Roman Auxiliaries

The nation's auxiliary corps were traditionally used to recruit Roman archers. These men were
not citizens of the empire, and they were less well-trained and respected than the legionaries.
Instead, they were allies or captured territory residents. They worked for the Romans in
exchange for money and the prospect of citizenship once their labor was finished.

Auxiliary troops arrived from across the empire and beyond. The Celtic tribes' cavalry. From the
Balearic Islands, slingers. Archers were originally Cretan, but were later recruited from Syria and
the Eastern Mediterranean. They were divided into smaller groups than the legionaries, which
made it easier to transport them about the empire as needed. These small units were also a
security measure, as they would be relatively easy to suppress in the case of a revolt by the
legions.

Equipment Used by Roman Archers

Like the horsemen of the Asian steppes, Roman archers battled with composite bows. They
were sturdy and springy, with layers of wood, bone, horn, and sinew, and they packed a lot of
punch for small weapons. Stronger pieces on the bow's ends and the hand grip gave the string
more leverage and prevented the bow from bucking when fired, improving accuracy.

These were far less powerful than the bows that terrorized knights in the late Middle Ages. They
possessed half the power of the later English longbow, with a draw weight of roughly 90 lbs.
This was a lot of power at the time. Arrows were also relatively sophisticated. The archers used
different arrow heads depending on what sort of opponents they faced.

Against unarmoured foes, such as the Germanic tribesmen of central Europe, they used broad-
headed arrows that maximized damage, slicing through flesh and veins.

Confronted with the more heavily armored troops of the East, they used narrower, more
pointed bodkin arrows, which were less devastating to the flesh but capable of piercing armor.

Shafts could be made of reed or cane as well as wood. The head was fixed in place with a
wooden pile so the arrow would not shatter on impact and lose its force.

As well as their bows and arrows, each archer had a bracer to protect his wrist from the
bowstring. They also had leather finger guards or a metal thumb ring for pulling the string. They
wore chainmail or leather armor and carried a sword for close quarters fighting.
How the Romans Used Archers

Depending on the commander and the situation, archers were deployed in various ways.

They served primarily as a defensive tactic under Caesar, shielding the rest of the army from
cavalry attacks and protecting the flanks.

They became a more independent and decisive component of combat under Vespasian. On one
occasion, they repelled a Jewish assault and secured a hill from which to offer cover fire on
another. They held the ends of streets during the street warfare in Jerusalem under Titus,
mowing down opponents with hails of arrows.

Placing the archers behind the legionaries was a critical strategy. Before the major attack, they
fired indirect bombardments that broke formations and weakened the opposition. This was a
recurring theme in their role, regardless of where they were stationed. Arrow volleys did not
win or lose battles, but they may set the legions up for success.

Distance was always a constraint. A Roman composite bow could reach a maximum range of
165-230 meters, depending on the quality of the bow and the archer. They were most effective
as a weapon at a range of 50-150 meters. Even at these distances, the ability to land a massive
volley of arrows on a large body of men was more important than individual accuracy.

Changing Times

As the centuries passed, the Roman army changed, and so did the role of the archers within it.
Auxiliaries and outsiders became more important. From the late 3rd century onward, archers
were increasingly just one more element in a diverse and varied army.

The 4th and 5th centuries, in particular, saw a change in Roman military archery and attitudes
toward archers.

Encounters with the Huns led the Romans to adopt their style of archery. New styles of bows
and saddles made horse archery a useful tool. Mounted bowmen became a prominent part of
Roman armies, sometimes even the core battle line.

Meanwhile, the social status of archery was improving. Generals and emperors, who previously
would never have touched a bow, were praised for their skill as archers.

Archery had always been part of Roman warfare. Sadly for archers, it was only during the
decline of the empire that their value was publically recognized and they became truly central to
the armies they fought in.