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Marcus Mummius · 12-22-2004, 03:54 PM

Greetings, 
 
Could someone tell me what equipment a slinger in the roman army had? 
 
Thanks in advance, 
Marcus Mummius

Mithras · 12-22-2004, 06:58 PM

As an avid slinger I've thought about this alot. I think the consensus is, despite what you might see on Trajan's Column, that slingers would generally wear Roman issue clothing, but not obviously go for any armour or heavy weapons. As a 4thC slinger I would wear long sleeved tunic, trousers, boots, sling pouch and carry several slings. I'd still wear my cloak and pilleus. No sword, shield, spear etc. 
 
For earlier periods I'm less sure, as the Late Period is definatley more focussed on hand-to-hand AND missile combat. 
 
A Balearic slinger should be an easy impression to create for the earlier legions, with tunic, cloak, sling pouch, three slings (each a different length), maybe a knife or pugio, caligae, maybe agricultural leg bindings and some sort of ration bag. I'd have thought a Phrygian cap or headband would look great, too ... Paul Elliott/Caius Fortunatus 
 
3rd Century Auxiliary (Cohors Quinta Gallorum) 
 
4th Century Legionnary (Comitatus) 
 
www.geocities.com/zozergames/interactive.html

Marcus Mummius · 12-22-2004, 07:43 PM

Thanks Mithras! 
 
Does anyo,e else know something about this subject. 
I forgot to specify. I'd like to know what equipment a slinger from the first century AD had. 
 
cheers, 
Marcus Mummius

12-23-2004, 12:57 PM

A colleague of mine reenacts such a soldier. He wears a typical 'Mediterranean' sleeveless tunic, is barefoot, and wears a shoulder-bag for missiles, and as mentioned above, a headband tied about the head with a spare sling. 
He also carries a small shield called a 'Caetra' examples of which can be seen in one of the Osprey 'enemies of Rome' books (The Spanish armies IIRC). 
 
Regards, 
Peronis

Mithras · 12-23-2004, 02:41 PM

I've seen some of the slingers on Trajan's column carrying shields and thought this bizarre for two reasons: 
 
1) These guys are missile wielders and will not get into hand-to-hand combat. 
 
2) How do you load and use a sling one handed. 
 
More recently I've come to appreciate that a unit of slingers is extremely vulnerable from other slingers or archers and that in many battles skirmishers often engage one another before the main clash. 100 sling stones or glandes coming in on your position would be devastating and a shield would give the slingers some mobile cover. 
 
But that still lives point 2), and I have yet to attempt slinging one handed, using a fold in my cloak as an ammo carrier and carrying a shield. Sounds unfeasible, but this winter I hope to try it out! Paul Elliott/Caius Fortunatus 
 
3rd Century Auxiliary (Cohors Quinta Gallorum) 
 
4th Century Legionnary (Comitatus) 
 
www.geocities.com/zozergames/interactive.html

TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX · 12-25-2004, 02:04 AM

I reenact as slinger, I sometimes wear a helmet and gladius as well as what is mentioned above. loading one handed is fairly easy, you lay the sling on some surface, place the bullet in the pouch, and then pick up the loose end, It does slow your rate of fire down, but you have the valuable protection of a shield. I think that some of the equipment would have been a matter of personal preference, on trajans column one slinger does not seem to have a shield, the others do. I think that the minimum gear would be: slings& glandes,tunic,calgae,belt and a pouch or cloak

Marcus Mummius · 12-25-2004, 12:45 PM

Do you think a slinger would have worn caligae? A headband has been mentioned several times. How would it look, what material should it be? 
 
Merry Chrismas to all of you! 
 
MarscusMummius

TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX · 12-25-2004, 07:28 PM

many sources say that the headband worn by the balearic slingers, and doubtless other slingers was one of the extra slings they carried. I think that in many situations slingers would have worn caligae, but in some cases would not have, likely this too would have been a mater of personal preferance.

Mithras · 12-28-2004, 12:13 AM

or available funds .... Paul Elliott/Caius Fortunatus 
 
3rd Century Auxiliary (Cohors Quinta Gallorum) 
 
4th Century Legionnary (Comitatus) 
 
www.geocities.com/zozergames/interactive.html

01-06-2005, 04:15 PM

"2) How do you load and use a sling one handed". 
 
The 'Caetra' shield is only about 50- 60 cm diameter and has a built-in shoulder strap, connected to two rings attached to the forged iron grip section. it can therefore be easily slung (Much like a parma) over the shoulder of the slinger allowing him to load and release the weapon two-handed. 
 
Kind regards, 
 
Peroni. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=mulpioperonis@romanarmytalk>M Ulpio Peronis</A> at: 1/6/05 5:18 pm

Mithras · 01-06-2005, 10:09 PM

Caetra shield? I've not heard that term before. Like the parma you say? 
 
Worth making. I've got a spare boss in the workshop. Paul Elliott/Caius Fortunatus 
 
3rd Century Auxiliary (Cohors Quinta Gallorum) 
 
4th Century Legionnary (Comitatus) 
 
www.geocities.com/zozergames/interactive.html

01-11-2005, 11:56 PM

Interesting topic! Just a thought: perhaps each slinger was equipped with a shield, but when the unit sallied forth to engage the enemy, some acted as "cover" men while others engaged targets with their own shields temporarily layed aside...? 
 
Re: caligae, it's becoming clear that more army equipment made it down to the auxilia ranks than previously thought. There's even some discussion as to whether or not some auxilia may have been issued the lorica segmentata, previously the most tangible identifier of the citizen-legionary. I think you're safely within the bounds of probability if you were to equip yourself with caligae, at least up until the end of the 1st Cent., when even the legions stopped wearing them. 
 
Darius

Hibernicus · 01-12-2005, 05:05 PM

... and Vegetius wrote that all soldiers were trained in all weapons. 
 
many of the milites gregarii of Legio IX Hispana carry slings. One of the guys found that his worked very well as a helmet chin strap! 
 
Hibernicus

01-12-2005, 06:05 PM

Mummius, just to clarify your original question: the Roman legionary was not trained or equipped for slinging in the 1st (or 2nd) Century AD. This duty was strictly relegated to auxilia troops, such as our aforementioned Balearics. 
 
Hibernicus is correct in quoting Vegetius re: legionary slingers, but he's way off in the time period. Vegetius was writing in the 5th Century AD (one of the Valentinian's was the emperor, don't recall off-hand which one), and was basically compiling a How-To [Conduct The Roman Army In The Field] manual for the emperor, using many different Roman military historians as reference. One that he quotes liberally from was Polybius, who attested to legionary slingers. Polybius himself, though, was writing during the Third Punic War (circa 150 BC), when Republican legionaries were indeed trained as slingers. By Imperial times, this duty was entirely relegated to the auxilia. Missile weapons make a big comeback in the later Roman Army of the 4rd Century onwards... inspired, in part, by Vegetius' work. 
 
Hope this helps to clarify things, 
Darius

TFLAVIUSAMBIORIX · 01-12-2005, 07:22 PM

very true Gaius. many have supposed that all soldiers used a sling, This is probably not the case for the 1st, 2nd, and even 3rd centuries.

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