New evidence from Ankara for the collegia veteranorum and the albata decursio: in memoriam J.C. Mann

Abstract

A tombstone of a legionary centurion found in Ankara proves to be of wider and greater significance than was originally recognised. Not only does it offer valuable evidence for early local recruitment patterns into the Roman legions, but, more importantly, it supplies the fifth recorded reference in the entire Roman Empire for a collegium veteranorum, a fraternity of army veterans; and the fourth known record in the whole epigraphic corpus for the albata decursio, or 'white parade uniform'.