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This article is part of the series on: Military of ancient Rome (portal) 800 BC–AD 476

Structural history

Roman army (unit types and ranks, legions, auxiliaries, generals)

Roman navy (fleets, admirals)

Campaign history

Lists of wars and battles

Decorations and punishments

Technological history

Military engineering (castra, siege engines, arches, roads)

Personal equipment

Political history

Strategy and tactics

Infantry tactics

Frontiers and fortifications (limes, Hadrian's Wall)

Comitatenses is the Latin plural of comitatensis, originally the adjective derived from comitatus ('company, party, suite'; in this military context it came to the novel meaning of 'the field army'), itself rooting in Comes ('companion', but hence specific historical meanings, military and civilian).

However, historically it became the accepted (substantivated) name for those Roman imperial troops (legions and auxiliary) which were not merely garrisoned at a limes (fortified border, on the Rhine and Danube in Europe and near Persia and the desert tribes elsewhere) — the limitanei or ripenses, i.e. 'along the shores' — but more mobile line troops; furthermore there were second line troops, named pseudocomitatenses, former limitanei attached to the comitatus; palatinae, elite ('guard') units typically assigned to Magistri militum; and the scholae of actual palace guards, notably under the magister officiorum, a major court official of the Late Empire.

Among the comitatenses units listed by Notitia Dignitatum there are:

• under Magister Peditum:
  1. Undecimani.
  2. Secundani Italiciani (Legio II Italica, Africa);
  3. Tertiani Italica (Legio III Italica, Illyricum);
  4. Tertia Herculea, Illyricum;
  5. Secunda Britannica, Gallias;
  6. Tertia Iulia Alpina, Italia;
  7. Prima Flavia Pacis, Africa;
  8. Secunda Flavia Virtutis, Africa;
  9. Tertia Flavia Salutis, Africa;
  10. Secunda Flavia Constantiniana, Africa Tingitania;
  11. Tertio Augustani (Legio III Augusta);
• under the Magister Militum per Orientem:
  1. Quinta Macedonica (Legio V Macedonica);
  2. Septima gemina (Legio VII Gemina);
  3. Decima gemina (Legio X Gemina);
  4. Prima Flavia Constantia;
  5. Secunda Flavia Constantia Thebaeorum;
  6. Secunda Felix Valentis Thebaeorum;
  7. Prima Flavia Theodosiana;
• under the Magister Militum per Thracias:
  1. Prima Maximiana Thebaeorum;
  2. Tertia Diocletiana Thebaeorum;
  3. Tertiodecimani (Legio XIII Gemina?);
  4. Quartodecimani (Legio XIV Gemina Martia Victrix?);
  5. Prima Flavia gemina;
  6. Secunda Flavia gemina.

• Comitatus (A Late & Post-Roman Romano-British Historical reenactment & Living history group portraying the Legio Praesidiensis, a comitatensis unit listed in the Notitia Dignitatum under the Gallic command, but based in Britain during the late 4th century.)

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