Digital Maps of the Ancient World

The Auxilia of the Roman Army

Embark on a captivating exploration of the auxiliary forces that played a vital role in shaping the Roman army’s formidable might with our meticulously curated reading list.

From the diverse origins and specialized roles of auxiliary troops to their pivotal contributions in expanding and defending the Roman Empire, delve into the multifaceted world of these non-citizen soldiers. Uncover the recruitment methods, training regimens, and deployment strategies that enabled auxilia to complement and enhance the effectiveness of Roman legions on the battlefield. Whether you’re intrigued by the cavalry units of the Batavi, the archers of Syria, or the skirmishers of Thrace, our reading list offers a comprehensive array of scholarly works that shed light on the auxiliary forces’ integral role in Rome’s military machine. Explore the fascinating stories of individual auxiliaries, the evolving organization of auxiliary cohorts, and the enduring legacy of these diverse and adaptable troops in shaping the course of ancient history.

General

• Campbell, D.B., Roman Auxiliary Forts: 27 BC-AD 378, Oxford, 2009.
• Dixon, K.R. & Southern, P., Roman cavalry from the first to the third century AD, London, 1992.
• Holder, P.A., The Auxilia from Augustus to Trajan, BAR Int. Ser. 70, Oxford, 1980.

Further Reading

• Coulston, J.C., ‘Roman archery equipment’, in M.C. Bishop (ed.), The Production and Distribution of Roman Military Equipment. Proceedings of the Second Roman Military Equipment Research Seminar, Oxford, 1985, 220-366.
• Cowan, R., Roman Guardsman 62 BC-AD 324, Oxford, 2014.
• D’Amato, R., Roman Army Units in the Western Provinces, 31 BC-AD 195, Oxford, 2016.
• D’Amato, R., Roman Army Units in the Eastern Provinces, 31 BC-AD 195, Oxford, 2017.
• D’Amato, R., Roman Standards & Standard-Bearers: 112 BC-AD 192, Oxford, 2018.
• D’Amato, R. & Negin, A., Roman Heavy Cavalry: Cataphractarii & Clibanarii, 1st Century BC-5th Century AD, Oxford, 2018.
• Davies, R.W., ‘Cohortes equitatae’, Historia 20, 1971, 751-63 in Davies 1989, 141-51.
• Fields, N., Roman Auxiliary Cavalryman: AD 14-193, Oxford, 2006.
• Garbsch, J., ‘The oldest military diploma from the province  of Dacia’, in Maxfield & Dobson 1991, 281-84.
• Hassall, M., ‘The internal planning of Roman auxiliary forts’, in B.R. Hartley and J. Wacher (ed.), Rome and Her Northern Provinces, Gloucester, 1983, 96-131.
• Haynes, I., ‘Military service and cultural identity in the auxilia’, Goldsworthy & Haynes 1999, 165-74.
• Hyland, A., Equus. The Horse in the Roman World, London, 1990.
• Johnson, A., Roman Forts of the 1st and 2nd Centuries AD in Britain and the German Provinces, London, 1983.
• Junkelmann, M., Die Reiter Roms I-III, Mainz, 1990-92.
• MacDowall, S., Late Roman Cavalryman: AD 236-565, Oxford, 1995.
• Saddington, D.B., ‘The development of the Roman auxiliary forces from Augustus to Trajan’, ANRW II.3, 1975, 176-201.
• Spaul, J., Ala 2. The Auxiliary Cavalry Units of the Pre-Diocletianic Imperial Roman Army, Andover, 1994. 
• Spaul, J., Cohors 2. The Evidence for and a Short History of the Auxiliary Infantry Units of the Imperial Roman Army, Oxford, 2000. 
• Speidel, M.P., ‘The pay of the auxilia’, JRS 63, 1973, 141-47.
• Speidel, M.P., ‘The rise of ethnic units in the Roman imperial army’, ANRW II.3, 1975, 202-31.
• Speidel, M.P., Riding for Caesar. The Roman Emperors’ Horse Guard, London, 1994.
• Starr, C.G., The Roman Imperial Navy, 31BC-AD324, Chicago, 1941.
• Southern, P., ‘The numeri of the Roman imperial army’, Britannia 20, 1989, 81-140.