Caesar's Gallic Auxiliaries and the Alaudae

[Paul Innes]

Thanks, Mark, that does sound promising - some more suggestions for all sorts of mixing and matching.

[stevenneate]

Where were the Ligurians in all this?  They're something of a forgotten people and don't have the exotic glamour of Celts and Spaniards, but were they still contributing auxiliary infantry during this period?

[Patrick Waterson]

Apparently they were, according to Lucan's Pharsalia (Book 1):

When Caesar saw his army proane to war ,
And fates so bent, least sloth and long delay
Might crosse him, he withdrew his troupes from France
And in all quarters musters men for Roome

They by Lemannus nooke forsooke their tents;
They whom the Lingones foild with painted speares,
Under the rockes by crooked Vogesus
And many came from shallow Isara
Who running long, fals in a greater floud,
And ere he sees the sea looseth his name;
The yellow Ruthens left their garrisons;
Mild Atax glad it beares not Roman boats;
And frontier Varus that the campe is farre,
Sent aide; so did Alcides port, whose seas
Eate hollow rocks, and where the north-west wind
Nor Zephir rules not, but the north alone,
Turmoiles the coast, and enterance forbids;
And others came from that uncertaine shore,
Which is nor sea, nor land, but oft times both,
And changeth as the Ocean ebbes and flowes:
Whether the sea roul'd alwaies from that point,
Whence the wind blowes stil forced to and fro;
Or that the wandring maine follow the moone;
Or flaming Titan (feeding on the deepe)
Puls them aloft, and makes the surge kisse heaven,
Philosophers looke you, for unto me
Thou cause, what ere thou be whom God assignes
This great effect, art hid. They came that dwell
By Nemes fields, and bankes of Satirus
Where Tarbels winding shoares imbrace the sea,
The Santons that rejoyce in Caesars love,
Those of Bituriges and light Axon pikes;
And they of Rhene and Leuca cunning darters,
And Sequana that well could manage steeds;
The Belgians apt to governe Brittish cars;
Th' Averni too, which bouldly faine themselves
The Romanes brethren, sprung of Ilian race;
The stubborne Nervians staind with Cottas bloud;
And Vangions who like those of Sarmata
Were open slops: and fierce Batavians
Whome trumpets clang incites, and those that dwel
By Cyngas streame, and where swift Rhodanus
Drives Araris to sea; They neere the hils,
Under whose hoary rocks Gebenna hangs;
And Trevier thou being glad that wars are past thee;
And you late shorne Ligurians who were wont
In large spread heire to exceed the rest of France*
And where to Hesus and fell Mercury
They offer humane flesh, and where Jove seemes
Bloudy like Dian whom the Scythians serve;
And you French Bardi whose immortal pens
Renowne the valiant soules slaine in your wars,
Sit safe at home and chaunt sweet Poesie
And Druides you now in peace renew
Your barbarous customes, and sinister rites,
In unfeld woods, and sacred groves you dwell,
And only gods and heavenly powers you know,
Or only know you nothing. For you hold
That soules passe not to silent Erebus
Or Plutoes bloodles kingdom, but else where
Resume a body: so (if truth you sing)
Death brings long life. Doubties these northren men
Whom death the greatest of all feares affright not,
Are blest by such sweet error, this makes them
Run on the swords point and desire to die,
And shame to spare life which being lost is wonne.
You likewise that repulst the Caicke foe,
March towards Roome and you fierce men of Rhene
Leaving your countrey open to the spoile.

*A better (1896) translation has:

"Ligurian tribes, now shorn, in ancient days
First of the long-haired nations, on whose necks
Once flowed the auburn locks in pride supreme"

That is about the limit of what I have found: it would seem that Caesar's Ligurian auxiliaries were not considered foremost among his forces.  That said, Lucan appears to drag the whole of Gaul along with Caesar, and is pretty much alone in so asserting, so given the silence of our other period sources on this point Lucan's evidence is slender.

[Paul Innes]

If I remember correctly, the last Ligurian revolt against Rome took place in and around 125 BCE.  That could mean that by Caesar's time they were more or less demilitarised as a people in and of themselves.  Presumably they did not receive Roman citizenship after the Social War, not being Italians as such, and also since their territory would have been included in the province of Gallia Cisalpina.  They could probably be lumped in with other Cisalpine Gauls, which is probably why they are so seldom mentioned by name by the time of Caesar's wars, and they would be much more Romanised in appearance than in previous generations.

I really fancy building a Ligurian army (25mm, of course, and Gripping Beast does a decent range) for the period up to 125; after that, I'd assume they look pretty much like everybody else.

These are musings, though!

Paul

[Duncan Head]

There are a couple of references to Ligurian auxiliary cohorts in Sallust's Jugurthine War, which is after the revolt of 125: he mentions a cohort of Ligurians and two turmae of Thracians deserting from the Romans to Jugurtha in 110 (BJ 38); Metellus has four cohorts of Ligurians (BJ 77) a little later, and when Marius took over he also had (the same?) Ligurian cohorts (BJ 100). They do seem to be a lot less prominent after that, though. Diodoros says that "some of them, now that they have been incorporated in the Roman state, have changed the type of their weapons, adapting themselves to their rulers" - this is in Augustus' day, and might suggest that by then Ligurians weren't demilitarised but might perhaps be serving in legions or "legionary-style" cohorts rather than in traditional lighter style. Such Romanisation would fit with Lucan's shorn Ligurian locks.

[Citizen6]

What of Spanish auxiliaries? Given Caesars love of Legio X, I always assumed that at least some of his auxiliaries would have been Spanish too.

[Duncan Head]

In BG 5.26 Caesar mentions some Spanish cavalry in his army; it is the only such reference, I think, in the whole of the Gallic War.

Vestal's Roman Generals and Spanish Peoples is useful for background on Spanish auxiliaries.

[Paul Innes]

I suppose this a form of thread resurrection, but just to say that I followed up this discussion and painted them to suit:

http://caliban-somewhen.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/raising-gaul.html

I'm going to painting a lot of Romans, so some variety is welcome!

Cheers all
Paul

[aligern]

And doubtless you were off down to James Robertson in Sauchiehall Street for the patterns:-))

Nice troops  and good variety too.
Roy

[Paul Innes]

Good guess, Roy, you're close!  I took them from the Scotclans website...

[Duncan Head]

The only problem I cam see is that you've got a lot of figures in there in late Gallic Agen-Port helmets - which were only made in iron, but a lot f yours are painted bronze.

They do look nice, though.

[Paul Innes]

Hi Duncan, I was hoping to get away with some artistic licence, to vary them a bit.  Well spotted, though - maybe I should just stick with what we know and paint any others as iron!

Thanks
Paul

[tadamson]

At least they don't have bow cases