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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 functioning 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 etcetera, still referred to be 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 (see that article) with ever more detailed rules on competences, career, etc.

The 'company' 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)

Sources and references

Johann Oehler, Cohors amicorum, in: Pauly–Wissowa (German-language encyclopaedia on nearly everything relevant to Classical Antiquity)
EtymologyOnLine

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+{{Short description|Roman Latin term meaning "cohort of friends"}}
-'''Cohors amicorum''' is an authential Latin term, literally meaning "cohort of friends". The notion [[cohort]] is to be taken not in the srict, military sense, but indiceted a fairly large number; accordingly, friend is to be taken is a loose sense, rather as in [[amicus curiae]].
+{{Italics title}}
+'''''Cohors amicorum''''' is a [[Latin]] term literally meaning "cohort of friends". The notion [[wiktionary:cohort|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 period|Hellenistic]] [[Aulic titulature|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''' functioning 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.
+* 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 functioning 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 aquited, so there was a mainly civilian 'company' of clerks, advisors, retainers etcetera, still refered to be such terms as ''cohors (amicorum), amici'' (possibly specified by the pivotal personality, e.g. ''Amici principis'').  In fact, the administration was to be streamlined in a rather typical ''[[officium]]'' (see that article) with ever more detailed rules on competences, career etcetera.
+*In the Principate, high administrative offices tended to be separated from military command (transferred to imperial [[legatus|legate]]s), but the various not strictly military functions still had to be acquitted, so there was a mainly civilian 'company' of clerks, advisors, retainers etcetera, still referred to be 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 (ancient Rome)|officium]]'' (see that article) with ever more detailed rules on competences, career, etc.
 The 'company' 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)
+* 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 interestingly alternative, highly formalizes evolution of and from the originally parallel notion ''comitatus'' (also 'company'), see the article [[Comes]]
+* For an alternative, highly formalised evolution of and from the originally parallel notion ''comitatus'' (also 'company'), see the article ''[[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==
-*[[Pauly-Wissowa]] (German-language encyclopaedia on nearly everything relevant to Classical Antiquity)
+* Johann Oehler, ''[https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/RE:Cohors_amicorum Cohors amicorum]'', in: ''[[Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft|Pauly–Wissowa]]'' (German-language encyclopaedia on nearly everything relevant to Classical Antiquity)
+*[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=retinue&searchmode=none EtymologyOnLine]
+[[Category:Court titles]]
-[[Category:Roman Empire]]
+[[Category:Society of ancient Rome]]