Imperial Romans New Zealand
  • WELCOME
    • About us
    • Coming events >
      • Event checklists
      • Overseas Events >
        • Natale di Roma
    • Club page
    • Club checklists
    • Roman Workshop
    • Club Temple
    • Media page
    • Resources >
      • Clothing & Kit Guides
      • Choosing a Name
      • Suppliers
      • Links
    • Tribute to John
  • LEGIO VI
    • Joining the Army
    • Roman Soldiers >
      • Roman armour
      • Roman tunics
      • Roman helmets
      • Roman weapons
      • Roman shields >
        • Dura-Europos Shield
      • Marching kit
      • Roman tents
      • Camp items
      • Ballista scorpion
      • Legionary insigna
      • War trophy
    • Club training
    • Leg VI History >
      • Roman Archaeology
      • Antony coinage
    • Marching Songs
    • Sister Clubs
    • Roman Auxiliaries
    • Roman Cavalry
    • Enemies of Rome
    • Roman Navy
    • Military Religion >
      • Military Oath
      • Military Altars
  • GLADIATORS
    • Becoming a Gladiator
    • Outline of Games
    • History of Gladiators
    • Gladiator weapons
    • The Gladiatrix
    • Gladiator Tombstone
  • ROMANS
    • Roman Time Period >
      • Chinese-Romans
    • Club Celebrations >
      • Lupercalia
    • Roman Women >
      • Roman hairstyles
    • Educational Assets >
      • Peutinger Map
      • Codex manuscript
      • Roman Lararium
      • Roman Coinage
      • Roman Elephant Plate
      • Roman wax tablets
      • Roman triremes
      • Roman fasces
      • Vicarello cup
      • Dura-Europos Map
      • Ravenna Cosmography
      • Wind-Rose Map
      • Roman bow-puller
      • Roman dice tower
      • Roman Dodecahedron
      • Board games
      • Roman torc
      • Jeweled helmet
      • Praetorian guard
    • Great Library of Rome >
      • De Re Militari
      • Hyginus Roman Camp
      • Notitia Dignitatum
    • Simple Latin
    • Roman dress
    • Cooking with Apicius
    • Roman Music
  • GALLERY
    • 2019 Gallery >
      • Tauranga Romans
    • 2018 Gallery >
      • Saturnalia MMXVIII
      • Papatoetoe Xmas
      • Glen Eden Xmas
      • Grey Lynn Festival
      • Highland Games
      • Armistice in Cambridge
      • Italian Festival
      • Auckgeddon
      • School Visit
      • Spring training
      • Hadrian's Wall
      • Augusta Raurica
      • Chedworth Villa
      • Archeon
      • Netflix Master of Rome
      • Kristin School
      • Rome's Birthday
      • Nimes Gladiator
      • HMB Rome
      • Autumn Festival
      • Cultural Festival
      • Autumn training
      • Lantern Festival
      • Howick Festival
      • Fringe Festival 3
      • Fringe Festival 2
      • Fringe Festival 1
      • Roman fighting
      • Julius Caesar
      • Battering Ram
      • NZ Police Romans
      • Roman workshop
      • Roman training
      • Forest Romans
      • Summer training
    • 2017 Gallery >
      • Saturnalia Party
      • Papatoetoe Santa
      • Summer Training
      • Glen Eden Santa
      • Queen St Santa Pd
      • Grey Lynn Festival
      • Highland Games
      • Armistice Cambridge
      • Armageddon
      • Festival Italiano
      • Roman Hobby
      • Film Shoot
      • Leg III Cyrenaica
      • Model X Romans
      • Armageddon Tauranga
      • Natale di Roma
      • Cultural festival
      • Autumn training
      • Summer Festival
      • School visit
      • Lantern Festival
      • Summer training
      • Medieval Faire
      • Roman school
    • 2016 Gallery >
      • Papatoetoe Santa
      • St Cuthbert's Girls
      • REIGN OF BLOOD
      • Queen St Santa Pd
      • Grey Lynn Festival
      • Glen Eden Xmas
      • Armistice Cambridge
      • Italian Pavilion
      • Auckageddon
      • 4 Flat Whites in Italy
      • Dave LXX Natalis
      • Festival Italiano
      • John Nagels
      • Roman Training
      • CLASSOC Quiz Night
      • Rutherford Romans
      • School Temple Visit >
        • Lays of Ancient Rome
      • Waldorf Faire
      • K Rd Romans
      • Cambridge Festival
      • Antony & Cleopatra
      • Easter Show
      • Hamilton Gardens
      • Cultural Festival
      • Roma-geddon
      • Military Tattoo
      • Art in a Day
      • NZ Lantern Festival
      • NZ Medieval Faire
    • 2015 Gallery >
      • Saturnalia
      • Roman Film Shoot
      • NZ Xmas Parade
      • Armistice Cambridge
      • Armageddon
      • Albany Mall
      • Wald Medieval Faire
      • King's College
      • Dr Sketchy Romans
      • NZ Medieval Faire
      • Helensville Show
      • Military Tattoo
      • Vikings TV show
      • Camp Quality
    • 2014 Gallery >
      • NZ Xmas Parade
      • GE Xmas Parade
      • Armistice Cambridge
      • Waikato Museum
      • Roman Cavalry
    • 2013 Gallery >
      • Saturnalia
      • GE Xmas Parade
      • Armistice Cambridge
      • O'Hara Estate Camp
      • Roman Cavalry
      • TV Commercial
      • Music Video
      • Wald Medieval Faire
      • Military Tattoo
    • 2012 Gallery >
      • NZ Xmas Parade
      • GE Xmas Parade
      • Armistice Cambridge
      • Armageddon
      • Good Morning TV
      • McLean's School
      • Hamilton Gardens
      • Military Tattoo
      • Taupo Medieval
      • Club gear
    • 2011 Gallery
    • 2010 Gallery
    • 2009 Gallery
    • 2008 Gallery
    • 2007 Gallery
    • 2006 Gallery
  • CONTACT
    • Membership
    • Book us for an Event
    • School Visits

Roman Auxiliaries


Roman auxiliary soldiers hailed from all parts of the empire, and many retained their native dress and expert military specialties. For instance, the Balearic Slingers fired lead pellets with a further range than arrows, while the Numidan and Germanic cavalry were famed for their horsemanship.

It was common to station troops at opposite ends of the empire, so that a Syrian might find themselves guarding Hadrian's Wall in northern Britain. This prevented soldiers from favoring local loyalties or objecting when legions were moved around.​    
Picture
Our Legio VI Ferrata consists of Roman soldiers, but we would welcome any member that wanted to play some specialist auxiliary soldier. It is normal in Roman re-enactment groups to portray auxiliary soldiers wearing chain-mail, balteus, spear and oval shields, as pictured.

​Archers

Vegetius states that all Roman soldiers were trained in the use of the bow. By the mid 2nd century there were 32 auxiliary sagittarii (arrow-men) units: 13 with Syrian names, 7 Thracian, 5 Anatolian, one from Crete and the other 6 uncertain. They used a compact and powerful recurved composite bow. The archers stood in battle behind the infantry, loosing arrows over their heads. 
Three distinct types of archers are shown on Trajan's Column:
(a) with scalar cuirass, conical steel helmet and cloak (Syrian or Anatolian).
(b) without armour, with cloth conical cap and long tunic.
(c) equipped like auxiliary foot-soldiers, but carrying bows instead of javelins (Syrian).

Irregular allied forces

Separate from the auxiliaries were barbarian socii (allies) or foederati (treaty-troops) fighting in about 40 units of 300 men each. They kept their own native leadership, attire and equipment.  On Trajan's Column they are portrayed in a standardised manner, with long hair and beards, barefoot, stripped to the waist, wearing long trousers held up by wide belts and wielding clubs. In reality their attire and weapons would have varied widely. Marcus Aurelius (170 AD) sent 5000 captured Sarmatian cavalrymen as foederati to garrison Hadrian's Wall after their defeat in the Marcomannic Wars.

The Tombstone of Titus Flavius Bassus,  son of Mucala. An auxiliary soldier from the Thracian tribe of Dentheletae, he belonged to the Ala Noricorum. He died at age 46 after 26 years' service.  Bassus' adopted Roman names, Titus Flavius, indicate that he had gained Roman citizenship by serving the required 25 years in the auxilia. The names adopted would normally be those of the emperor ruling at the time of the citizenship award. This tombstone is from the late 1st century, and is in the Romisch-Germanisches Museum in Cologne, Germany.
Picture

Picture