Annotations and conjectures upon the 20. Booke.
(a) HEruli,] A right valiant nation in Sarmatia, above the river Ister or Danubius. Procop.
(b) Draconarius.] As everie Centurie or Hundred in a Cohort had Ʋexilum, i. a Banner: so in each Cohort of a Legion there was the Ensigne called Draco, of the portraiture of a Dra∣gon; the bearer whereof was called Draconarius. Ʋeget. lib. 2. cap. 13. And he was allowed, for an ornament, to weare a coller or chayne. From this place he might be preferred to be Ha∣status, and so forth a Comes, i. a Captaine or Leader of a band. For in this sence is Comes taken, as it seemeth, in this passage: and Leo the Emperor in his third booke De bellico apparat. defineth Comes to be unius Bandi sive Cohortis Praefectum.
(c) The Aureus] among the Romanes was a piece of gold coyne, currant in the Empire, and in round reckoning equivalent to our Spur-royall of 15. s. For an hundred Sestertij made one Aureus, and those amount to 15. s. 7. ob. which is the fourth part of Mina or Pondo in sil∣ver, or of one ounce of French-crowne gold, or much thereabout with us in these dayes. And note here, that in electing of an Emperour, as it was required on the souldiors part, beside the sa∣lutation of him, by these termes, Salve Imperator, Salve Auguste, Dij te servent, or sospitent &c. to doe the purple Robe upon him and a Diademe: So the Emperour thus saluted and invested, used on his behalfe to promise a largesse among them by the poll.
(d) The Heathen were persuaded in their blind superstition, that as every man had his se∣verall Genius or angell, so to each countrey and state likewise there was appropriat a tutelar god or divine power for the protection thereof.
(e) Many Legions were called Flaviae] as Constantiana, Theodosiana, &c. This seemeth here to be Constantiana, of Constantius then Emperour, and the sonne of Constantine the Great, who assuming to him this fore-name Flavius, gave that title to this Legion. Other Empe∣rours also following, tooke up that name, and derived it from them to sundrie Legions of their enrolling.
(f) Parthica] so called, for that it consisted of Parthians. As for the addition Prima, it was given in regard of auncientie or prioritie. This also is confirmed by those Legions following.
(g) To wit, Secunda Flavia.
(h) Secunda Armeniaca] consisting of Armenians.
(i) And Parthica Secunda.
(k) Bitumen] is a certaine clammie and slimie substance arising out of a lake in Iurie, and approcheth neere unto the nature of Brimstone, for that it catcheth fire so soone. Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 35. cap. 15. Being once afire, it is inextinguible, unlesse it be by throwing dust upon it, as Ammianus Marcellinus sheweth afterward. Some take Naphtha to be a kind of it.
(l) Magister Armorum] is a title of high place, and more than Comes, ind••fferent as well for Infanterie as Cavallerie, and may properly be tearmed Generall of the Forces; yet for the most part hath respect unto horsemen. He was in the same place under the Emperors, as Magi∣ster Equitum in the free state under the Dictators.