# Cornuti

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The ***Cornuti*** ("horned") was an *[auxilia palatina](/source/Auxilia_palatina)* unit of the [Late Roman army](/source/Late_Roman_army), active in the 4th and 5th century. It was probably related to the ***Cornuti seniores*** and the ***Cornuti iuniores***.

## History

According to some scholars, they are depicted on the [Arch of Constantine](/source/Arch_of_Constantine), as the soldiers who are shown wearing [horned helmets](/source/Horned_helmet). On the relief representing the [Battle of Verona (312)](/source/Battle_of_Verona_(312)) they are in the first lines, and they are depicted fighting with the bowmen in the relief of the [Battle of the Milvian Bridge](/source/Battle_of_the_Milvian_Bridge).[1]

The *Cornuti* belonged to the *[comitatus](/source/Comitatenses)* of [Gaul](/source/Gaul), and is attested on the northern border since 355. In 357 it was led by the *[tribunus](/source/Tribunus)* [Bainobaudes](/source/Bainobaudes) in an attack against the [Alemanni](/source/Alemanni) who had attacked the Roman territory and had later retired on a small island.

In that same year, the *Cornuti* fought the Alemanni in the [Battle of Argentoratum](/source/Battle_of_Argentoratum), under the command of the emperor [Julian](/source/Julian_(emperor)). When the Alamannic cavalry caused the Roman *equites* to flee, the *Cornuti* and its twin unit, the *[Brachiati](/source/Brachiati)*, held the enemy horsemen until Julian rallied the Roman cavalry and brought them back in battle. Despite the Romans being victorious, [Bainobaudes](/source/Bainobaudes), the tribune of the *Cornuti* was killed.

The *Cornuti* and the *Brachiati* were famous for their *[barritus](/source/Barritus)*, a combination of shout and dance step.[2]

The *[Notitia Dignitatum](/source/Notitia_Dignitatum)*, a document describing civil and military offices in the Western Roman Empire around 420 and in the Eastern Roman Empire in 395 circa, records the existence of the ***Cornuti seniores*** under the command of the *magister peditum praesentalis* of the West.[3] The same source records the existence of the ***Cornuti iuniores***, who fought in the [Battle of Adrianople (378)](/source/Battle_of_Adrianople_(378)) and later part the army of the *[magister militum praesentalis](/source/Magister_militum_praesentalis)* of the East.[4] Later the *Cornuti iuniores* were sent to guard the *[Porta Aurea](/source/Porta_Aurea)* of [Constantinople](/source/Constantinople) together with the *[Leones iuniores](/source/Leones_(military_unit))*, as testified by an inscription date to 413.[5]

## Notes

1. Michael Speidel, *Ancient Germanic warriors: warrior styles from Trajan's column to Icelandic sagas*, Routledge, 2004, ISBN 0-415-31199-3, p. 47.

1. Speidel, p. 116.

1. *Notitia dignitatum, pars Occidentalis*, v.

1. *Notitia dignitatum, pars Orientalis*, vi.

1. Simon MacDowall, *Late Roman Infantryman*, pag. 50.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cornuti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornuti) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornuti?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.