Slingers and Sling Bullets in the Roman Civil Wars of the Late Republic, 90-31 BC
By (author) Lawrence Keppie
Paperback (Published)
(November 2023)
ISBN: 9781803276403
6.85 x 9.65 inches
Price: $34.99
In stock
Slingers were an element in the Roman army over many centuries, their activities frequently reported in literary accounts of the Late Republic. Despite an ever-expanding body of ancient evidence, some books on the Roman army scarcely mention slingers. This monograph seeks to redress the balance and draws attention to their role and e
Slingers were an element in the Roman army over many centuries. Their activities are frequently reported in literary accounts of battles and sieges during the civil wars of the Late Republic. Sling bullets, in stone, clay and lead, have been found at many scenes of conflict. Lead bullets often bear brief inscriptions addressed to the recipients, naming military units, their commanders and centurions; others carry sexual insults. This is an ever-expanding body of ancient evidence. Yet some books on the Roman army scarcely mention slingers. This monograph seeks to redress the balance and draws attention to their role and effectiveness. It covers the period between the Social War of 90-89 BC and the close of the civil wars at the battle of Actium in 31 BC, encompassing the campaigns of Julius Caesar in Gaul between 58 and 50 BC, including his expeditions to Britain, the wars between Caesar and Pompey the Great (and his sons) in 49-45 BC, and between Caesar’s heirs and successors in 44-31 BC, including Mark Antony and the future emperor Augustus.
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
- By (author) Lawrence Keppie
‘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
—
'Slingers and Sling Bullets, though a fairly slim volume, is a very useful one. The book is well-produced, with numerous maps and images. Perhaps its greatest value, aided immensely by the inclusion of footnotes, is in Keppie’s effort to pull together the scattered ancient sources and often equally scattered modern archaeological scholarship, including very recent work, into a single volume. Enthusiasts, wargamers and reenactors will find this book a remarkable value at its price point, especially given Keppie’s straight-forward and readable prose. However, the volume will also be remarkably useful for scholars and students at all stages working on the Roman military, seeking to get a handle on the textual and archaeological evidence for these important, if oft ignored, combatants on Rome’s battlefields.' – Bret C. Devereaux (2025): Bryn Mawr Classical Review
—
‘Keppie masterfully draws together the information and references for the shot of the period, setting out the evidence they provide for the understanding of specific sieges and battles. … Keppie is to be particularly congratulated for providing a comprehensive set of references across a range of languages which will make further study of this fascinating weapon a deal easier. … This volume brings this to the fore, and has every sign of being the platform for a huge leap forward in future studies’ – Bill Griffiths (2024): Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies
—
Other Titles in this Series
La via Aurelia da Roma a Cosa
Biografia di un sistema di comunicazione tra età romana e primo medioevo
Roman Frontier Studies 2009
Proceedings of the XXI International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies (Limes Congress) held at Newcastle upon Tyne in August 2009
Visualising Glocalization
Villas, Architectural Spaces and Pavements in Hispania Baetica (2nd century AD – 4th century AD)
L’ artisanat dans les cites antiques de l’Algérie
(Ier siècle avant notre ère –VIIe siècle après notre ère)
A Dramatic Event in Late Roman Florence
The Anomalous Burial Site Discovered beneath the Uffizi Gallery
Excavations at Chester. Roman Land Division and a Probable Villa in the Hinterland of Deva
Excavation at Saighton Army Camp, Huntington, Chester
Similar Books
Caesar’s Visions and Impact on the Roman Empire
Revisiting the Archaeological and Historical Record of the 40s BC
Volume 2
Drunk the Potion, No Whit Charmed
The Doctrine of Pure and Perfect Souls from Iamblichus to Damascius
Etruscan and Roman Hellenistic Anatomical ex votos
Reassessing Popular Religious Expressions in Central Italy
Volume 8
Invisible Labour in Antiquity
Visualizing Obscure Work in the Ancient Mediterannean and West Asia
Volume 1
Late Antique villae in the Balkans (3rd–7th c. AD): Current Research Questions and Perspectives
HAEMUS Companion to the Late Antique Balkans 1
Volume 4
Nurturing the Elite
Representations of Drinking, Eating, and Religious Vessels in Palmyrene Funerary Iconography
Volume 13
Portraying the Individual in the Roman East
Local–Imperial Entanglements in Sculpture, Mosaics, and Paintings (First–Fourth Centuries AD)
Volume 18
After Life in Roman Paganism. L’Égypte des astrologues. Les Mages hellénisés
Introductions historiographiques
Volume 7
A Dramatic Event in Late Roman Florence
The Anomalous Burial Site Discovered beneath the Uffizi Gallery
Alexander the Great and the Campaign of Gaugamela
New Research on Topography and Chronology. IAMNI 1 (Italian Archaeological Mission to Northern Iraq)
Volume 53
But the Wise Shall Understand
Reuse of Prophecies, Chronotope, and Merging of Eschatological Horizons in Daniel 10-12
Ceramic Finds in Context (Roman to Early Islamic Times)
Final Publications from the Danish-German Jerash Northwest Quarter Project VII
Volume 13
Citizenship Practised, Citizenship Imagined
Multiple Ways of Experiencing Citizenship in the Greek World
