Cohors II Italica Civium Romanorum

Cohors II Italica Civium Romanorum
Active ?
Country Ancient Rome
Type Cohort
Role Infantry
Garrison/HQ Syria, ca. 69-157

Cohors II Italica Civium Romanorum was a Roman cohort from Italia formed from Roman citizens.[1] A cohort based in Caesarea is referred to in the Acts of the Apostles (Ancient Greek: σπείρης τῆς καλουμένης Ἰταλικῆς, "the cohort called Italian", in Acts 10:1, translated as the Italian band in the King James Version, or the Italian Regiment in the Good News Translation and World English Bible), and is associated with Cornelius the Centurion, the first gentile convert to Christianity.

According to Josephus, the principal portion of the Roman army stationed at Caesarea were Syrians.[2] and the Pulpit Commentary therefore considers it 'pretty certain ... that the Italian cohort here spoken of were auxiliaries, so called as being made up in whole or in part of Italians, probably volunteers or velones.'[3]

The cohort was among those stationed in Syria in 157 under legate Arridius Cornelianus.[4]

Notes

  1. ↑ Joachim Marquardt, Romische Staatsverwaltung, II, 467.
  2. ↑ Josephus, The Jewish War 2:18, 7
  3. ↑ Pulpit Commentary on Acts 10:1, http://biblehub.com/acts/10-1.htm accessed 27 August 2015
  4. ↑ CIL XVI 106

Further reading

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