(From a Question on the internet)

I wonder if someone at Strategikon could enlighten me as to the place and activities of the following auxila, their effectiveness and their relative value in relation to their Auxilia position: Clubmen; Stone throwers and Slingers?

Answer: We have two sources for men armed with clubs. One is Trajan's column where it shows Germanic tribesmen acting as Symmachiarii, i.e. paid mercenaries or allies. Their fighting value would be much like any other tribal warband troops; they would charge fiercely, but lose heart ifthe fight went against them. The second source is from Zoimus the Byzantine historian, writing some four hundred years after the fact. However since he had access to sources preserved by the Empire we attach some credence to his story.

The Emperor Aurelian had run into Palmyrene Catafracti at the battle of the River Orontes (272) and his horse had the worst of it. The next battle at Emesa (272) he had recruited club wielding men from province of Palestine, which were of great use. The club strike compressed the Catafracts' armor, without penetrating, shattering the bones underneath. This was every effective and helped defeat them. Frustratingly we have no idea of the number of Palestinian auxilia used in the battle. I suspect it was a Cohors milliaria (aprox 400-500 men).

As for stone throwers, if you are referring to Onagers, the first recorded evidence we have of them is Ammianus' account in his history around 350 CE. It was not used as field artillery, for it was bulky and constructed at the scene of the siege with the parts being carried by the Roman siege train. We have evidence of a large ballista throwing stones (perhaps at least a talent in weight) at Second Cremona (69 CE). However, it was set up for the siege of Cremona, and was simply redeployed to face the Flavian attackers. Tacitus in his `Histories' tells about two Roman legionaries who picked fallen opposition shields so they could penetrate enemy lines and destroy the engine. The Histories does not record the names of these two heroes, just the event. (Tact Book III 23) Each legio had 50-54 two man arrow shooters called three span or one cubit ballista. These had an average range of 200-300 yards. In Prokopias' histories, we read of a three span, killing a Goth, taking him through his shield, penetrating him and killing his horse around this range. There were approximately 300 of these used by the Emperor's forces against the Flavians at II Cremona.

A piece of a ballista front plate identified as belonging to IV Makedonia was found near the Porta Venezia, on the north east field near Cremona. It's dimensions are: 31 cm x 22 cm (12.4" x 8.8") and is now in the Cremona museum. The inscription on the plate reads:

LEG*IIII*MAC*M*VINICIO*II/TRAVO*STRATO*CORVINO*S*C*VIBIO*RUF/INO*LEG*C*HORATIO*O*PRINC*P

There are two emblems on the plate, a Bull and Goat. G. Julius Caesar raised the legio, while Augustus later reformed it, after the Caesarian Civil War.

Slingers appear on Trajans column, in native dress again likely Briton tribesmen acting as Symmachiarii, since that is indicated by their dress. Slingers were not used as much as bowmen in the Roman army. The best came from the Baleric Islands off the coast of Hispania, but they were limited in numbers. Britons used the sling, as well as the Spanish, but were as not as good as the Balearics. Romans preferred raising lanciarii (javelin armed) and Ala (wing meaning cavalry) from the Spanish. The Latin word for sling is Funda, so an Auxilia Cohors with the word Funditorum in their title were slingers.