Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!rutgers!att!cbnews!military From: mr10+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Reed) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Roman missiles? Message-ID: <7254@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 8 Jun 89 01:01:50 GMT References: <7100@cbnews.ATT.COM> Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Lines: 31 Approved: military@att.att.com From: Michael Reed Jerry Harper writes: >I have just finished a translation of Livy's account of the second Punic war. >Some of the battles I recalled from my Latin classes of many years ago, but >I cannot remember what exactly the translator (Aubrey de Selincourt) could >have meant by "missiles", as carried by the light infantry and legionaires, >excepting the standard *pilum* and light spears. Could anyone enlighten me >as to the other types of missiles provided to the Roman infantry man? One reader has already posted that the 'Roman missiles' of your post might be sling bullets, lead egg-shaped castings or ovoid rocks used in slings of the period. About ten years ago [I just remember it fleetingly, so please forgive] Scientific American did an article on the effectiveness of slings in medieval and earlier warfare, and it turned out that the classic David-type sling was not only more accurate than most if not all bows, but it also had a greater range [around 20%, if memory serves] than most, as well. Like bowmen, slingers were typically light infantry, armed also with short swords or other "light" weapons. Thus, a company of slingers was a VERY good thing in those days. Lestrade "Do not come to this university."