Hadrian´s wall texts:

A great part of the trops that fought in Britannia as well as in the rest of the “Empire”,
came from Rome itself; but the army was also formed by soldiers from the conquered
regions. Therefore the legions, formed by roman citizens, were joined by the auxiliar
units formed by the fighters from the ocuppied regions. This units would normally be
called after the place of origin of the soldiers themselves. Specifically, and in relation
to the “astures”, there is proof of the existence of at least five asturum cohorts ( I, II, III,
V and VI), two of “astures” and “galaicos”, three alae asturum and one ala praetoria I
hispanorum asturum.

The most clear proof of this enrollment of the “astures” into the different units, as well
as of the existance of the auxiliares asturum units, are the epigraphic remains. A clear
example of this is the reknown “astur transmontano” Pintaius Pedilici f(ilius), signifer
de la cohorss V asturum.

The incorporation of the “astures” into the auxiliar units was part of a domination
proccess on behalf of Rome, being this incorporation ,at the end, an imposition.
However, this practice also become a path for self-improvement and social
advancement. While the members of the auxiliar units weren’t roman citizens, being
part of the units gave them the possibilty of becoming one, and thus this auxiliar units
were also a door to enter in the roman world.

The Archaelogical Museums of Gijón/Xixón join the celebration of the 1900th

anniversary of the construction of the Hadrian’s Wall, due to the proven relationship
between the wall and the current city of Gijón.

Various auxiliar units of the roman army in Britannia were enrolled in the north and
west of the Iberic Peninsula. This is the case of the Ala II Asturum (regiment of the
second cavalry of the “astures”), enrolled in the north of Hispania by Tiberio and
placed as the militar regiment of the walled fortress of Cilurnum (current city of
Chesters) around the year 180 d.C. This military settlement has been linked with the
Cilurnigi, whose name appear on a funerary headstone found in one the parts of the
Roman Wall of Gijón/Xixón. This headstone, dating from around the middle of first to
the middle of the second century d.C., is a funerary epigraph dedicated by a father to
his son and himself in life. Both father and son belong to the gens of the “cilurnigos”,
name that means “boilmakers”; and were part of the settlement of the ancient
Gijón/Xixón.