Roman auxiliary infantry crossing a river, probably the Danube, on a pontoon bridge during the emperor Trajan's Dacian Wars (101–106 AD). They can be distinguished by the oval shield (clipeus) they were equipped with, in contrast to the rectangular scutum carried by legionaries. Panel from Trajan's Column, Rome
The auxilia (Latin:[au̯kˈs̠ɪlia]; lit.'auxiliaries') were introduced as non-citizen troops attached to the citizen legions by Augustus after his reorganisation of the Imperial Roman army from 27 BC.[1] By the 2nd century, the Auxilia contained the same number of infantry as the legions and, in addition, provided almost all of the Roman army's cavalry (especially light cavalry and archers) and more specialised troops. The auxilia thus represented three-fifths of Rome's regular land forces at that time. Like their legionary counterparts, auxiliary recruits were mostly volunteers, not conscripts.
The Auxilia were mainly recruited from the peregrini, free provincial subjects who did not hold Roman citizenship and constituted the vast majority of the population in the 1st and 2nd centuries (c. 90% in the early 1st century). In contrast to the legions, which only admitted Roman citizens, members of the Auxilia could be recruited from territories outside of Roman control.
Reliance on the various contingents of non-Italic troops, especially cavalry, increased when the Roman Republic employed them in increasing numbers to support its legions after 200 BC. The Julio-Claudian period (27 BC–68 AD) saw the transformation of the Auxilia from motley levies to a standing corps with standardised structure, equipment and conditions of service. By the end of the period, there were no significant differences between legionaries and auxiliaries in terms of training and combat capability.
Auxiliary regiments were often stationed in provinces other than that in which they were originally raised, for reasons of security and to foster the process of Romanization in the provinces. The regimental names of many auxiliary units persisted into the 4th century, but by then the units in question were different in size, structure, and quality from their predecessors.
^Campbell, Duncan B. (2009). Roman Auxiliary Forts 27 BC-AD 378. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-380-3
The auxilia (Latin: [au̯kˈs̠ɪlia]; lit. 'auxiliaries') were introduced as non-citizen troops attached to the citizen legions by Augustus after his reorganisation...
Auxilia palatina (sg.: auxilium palatinum) were infantry units of the Late Roman army, first raised by Constantine I as part of the new field army he...
Sefularo, Masechaba (25 November 2017). "Meet Zimbabwe's new first lady Auxilia Mnangagwa". EWN Eyewitness News. Retrieved 28 November 2017. Mahr, Krista...
legionaries, the auxilia provided virtually all the army's cavalry (heavy and light), light infantry, archers and other specialists. The auxilia were organised...
This article lists auxilia, non-legionary auxiliary regiments of the imperial Roman army, attested in the epigraphic record, by Roman province of deployment...
eventually be taken up by contingents of allied auxiliary troops, called auxilia. Auxilia contained immunes (specialist units), engineers and pioneers, artillerymen...
legions (Latin: legiones) as well as non-legionary allied troops known as auxilia. The latter were most commonly called upon to provide light infantry, logistical...
Augustus (r. 27 BC – AD 14), the army consisted of legions, eventually auxilia and also numeri. By the end of Augustus' reign, the imperial army numbered...
staff (including military units) assigned to them. The names of several auxilia palatina resemble that of the Attacotti who were mentioned by Ammianus...
Roman imperial period, with the garrison later reduced to two, alongside auxilia formations of the Roman army. The major town of each nome (administrative...
military personal equipment List of Roman army unit types G. L. Cheesman: "Auxilia of the Roman Imperial Army", (1914) Jeffrey L. Davies: "Roman Arrowheads...
cohortes equitatae. Some auxilia regiments were designated sagittariorum, meaning that they specialised in archery. The auxilia thus contained almost all...
in command or if they wished to become an independent commander of an auxilia unit or the praefectus castrorum. During the Roman Empire, the emperor...
members of the Principalía In Roman history, certain military officers, see Auxilia#Junior officers (principales) This disambiguation page lists articles associated...
Newsteadtype lasted 90 years. It is unclear who used this armor. On monuments, Auxilia are generally shown wearing mail, not cuirasses, and carrying oval shields...
The Regii or Reges was a Germanic auxilia palatina (light infantry) unit of the Late Roman army, active between the 4th and the 5th century. There was...
Archived 10 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Note: Spartacus's status as an auxilia is taken from the Loeb edition of Appian translated by Horace White, which...
comprising the Roman legions and the auxiliaries provided by the provinces (auxilia); the navy. Through his military reforms, which included consolidating...
Principate, the tactical organisation of the Army continued to evolve. The auxilia remained independent cohorts, and legionary troops often operated as groups...
armies); comitatenses, (forces based in frontier provinces) and limitanei (auxilia border troops). Chu Suanzi, Chinese empress of the Jin dynasty (d. 384)...
Cohors II Hispanorum peditata was an auxilia infantry cohort of the Imperial Roman army. The cohort, c. 90 CE, was based in the castellum of Traiectum...
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