So who and what exactly were the Auxiliary military forces that served Rome? The Romans used Auxiliary Forces from at least the time of the Punic Wars were they recruited and organized forces from the Italians and the Romans. By the time of Caesar, they were heavily recruited for such units as Cavalry, Slingers, Archers, and Infantry. Caesar himself recruited heavily from the Gauls and Germans for his Cavalry units. As Rome expanded her boundaries, so did the ethnic make up of the Auxiliaries expand, to eventually include native Britains after the Claudian invasion and the establishment of the Flavian Dynasty. Augustus dramatically downsized the Legions of Rome to only 28 legions once the Pricipate was firmly established. This was done for several reasons, but one of the larger reason was the sheer cost of maintaining the Legions. In many cases, the Auxiliaries were Rome’s first line of defense. They were paid about half the rate to perhaps as much as 5/6th as a legionary. Their weapons and equipment is also noted to have been of lesser quality but archeological finds are questioning this theory as well currently. What we do know is that whatever they were paid, it was less than that of a legionary. Both of these would have reduced the financial strain on Rome. The use of Auxiliary troops became a standard to still provide armed forces to secure the Empire and its provinces but at a reduced financial cost. The Legions maintained the backbone of Rome’s military might, and were placed at strategic locations across the Empire, capable of deploying to any flash point in the Empire. The Auxiliary largely fulfilled the role of patrolling, containing raids, tax collecting, and other frontier duties as well as augmenting fielded Roman armies on campaign. Despite the lower wages and perhaps inferior equipment and arms, Auxiliaries tended to come from the more war like provinces, where the offer of Roman Citizenship and hard coin were attractive offers. They were trained, drilled, equipped and disciplined in much as the same fashion as the Legions were. All administration and all drill/commands were in Latin. They were led primarily at the Centurion/Decurian level by troops of their own ethnic background, and were often molded into Cohorts of nearly 480 men. The leader of such a cohort was always a Roman Citizen, given the title and rank of praefectus or tribunus in the case of a double strength sized unit or a citizen cohort. Almost all of the auxiliary cohorts were all volunteer units, implying that they were motivated to serve and fulfill their military obligations of service. A large advantage when desertion of impressed/drafted soldiers was a problem. The Auxiliary were comprised of three basic formations. The first was the basic cohort of 480 men, called a corhors quingenaria peditata in Latin. It was the standard formation of all ground; infantry based formations, whether infantry, archers, slingers, or any other exotic troop formation. This formation could be increased in size to about 1,000 men and was called a milliaria. The alae were the second auxiliary formation and were a pure cavalry unit. It was comprised of 16 turmae, each consisting of 32 troopers. The turmae was commanded by a decurian, with a duplicarius as his second in command. An alae at full strength would have been around 512 troopers. The last Auxiliary formation was the cohortes equitatae; a mixed unit of ground infantry and cavalry forces. At full strength it would have contained 6 centuries and 4 turmae for a total of 608 men. A cohors milliaria equitatae would have been doubled that and command by a tribunus. The cohors equitatae was a highly flexible unit that offered a solid mixture of troops for garrison duties and responsibilities along the frontier. Auxiliary troops were normally enlisted for a twenty five year term of service, at upon completion were awarded full Roman Citizenship. The last five years of their service they would be transferred to veteran status and rewarded with better living conditions, more privileges, and more than likely immunes status, if not obtained already. Upon their honorable discharge (honorus missio), they were presented a diplomata, directed by the emperor. Emperor Claudius also bestowed the right of conubium on all Auxiliary troops upon the completion of their service. This right allowed one unofficial wife to be official recognized and any children that the soldier had to be also granted Roman Citizenship. Units or individuals who had records of outstanding service or valor could also be awarded Roman Citizenship immediately. The Title of Civium Romanorum could be bestowed. This award would be a permanent unit award to the Cohort or Alae, and the title would long stand after every member of the unit, having been awarded Civium Romanorum had been discharged. Often this reward would be symbolized on the clipeus (round oval shield) of each trooper in the form of a laurel wreath. Auxiliary troops have been noted as having been equipped with lesser equipment than the standard legionary as well as employed in different tactical roles than the legionaries. This however, does not necessarily imply that their basic load was less than the average legionary; in fact in some cases it may have been heavier. A lorica segmentata worn by a legionary weighs on average 17 pounds where as a mail hamata, with doubler weighs at about 22 pounds. The standard auxiliary of the late Republican Period through late First Century would have worn a mail shirt with doubler, a gladius (short sword), a hasta (spear), with perhaps a throwing javelin or two, but not a pila, which was kept in sole possession of the legions. His helmet more than likely would also have been a “hand me down” Coolus, Montefortino, or early variant of an Italic or Gallic type helm. The Auxiliary Infantryman also wore the cingulum either alone or with an additional belt worn off his hips “cowboy” style. His shield would have been the flat oval Clipeus more than likely, although there is sculptural evidence to suggest that some of these shields may have also been flat, but more rectangular in shape. At the start of the Second Century, their helmets would have been modified with cross bracing reinforcements to counter the falx in the Dacian campaigns as well as other more deadly chopping type weapons. Another change it appears, is that the perhaps the mail doubler may have begun to fall into disuse at the start of the second century. Sculptural evidence from the Adamklissi and Trajan’s Column suggest this, along with the cingulum falling into disuse, although this may only be done deliberately to show a difference in Roman Legionaries and Auxiliary Formations. Cavalry type units would have been equipped with spears (hasta) lances and the gladius would have been replaced by the spatha to allow for more reach while on horseback, as well as to reflect the more individual style of fighting that they performed. Mail shirts would have had a more cape like doubler it appears off sculptural evidence, and the mail would have been split running up the sides to allow for riding in the saddle. A quiver with many throwing javelins may also have been slung on the horse, to allow for cavalry units to have a greater skirmishing capability. The more exotic units such as archers, slingers, etc., could have more than likely have been equipped as closely as possible to the more traditional infantry auxiliary units, with only their exotic weapons being different, evidence also suggests units such as slingers were only lightly armored with a small parma, and gladius. What is safe to say, is that they were equipped to carry out the appropriate military tasked assigned to them. Auxiliary troops were more than likely issued “hand me down” equipment from Roman armories that may have been viewed as substandard or lesser in the eyes of the legionaries, but this does not imply that they were less effective, or to say that Auxilia soldiers did not personally upgrade their equipment over time. They were still by and large better equipped, armed and maintained than any other fielded force, as a whole, during the time outside of the Roman Army. The Auxilia comprised about half men of the fielded Roman Army, with the advantage of being a very flexible multi role force at a reduced financial cost to the Empire.

COH XXVI VOL C R

How Our German Cousins Do Auxila