{{Short description|Roman Latin term meaning "cohort of friends"}} {{Italics title}} '''''Cohors amicorum''''' is a Latin term literally meaning "cohort of friends". The notion cohort is to be taken not in the strict, military sense (primarily the constitutive unit of a Roman legion; circa battalion), 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 [basilikos]''.
==Roman history== * Originally, since the Roman Republic proper (i.e. before the Principate), the ''cohors amicorum'' was synonymous with the ''cohors praetoria,'' so called after the ''praetorium'', the tent –in the field– or more permanent dwelling of a Roman commanding general, military headquarters but also site of his other actions, e. g. as a judge, possibly on an adjoining podium called ''tribunal.'' The military (including or annexing various logistic, domestic, financial and administrative) staff company functioned as suite and bodyguard of a high Roman official, such as a Roman governor, who brought a trusted staff of most kinds with him to his post, especially in command of one or more legions.
* In the Principate, high administrative offices tended to be separated from military command, transferred to imperial legates. But the various not strictly military functions still had to be acquitted, so there was a mainly civilian 'company' of clerks, advisors, retainers a. o., still referred to in such terms as ''cohors (amicorum), amici,'' possibly specified by the pivotal personality, e. g. ''amici principis'' around the Emperor. In fact, the administration was to be streamlined in a rather typical ''officium'' with ever more detailed rules on competences, career, etc. The cohort remained at least as a social notion, if now very informal, and seems to have existed with other persons of high rank, such as imperial princes. * Its members were termed ''cohortalis'' (plural ''cohortales''); the diminutive ''cohortalinus'' became a generic term (like ''apparitor'') for non-cadre clerks in a high dignitary's ''officium,'' mainly administrative staff.
==See also== * For an alternative, highly formalised evolution of and from the originally parallel notion ''comitatus'' (also 'company'), see ''comes''. * From this sense of ''cohors'' derives the Italian ''corte'' (a princely, etc.) court and hence ''corteggio,'' 'cortège', which again came to mean a train of attendants or retinue, a similarly elastic notion. * The modern military also knows special units performing various services to a command and its headquarters, by such terms as staff company or staff battalion
==Sources and references== * Johann Oehler, ''[https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/RE:Cohors_amicorum Cohors amicorum]'', in: ''Pauly–Wissowa'' (German-language encyclopaedia on nearly everything relevant to Classical Antiquity) *[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=retinue&searchmode=none Etymonline.com], an online etymology dictionary.
Category:Court titles Category:Society of ancient Rome