Auxilia

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Auxilia — an auxiliary unit of the ancient Roman army, recruited partly from vassal and allied peoples, and partly from foreign mercenaries. An auxiliary is a warrior of such a unit.

In the era ofIn the Roman Republic , auxiliaries came from peoples subject to Rome, who did not enjoy the rights of Roman citizens and did not belong to the number of allies. Recruitment of auxiliaries was carried out by hiring or compulsory supply of soldiers by the above-mentioned peoples. It should be noted that these warriors were not part of legions, but were separate detachments, the number and organization of which were diverse. The auxiliaries included, for example, Cretan archers, Balearic slingers, and Gallic cavalry.

Under the Emperor Augustus, the auxiliaries were reformed, and they received new weapons and equipment, as well as began to form cohorts of 500 people and milliarii. At this time, the term of service was 25 years (in the Praetorian Guard-16 years, in the legion — 20), and it was free of charge, but upon retirement, those who served received the rights of a Roman citizen. Under Trajan, the old auxiliaries were replaced by new units. Auxiliaries were usually replenished in the provinces in which they were stationed.

The most common types of auxiliaries were the following::

• The Hastati (spearmen)

• Sagittarius (archers)

• Equits (light cavalry)

Related topics

Legion, Roman Republic, Auxilary-hastat, Auxiliary-horseman, Sagittarius

Literature

• Military Encyclopedia / Edited by V. F. Novitsky et al., St. Petersburg: I. V. Sytin Publishing House, 1911-1915, vol. 3.

• Kovalev S. I. Istoriya Rima [History of Rome]. Chapter 2. The Principate of August.