Batavian auxiliae

Roman armies consisted largely of Germanic and Gallic auxiliae. Auxiliae are Roman mercenaries who often operated as part of a Roman legion. Virtually all cavalry, archers, and slingers in the Roman armies were auxiliae. But there were also just auxiliae infantry cohorts. In the 3rd century AD, up to 40-50% of the Roman army may have been foreign auxiliae.

Often auxiliae were recruited from neighboring peoples who specialized in some form of martial arts. For example, the Balearic Islands are known for their excellent slingers and Gallic tribes were known for very good horsemen. Auxiliae, unlike Roman legionnaires, had no civil rights. Only after 20 years of service in the Roman army did the auxiliae acquire civil rights. If he was still alive. In this blog we discuss the equipment of a Roman auxiliae during the Batavian revolts in 69-70 AD.

The Batavians

Who in the Netherlands has not heard of it. The Batavians. But who are they actually? The Batavians are probably a branch of the Chatten. The Chatten were a Germanic tribe that lived about south in Lower Saxony. In the 17th and 9th centuries BC, the Chatti were defeated by Drusus and Tiberius. Later, in the 9th century AD, the Chatti took part in the battle of the Teuterburg Forest against the Roman general Arminius. It is unknown whether the Batavians had already split off from the Chatti at the time of the battle. Anyway, the Batavi settled in the Rhine delta east of the Cananefaten. You guessed it, in the Netherlands.

These newcomers were subjugated by Drusus around AD 12 and allied with the Romans. In 69 AD, the Roman Empire experienced the Year of the Four Emperors. As a result, no one knew where he stood. Certainly not if you lived on the outer edges of the empire. During this Roman civil war, the Batavians also revolted, which also had an aftermath after the Roman civil war had ended.

A Batavian at the time of the Batavian revolts was Roman influenced. Many of them had served in the Roman legions and had accompanied the Romans on campaigns in Britain and Germany. Their military strength was in their specialty as excellent horsemen. They knew that and that is why the Romans hired them.

Batavian auxiliary helmet

The helmets worn by the Batavian horsemen were sometimes fitted with a face mask and wig. Thus the helmet turned into a staring face that showed no sign of being impressed by the battle. With his wig, the helmet made this mounted warrior a ghostly appearance on the battlefield.

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Roman equestrian armor

Batavian horsemen could have worn chain mail like the lorica hamata 

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But what was more often preferred among these horsemen was the lorica squamata https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/deepeeka-lorica-squamata.html this armor consists of small brass scales.

German outfit

The clothing worn by the Batavian warriors was probably not much different from that worn by other Teutons and Gallic tribes. The clothing consisted of a short tunic, possibly with an undertunic and tight trousers also known as Thorsberg trousers.

Tunic

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Pants

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Belt

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Footwear

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In battle, Roman cavalry units such as those of the Batavians were very efficient. First of all, they were excellent reconnaissance units and were the eyes and ears of the legion. A kind of flying brigade. Roman legionnaires specialized in organized battles. They desperately needed their cavalry to carry out small skirmishes or quick military actions in the border areas, for example.

Auxiliary shield

The Roman legionnaire used the scutum. Auxiliae used oval shields which gave them more flexibility but still provided good defense. Unlike the legionnaire, the power of the auxiliae rested not on a solid wall of shields but rather on the diversity of their weapons.

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Auxiliary spear

The spear offered the Batavian auxiliae the opportunity to thrust. He used the speed of his horse and the weight of the compound mass.

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Germanic sword, the spatha

The legionnaire used the gladius. This was a short sword designed for stabbing. The spatha was a different story. The spatha is a long, razor-sharp sword made for slashing. It is probably further developed from the Gallic swords. These swords were ideal for slashing into the enemy from horseback. In addition, if a dismounted sword and shield could also be perfectly combined with each other.

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