Auxilia

The Auxiliaries (Latin auxilium = " Help") were auxiliary troops of the Roman legions, which were from allied nations or residents of the provinces, who were not Roman citizens, recruited.

Overview

Auxiliary troops, who were recruited when required or demanded by the Allies, there were already at the time of the Roman Republic. A fairly common structure and especially the integration of auxiliary troops it was carried out by the reforms of the emperor Augustus, who created a standing army of Christ's birth.

The auxiliary troops prepared according to Tacitus about half of the Roman army, so probably about 150,000 soldiers. Exact information is lacking. Add them as teams men who were born free were used, but not Roman citizens possessed, and it could happen that individual units were closed as a special award civil rights. The regular period of service was 25 years ( in the fleet at 26 years ). While the soldiers received less pay than the legionaries ( who already Roman citizens ), but after the honorable discharge the civil rights ( documented in the military diplomas ) for themselves and their descendants. This was the main incentive for entry into force. Partial was also an exemption from taxes and public services for the veterans.

The auxiliary troops completed the heavy infantry of the actual Legion troops. In particular, the cavalry was too weak for the fight in the legions. It was also the mass of the special forces, such as archers or slingers provided by the auxiliary units. In addition, the auxiliary units were also used as counter- forces that would fight the various enemies using their own tactics. So there are reports of camel troops in the fight against Arab horsemen. Overall, however, mainly focused on the foot soldiers soon unification, so that the majority of the auxiliary troops Infantry since the late first century with regard was barely distinguishable from the legionaries on their equipment. The officers were almost all Roman citizens, mostly abkommandierte Legion officers, each ascended a rank for transfer to a auxiliary unit.

In addition to the at least initial weapons technical differences to regular Legion troops, the use of outside major wars was different to the Legion: auxiliary units were used in much smaller organizations / units in the area to pacify and control of the provinces and stationed usually in along the borders arranged castles. Thus, the daily surveillance of borders was much in the hands of the auxiliary troops. The legions, however, were responsible to a much stronger concentration (one or two legions in a legion camp ) for critical tasks and had their camp mostly in the hinterland.

About the auxiliary units was also a massive Romanization of the provinces, as these soon, not recruited from the areas of origin of the first members with a few exceptions, but on the spot ( which the original bond was lost quickly to an ethnic group ). So a auxiliary unit could continue Parthica or Helvetica hot without that this name was much more than a memory of their beginnings. It remained as the lowest common denominator, only the Latin and the Roman way of life, especially the veterans of the auxiliary troops now had Roman citizenship. Their descendants were therefore often than legionaries in the army.

Outline of the auxiliary units

• Ala - Cavalry
• Cohors - Infantry
• Cohors equitata - mixed force with about 3/4 infantry and 1/4 Cavalry

In contrast to the Legion, in which the cohorts were commanded usually by centurions, the auxiliary units were mostly prefect, sometimes tribunes before. In the Reiteralen who knew no Centuries, corresponded to the Decurio as commander of a Turma the rank of centurion. The individual units differed not only by arming and background but also on the size, prestige and salary.

In the high imperial period the officer positions were increasingly becoming the domain of the auxiliary units a knighthood. As early as Claudius ( 41-54 AD) there was a standardized knightly career over three steps ( tres militiae ), as was to be found in the legions since Augustus. Here was the first command of a cohort of 500 infantry soldiers ( cohors quingenaria ). After this first leadership experience, the service was able to follow in the Legion as tribunus angusticlavius ​​or the command of a 1,000 -strong cohort ( cohors miliaria ). Subsequently, the officer received a Alenpräfektur, so the command of a cavalry unit of about 500 men ( ala quingenaria ). In some cases, still was able to follow the command of a cavalry unit of about 1,000 riders ( ala miliaria ). This item was also occupied by senatorial officers.

Approximate total number of regular auxiliary units around 100 AD

• Alae miliariae about 9
• Alae quingenariae 80

• Cohortes equitatae miliariae about 22
• Cohortes equitatae quingenariae about 77

• Cohortes miliariae about 18
• Cohortes quingenariae approximately 132

Example: The regular auxiliary troops Lower Germania in the early imperial period (after Jahn )

The number of alae and cohorts in Lower Germany ( Germania inferior)

Before AD 9: Number of Alen: at least 3; Number of cohorts: at least 6, but probably a larger number of troops.

14 AD: Number of Alen: several, at least 8; Number of cohorts: at least about 16, but probably more.

15 AD: Number of Alen: several, at least 8; Number of cohorts: at least about 20

16 AD: Number of Alen: several, at least 8; Number of cohorts: numerous.

Germanicus led the campaign against the Marsi (14 AD), in addition to 12,000 legionaries 26 sociae cohortes and 8 equitum alae. The former were divided into about 16 regular cohorts ( expeditae cohortes, auxiliariae cohortes ) and about 10 cohorts irregular people banns ( ceteri Sociorum, leves cohortes ). The cavalry consisted almost entirely and the auxiliary infantry troops Gallic and Germanic largely of troops. The sources are mentioned as Auxiliarverbände of Germanicus: cohortes Raetorum et cohortes Vindelicorum, Batavi, people posses the Chauken, cohortes Gallicae and tumultiariae catervae Germanorum cis Rhenum colentium who were recruited from Lower Germany and the northern Belgica.

If one also with the existence of some only later, in the Claudian- Neronian period, used troops already expects more or less likely to occur during the reign of Tiberius, it would have at least 7-8 alae in the time of Tiberius, for example, in the Lower Rhine ( ala Batavorum, ala Canninefatium, ala Gallorum Picentiana, ala Pomponiani, ala praetoria, ala Treverorum, ala I Tungrorum Frontoniana, ala Parthorum ) and at least about 20 cohortes ( cohors V Asturum, 9 cohortes Batavorum, cohors VIII Breucorum, cohors Canninefatium, cohortes Gallorum, cohors Germanorum, cohors III Lusitanorum, cohors Silaucensium, at least 2 cohortes Tungrorum, cohors Ubiorum equitata ) was added.

Further development

When Emperor Caracalla 212 all free imperial residents gave Roman citizenship, were henceforth mainly barbarians from beyond the borders of the Reich in the auxiliary troops. The military reforms, which we then went to the " kingdom of crisis " to respond, changing the structure of the imperial army. Since 300 the surveillance of borders was no longer transmitted the auxilia, but the limitanei / riparenses who completed this task during the whole Late Antiquity.

Not Romans served since the 4th century either side by side with the Romans in the regular army, where they are now sometimes made ​​career and move up into the high officer positions were (see Heermeister ) or as mercenaries ( foederati ) under their own leaders. The Auxilia, however, largely disappears at this time from the sources. If from now on sporadically even of auxilia is mentioned, this term is no longer used in the special importance of Prinzipatsepoche.