Istvánovits Eszter: International Connections... (Jósa András Múzeum Kiadványai 47. Aszód-Nyíregyháza, 2001)

Andrea Vaday: Military system of the Sarmatians

This is the first time that Free and Servant Sarmatians were mentioned, leading specialists to attempt to interpret the expressions. Alföldi agreed with C. Patsch's (PATSCH 1929, 12) earlier view that the leading layer, the "Free Sarmatians", Liberi or Arcaragantes were identical with the "former Jazyges" (ALFÖLDI 1942, 174). The identifications Liberi

= Arcaragantes = Jazyges and Servi = Limitigantes = Roxolani seem to be supported by the fact that there are practically no graves with weapons in the southeastern part of the Hungarian Plain where the Roxolani lived.

15 There are, however, strong arguments against these tempting identifications: the uniformity of the find materials mentioned above and the fact that the burials with weapons decreased in number, and also in proportion, from the end of the 3

rd c, so that their scarcity was a general phenomenon. A. Mócsy (MÓCSY 1990, 47) could not find any ethnic difference between the two groups and interpreted the Arcaragantes as the ruling stratum and the Limigantes as a population kept in servitude. It must also be remembered that, according to the reports of Ammianus and Anon. Valesianus, the servant Sarmatians were more numerous than their lords. If we then consider that some of the Free Sarmatians(!)

16 expelled by their servants - more than 300,000 people - asked the Romans for asylum and gained admittance to the Empire (Anon. Vales 6, 32; Euseb. V; Constant. IV. 6; Cons. Cp. 1. 334; Ammian. XVII. 12. 8),

17 the Sarmatian population in the Middle Tisza region and the Banat can be estimated to have been about a million.

18 Nevertheless, the proportions of the Sarmatae Liberi and Servi populations theoretically conform to the proportions of both the autochthonous (newly settled, subdued populations and the leading) subdued strata within the society. It is certain that the situation in the Hungarian Plain was not uniform in this period. Reports from later events attest to a tribal division. There must have been a Sarmatian group in the northern part of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve that was subdued by the Quadi in 334. Valeria, Pannónia Secunda and Moesia were attacked by the barbarians during the reign of Constantine II (Ammian. XVII. 12. 1). In his description of the peace treaty terminating the wars, Ammianus separately mentioned the royal prince (regalis) Zizais and his people, and alluded to the circumstance that the head of the delegation asking for peace brought, aside from other Sarmatians, his viceroys (subreguli) Rumo, Zinafer and Fragiledus and several aristocratic personalities (optimates)}

9 The second to appear before the Emperor were the princes Araharius and Usafer {regales, inter optimates excellens, agminum gentilium duces) with their entire peoples. These barbarian aristocrats were also tribal leaders. One of them was the head of the 15 The "Roxolani in the Banat" were mentioned in this respect by NAGY 1973, 109, among others. 16 Another part fled to the Vandalian Victovals living in the vicinity of the Quadi. 17 On settlements see BARKÓCZI 1959, 443. 18 Even if this number seems exaggerated, there must have been a great populational mass. This is also supported by the fact that the acknowledged Sarmatians were settled in Italy, Macedonia, Scythia and Thracia, so it could not have been a small group. 19 MÓCSY 1990, 48 interprets the description of the delegation that peace negotiations with Rumo, Zinafer and Fragiledus followed the conference with Zizais ("Zizais was followed by chiefs Rumo, Zinafer and Fragiledus"). Ammian. XVII.

12.11: "duxeratpauor cum ceteris Sarmatis etiam Rumonem et Zinaferum el Fragiledum subregulos." The sentence after Zizias's pledge, however, makes it clear that they were members of the delegation led by Zizais {duxerat). According to the ritual of the peace appeal, the head of the delegation stepped before the Emperor first. Only after he had pled for mercy for himself on the Emperor's prompting, and his plea had been accepted (Ammian. XVII. 12,. 10), was the "multitude" let before the Emperor to plead. Upon Zizais's signal, they were allowed to plead for mercy, throwing down their weapons. Then the description continues with the following sentence (XVII. 12. 11), in which above term "multitude" is explained: they were the three subreguli who ruled over smaller territories of Zizais's kingdom. This is suggested by the phrase "eque cum facultatibus et liberis et coniugibus terrarumque suarum".