Cohors amicorum

Roman history

• Originally, since the Roman republic proper, the cohors amicorum was synonymous with the cohors praetoria : the military staff company functioning as suite and bodyguard of a high Roman official, such as a Roman governor, especially in command of one or more legions.
• In the Principate, high administrative offices tended to be separated from military command, 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, amici. In fact, the administration was to be streamlined in a rather typical officium with ever more detailed rules on competences, career etcetera.

• its members were termed cohortalis ; the diminutive cohortalinus became a generic term for non-cadre clerks in a high dignitary's officium