Artillery in Auxiliary Cohorts

[dadlamassu]

I have tried "search" to see if my question has already been answered and cannot find it though I did spend a few hours happily being diverted onto other interesting threads!

I was looking for information about the Antonine Wall as I intend to revisit some of the forts and fortlets and found that three pairs of "platforms" have been identified but, regrettably, the locations are not given here Antonine Wall Platforms.  Their purpose is subject of conjecture - beacons or artillery positions etc.  Since the wall was largely garrisoned by Auxiliaries I have looked to see if Auxiliary Cohorts had an allocation of artillery in the same way that legionary cohorts did but have not found anything.  I am quite satisfied that the Auxiliary Cohorts (probably) had immunes in the same way that the Legionary Cohorts did.  

So, if these platforms were indeed artillery positions might that mean that Auxiliary Cohorts had Scorpions (or similar artillery) on establishment or were they peculiar to the Auxiliaries stationed on the Antonine Wall and, maybe by extension, the other Limes?

Please could I be directed to readily available sources to look for the answer?  Or if someone knows the answer ...   

I realise that the actual answer may well be "we don't know" so a good educated guess will do me.

Many thanks in anticipation.

[Nathan Ross]

I think there's little doubt that auxiliaries based in forts possessed and operated their own artillery. A pair of early 3rd century inscriptions from Bremenium (High Rochester) record a ballistarium - probably a platform for a ballista - first built and then later repaired a solo cohors I Fida Vardullorum Antoniniana under their tribune. There's no mention of legionary specialists being sent there to operate these machines once installed, so we could probable assume the auxiliaries did it themselves.

The extent to which the Roman army used field artillery, and who used it, is harder to answer. Vegetius mentions the scorpiones and ballistae allotted to each legion, Trajan's Column shows them in use (by legionaries, apparently), and Arrian places them on the flanks in his speculative array against the Alani, but seems to include them in the legion formation on the march.

It seems likely, therefore, that field artillery was the particular preserve of the trained ballistarii of the legion, part of the 'engineering section' as we might consider it. But since auxiliaries could apparently operate artillery in forts, they could presumably use them in the field if required. But it would perhaps have been a desperate expedient - I can't think of any mention of this having happened, except a late third century episode from the Crimea, when somebody (either soldiers or citizen militia) took wall artillery and mounted it in carts to use against invading Sarmatians!

[CaesarAugustus]

I can't think of any mention of this having happened, except a late third century episode from the Crimea, when somebody (either soldiers or citizen militia) took wall artillery and mounted it in carts to use against invading Sarmatians!

Interesting. Do you have more references about this?

[Nathan Ross]

Interesting. Do you have more references about this?

The account is at the end of Constantine Porphyrogenitus's 10th-century De Administrando Imperio, online here. Not the most authentic source, perhaps! The 'arbalasts' are being used by the people of the city of Cherson, rather than Roman soldiers, but it suggests that it was possible. We discussed the episode here.

[dadlamassu]

Many thanks for the information on the artillery and also the discussion on its use.  I thought it probable that Auxiliary units manned any artillery on the wall in their area of responsibility. Whether the weapons themselves were "on establishment" and so came with the unit, arrived fully assembled or were assembled from kits brought up through the logistic chain I leave open.  

[CaesarAugustus]

Interesting. Do you have more references about this?

The account is at the end of Constantine Porphyrogenitus's 10th-century De Administrando Imperio, online here. Not the most authentic source, perhaps! The 'arbalasts' are being used by the people of the city of Cherson, rather than Roman soldiers, but it suggests that it was possible. We discussed the episode here.

I don't know how plausible the story is. However it is known that the ballistae were used on the city walls, so it is plausible to think they were used by urban cohorts or even auxiliaries. But other than that, I am not aware of any auxiliaries equipped with siege or field artillery.