape:
      • Classis Arlapensis et Maginensis
    • Lauriacum:
      • Classis Laureacensis
    • Dacia Ripensis:
      • Classis Ratianensis
    • Margo:
      • Classis Stradensis et Germensis

• In 390 CE The two Danube fleets were combined into the Classis Histrica with home ports of Mursa, Florentia, Arruntum, Viminacum and Aegetae.

Pontus

• Trapezus (Trabzon, Turkey)
  • Classis Pontica
    • From c. 64 CE it controlled the Black Sea and protected the entrance to the Bosphorus from its base at Trabzon (Trapezus), with small units at Sinope and Amastris.
    • In 66 CE, the fleet had 40 ships and 3,000 troops, according to Josephus (BJ 2.366-7).
    • 70 CE briefly sent to Byzantium.
    • 170 CE The fleet was moved to Cyzicus in the Sea of Marmara.

Chersonesus Taurica (Crimea)

• Charax (Fortress Ruins in the Crimea)
  • Legio XI Claudia
    • The Legion was from Moesia Inferior and sent detachments to man the Roman fortress and naval base at Charax.

Thracia

• Sea of Marmara:
  • Perinthus, (Marmara Ereglisi, 90 km west of Istanbul, Turkey)
    • Classis Perinthia. From 46 CE, controlling the Sea of Marmara, later united with the Classis Pontica.
  • Constantinople Istanbul: Harbour of Eleutherios (Harbour of Theodosius)
    • Classis Constantinople (no surviving records).
    • After 330 CE. The Roman Italian Fleets were moved to Constantinople and it became the base for the Byzantine Navy.

Provincia Insularum

• Dodecanese
  • c.79-81 CE Titus created the Provincia Insularum (Province of Islands) meaning the Dodecanese Islands, with Rhodes as the Capital. Eventually the Dodecanese Islands were joined with Crete.
    • The Rhodian Navy had been abolished in 46 BCE and replaced by the Roman Navy, Units unknown.
• Karpathos
  • Karpathos is halfway between Crete and Rhodes and the Capital is also called Karpathos.
    • Classis Carpathia created 390 CE. No surviving records.

• Cyclades:
  • A Group of 220 Islands surrounding the Island of Delos controlled since Antiquity by Crete. The Cyclades were either assigned to the Province of Asia or Achaea, and later to Crete.
    • Naval unit unknown.

Syria

• • Seleucia of Pieria (Ruins, Samandag, Turkey)
    • It was the Port of Antioch, Capital of Syria)
      • Classis Syriaca

Judaea

• • Sebastos, Caesarea Maritima (Sebastos).
    • This Port was as large as the Pireus, the Port of Athens.
    • Naval units unknown.

Egypt

• • Alexandria:
    • Classis Alexandrina:
      • Its role was to protect the Alexandrian Grain Fleet

Cyrenaica

• • Ptolemais:
    • Classis Nova Libyca

Africa

• • Carthage
    • Classis Africana Commodiana Herculea.
    • Created 186 CE by Commodus. It was modelled on the Classis Alexandrina, to escort the Grain Fleet from Africa.

Mauretania Caesariensis

• • Caesaria Mauretaniae Cherchell, Algeria.
    • Classis Mauretanica (created 170 CE)

Alphabetical List of Roman Fleets

• A List of the above fleets in alphabetical order.