Cohort (military unit)

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Cohort (military unit)

A cohort (from the Latin cohors, plural cohortes) is a fairly large military unit, generally consisting of one type of soldier.

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A cohort (from the Latin cohors, plural cohortes) is a fairly large military unit, generally consisting of one type of soldier.

Military cohort

Originally, the cohort was a sub-unit of a Roman legion

Roman legion

The Roman Legion is a term that can apply both as a translation of legio to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly , to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of the Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the Roman Empire....
, usually consisting of 480 legionaries including six centurions. The cohort itself was divided into six centuries

Centuria

Centuria is a Latin substantive from the stem centum , denoting units consisting of 100 men. It also denotes a Roman unit of land area: 1 centuria = 100 Jugerum....
of 80 men commanded each by a centurion

Centurion

Centurion may refer to:...
. However, the first of ten cohorts had five double-sized centuries totaling 800 men.

Various terms described precise types of military cohorts:

In the Imperial Roman praetorian forces, there were individual cohorts with an establishment strength of 500 (cohors quingenaria) or of 1000 (cohors milliaria), as well as mixed infantry and cavalry units (cohors equitata) that existed in parallel.

Various terms describe precise types of auxiliary cohorts:

Cohors alaria: allied or auxiliary unit.
Cohors classica: auxiliary unit originally formed of sailors and marines.
Cohors equitata (LA): unit of auxiliary infantry with attached mounted squadrons.
Cohors peditata (LA): infantry unit.
Cohors speculatorum (LA): guard unit of Mark Antony
Mark Antony

Marcus Antonius , known in English as Marc Antony, was a Roman Republic politician and General. He was an important supporter and the best friend of Julius Caesar as a military commander and administrator, being Caesar's second cousin, once removed, by his mother Julia Antonia....
composed of scouts.
Cohors torquata (LA): auxiliary unit granted a torques (military decoration).
Cohors tumultuaria (from tumultus, "chaos"): irregular
Irregular military

Irregular military refers to any non-standard military. Being defined by exclusion, there is a lot of variance in what comes under the term. It can refer to the type of military organization, or to the type of tactics used....
auxiliary unit.

Other Roman cohorts

Some paramilitary corps in Rome consisted of one or more cohorts, though neither were part of a legion:

The nine cohortes praetoriae, never grouped to a legion, the famous and infamous Praetorians
Praetorian Guard

The Praetorian Guard was a special force of guards used by Roman empire List of Roman Emperorss. Before being appropriated for the use of the Emperors' personal guards, the title was used for the guards of Roman generals, at least since the rise to prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC....
. The term was first used to refer to the bodyguard of a General during the Republic
Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the phase of the Ancient Rome characterized by a republican form of government; a period which began with the overthrow of the Roman Roman Kingdom, c....
; later, a unit of Imperial guards (temporarily restyled cohors palatina, "palace unit", circa 300 AD, under Diocletian
Diocletian

Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus , born Diocles and commonly known as Diocletian , was Roman Emperor from November 20, 284 to May 1, 305....
's tetrarchy
Tetrarchy

Tetrarchy can be applied to any system of government where power is divided between four individuals. The term is usually used to refer to the tetrarchy instituted by Roman Emperor Diocletian in 293 which lasted until c. 313....
).

Cohors togata was a unit of the Praetorian guard in civilian dress tasked with duties within the pomerium
Pomerium

The pomerium , from post + moerium>murum , was the sacred boundary of the city of Rome. In legal terms, Rome existed only within the pomerium; everything beyond it was simply land belonging to Rome....
(sacred center of the Capital, where all armed forces were forbidden).

Cohortes urbanae
Cohortes urbanae

The cohortes urbanae , led by the urban prefect, of ancient Rome were created by Augustus to counterbalance the enormous power of the praetorian guard in the city of Rome and serve as a police force....
, "urban cohort": military police unit patrolling in the capital.
Cohortes vigilum, "watchmen"; unit of the police force annex fire brigade in the capital.
Cohors Germanorum (LA): the unit of Germani custodes corporis (imperial body guards recruited in Germania
Germania

Germania was the Latin language exonym for a geographical area of land on the east bank of the River Rhine , which included regions of Sarmatia as well as an area under Ancient Rome control on the west bank of the Rhine....
).

Furthermore, the Latin word cohors was used in a looser way to describe a rather large "company" of people (see, for instance, cohors amicorum
Cohors amicorum

Cohors amicorum is a Latin term, literally meaning "cohort of friends". The notion cohort is to be taken not in the strict, military sense , but indicated a fairly large number; accordingly, friend is to be taken in a loose sense, rather as in amicus curiae, compare the Hellenistic Aulic title philos ....
).