The auxiliary garrison of Asia province

Abstract

The Roman province of Asia was one of those grouped by some ancient authors as being among the inermes provinciae of the Roman Empire. In fact just like all the others in this group of ‘unarmed provinces’ it contained a garrison of auxiliary soldiers, there to help maintain internal security. This article catalogues and discusses the limited evidence available for the garrison of Asia province in part to correct the still common if often un-stated view that it lacked any form of regular Roman military garrison, but also to help in understanding the overall Roman ‘Order of Battle’. In addition, it highlights the importance of Eumeneia as one of the very few sites in Asia Minor identifiable as the location of a purpose-built Roman fort.