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The ''palatini'' (Latin for "palace troops") were elite units of the Late Roman army mostly attached to the ''comitatus praesentales'', or imperial escort armies. In the elaborate hierarchy of troop-grades, the ''palatini'' ranked below the ''scholares'' (members of the elite cavalry regiments called the ''scholae''), but above the ''comitatenses'' (regiments of the regional ''comitatus'') and the ''limitanei'' (border troops). The term derives from ''palatium'' ("palace") a reference to the fact that the regiments originally served in the imperial escort armies only. Later they were also found in the regional ''comitatus'' (mobile field armies). There, however, they continued to enjoy higher status and pay than the rest of the ''comitatus'' regiments. At the time the ''Notitia Dignitatum'' was written (ca. 395 for the Eastern Empire), 80% of the regiments in the eastern ''comitatus praesentales'' were graded ''palatini'' and 14% of those in the regional ''comitatus''. The ''palatini'' were created by Constantine I after he disbanded the Praetorian Guard in AD 312, and originally comprised former praetorians. As with all ''comitatus'' regiments, ''palatini'' cavalry regiments were called ''vexillationes'' (from ''vexillum'' = "military standard") and infantry regiments were either ''legiones'' or ''auxilia''. ''Vexillationes palatinae'' are believed to have contained 400-600 men, ''legiones palatinae'' 800-1,200 and ''auxilia palatina'' either 800-1,000 or 400-600. ==Origins and History== In the early 3rd century, the Roman military was organized into several provincial armies under the command of the provincial governors, a smaller reserve under the command of the emperor, guard units such as the Praetorian Guard, and the urban cohorts.〔Le Bohec, Yann, ''The Imperial Roman Army'', pp. 19-35.〕〔The reserve would include the Legio II Parthica. Although Septimius Severus may not have used it as a reserve, his successors did. Southern & Dixon 1996, pp. 5-9 and 9-11.〕 Field armies were temporary formations, usually composed of the reserve and/or of detachments drawn from the provincial armies.〔Southern & Dixon 1996, pp. 9-11.〕〔Strobel 2011, p.p. 269-271.〕 In the later 3rd century, due to the frequent wars, field armies could remain together for several years, under the direct command of the emperor, and would require their own recruitment systems.〔〔Southern, Pat, and Dixon, Karen R., 1996, ''The Late Roman Army'', pp. 9-14.〕 By the mid 4th century, the Roman military was divided into frontier armies under the command of the provincial duces and permanent field armies under the command of the emperor, the magistri peditum, magistri equitum, or comites.〔Elton, 1996, pp. 208-210.〕〔Southern and Dixon, pp. 57-60〕 The frontier armies would patrol the borders and oppose small-scale raids.〔Treadgold1995, p. 93.〕〔Elton 1996, pp. 204-206〕 They may have driven off medium-scale attacks without the support of the field armies.〔Southern & Dix, 1996, p. 65.〕 The frontier armies would later be known as limitanei or ripenses.〔Southern & Dixon, 1996, pp. 35-37. The earliest reference, from 325, distinguishes ''comitatenses'', ''ripenses'', and ''alares et cohortales'', so certain lower-status frontier units were not counted as part of the ripenses though they would later be counted as part of the limitanei.〕 The field armies would respond to larger-scale attacks, would fight against rival emperors, and would conduct any large-scale attacks into neighboring countries. The field armies would later be known as comitatenses or palatini.〔Elton, 1996, p. 94.〕 The temporary field armies could be referred to as the ''sacer comitatus'',〔Strobel, p. 271.〕 as could the imperial court.〔Southern and Dixon, p. 16〕 The first known written reference to ''comitatenses'' was in 325, although there are possibilities from earlier and the first to ''palatini'' was not until 365.〔Lee, 2007, p. 11.〕〔Southern & Dixon, 1996, pp. 18, 19.〕 Historians disagree on whether the emperor Diocletian, or one of his successors, such as Constantine I, split the Roman military into frontier armies and field armies.〔Southern & Dixon 1996, pp. 15-20.〕〔Lee 2007, pp. 10-12.〕 Theodor Mommsen, H.M.D. Parker, and more recently, Warren Treadgold and David S. Potter〔D.S.Potter, ''The Roman Empire at Bay AD 180-395'', pp. 451-453. Potter strongly doubts that the creation of ripenses could be attributed to a cooperation of Constantine with Licinius, therefore he dates it back to the reign of Diocletia. However he admits that there is no unequivocal evidence.〕 attribute the reorganization to Diocletian.〔Treadgold 1995, p. 10.〕〔Southern & Dixon 1996, p. 15.〕 E.C. Nischer, D. van Berchem, and more recently, M.C. Bishop and J.C.M. Coulston attribute mainly an expansion to Diocletian, and the reorganization to Constantine I and his successors.〔Bishop, M.C., and Coulston, J.C.M., 2006, ''Roman Military Equipment, From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome'', p. 199.〕〔Southern & Dixon, 1996, pp. 15 & 35.〕 Karl Strobel sees the reorganization as the culmination of trends going back well into the 3rd century, with Diocletian strengthening both the frontier and field armies.〔Strobel 2011, p.p. 268-269.〕 The Eastern field armies, including the palatini and comitatenses, eventually became the basis of the Eastern themes.〔Treadgold, pp. 21-27.〕 The Western field armies, including the palatini and comitatenses, either disintegrated during the collapse of the western Roman Empire, or became part of the armies of the successor states. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Palatini (Roman military)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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