Slingers and Sling Bullets in the Roman Civil Wars of the Late Republic, 90-31 BC

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: Slingers and slinging in the Roman world

Introduction

Slings, slingers and sling bullets

Inscriptions on lead bullets

Balearic slingers

A case study: the siege of Numantia, 134-133 BC

Chapter 2: The Social War and the siege of Asculum, 90-89 BC

Chapter 3: Sulla, Sertorius and Caesar, 89-50 BC

Quintus Sertorius

Caesar in Gaul, 58-50 BC

Sosus, King of Mauretania

Chapter 4: Civil war 1: Caesar against Pompey and his sons, 49-45 BC

The battle of Ilerda, 49 BC

Dyrrhachium and Pharsalus, 48 BC

Campaigns in Africa and Spain, 46-45 BC

The battle of Munda, 45 BC

Chapter 5: Civil war 2: Caesar’s heirs and successors, 44-42 BC

The battle of Mutina, 43 BC

Events of 42 BC: Calabria, Sicily, Philippi

Chapter 6: The siege of Perusia, 41-40 BC

Chapter 7: From Perusia to Actium, 40-31 BC

Chapter 8: Slingers under the Roman Empire

Chapter 9: The role of slingers in battle and their effectiveness

Chapter 10: Conclusion

Reference 1: Glossary

Reference 2: Bibliography

Epigraphic corpora

References

Index

About the Author

Professor Lawrence Keppie studied at the University of Glasgow, Balliol College Oxford, and The British School at Rome, where he was Scholar in Classical Studies. For 30 years he was a curator of archaeology at The Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, before retiring in 2003. He has excavated widely on Roman sites in Scotland, and in Italy. His many books include The Making of the Roman Army (1984, 1998), Understanding Roman Inscriptions (1991, 2001) and The Romans on the Bay of Naples (2009). He has held visiting appointments at The Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, N.J., The British School at Rome and The University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

Reviews

‘Overall, Keppie presents a clear, accessible and engaging discussion of the evidence and its wider context of use, meaning the work is suitable for students and general readers interested in the period and the Roman army, as well as researchers. By framing the evidence within what is known about slingers and their function, Keppie demonstrates not only the role of slingers within the Roman army, but also an understanding of their effectiveness and the various ways this enhances our interpretation of their sling bullets.’ – Hannah Cornwell (2024): sehepunkte 24