Balearic slinger

Carthaginian army They are first mentioned in the mid-4th century BCE in Sardinia and during the conquest of Selinunte (409 BCE) in the context of the Second Sicilian War. Diodorus Siculus places them among Carthaginian fighters during the capture of Agrigento and, already in the Third Sicilian War, in the Battle of Ecnomus (310 BCE), under the command of Hamilcar, son of Gisco. According to chroniclers, Hannibal had approximately 2000 Balearic slingers, positioned at the forefront of his army during the early stages of the Italian campaign, responsible for initiating the fight to harass the Romans. It is noteworthy that the Balearic slinger contingents were explicitly mentioned in Hannibal's troop distribution before leaving command of the Carthaginian territory in the Iberian Peninsula to his brother Hasdrubal, to whom he entrusted 500 Balearic slingers. Hannibal attached great importance to these troops and protected them throughout the campaign as irreplaceable soldiers. The reason for their military effectiveness lay in the greater range and precision of the sling compared to the bow. Roman army After the Roman conquest of the Balearic Islands, historical sources again mention the slingers, now integrated into the Roman army. Gaius Sallustius informs us of Balearic slingers among Roman troops fighting in Numidia against King Jugurtha (111–105 BCE). Caesar mentions Balearic slingers as fighters in the Gallic Wars around 56 BCE, fighting alongside other elite troops such as Numidian cavalry and Cretan archers. == Military function ==

The Balearic slingers were positioned at the vanguard of armies and acted as shock troops. They were often associated with Cretan archers, and their mission was to harass the enemy before the direct clash between the two armies. Lightly armed, once their harassment mission was complete, they gave way to the heavy infantry. Excellent at both defending and assaulting fortifications, the Carthaginians primarily used them on the battlefield. Typically, they were the first to engage in battle, breaking through the enemy's front lines, smashing shields, helmets, and any kind of defensive weapon. When they ran out of projectiles or the enemy drew too close, they would retreat alongside the archers to make way for the bulk of the light infantry. == In classical sources ==

The Balearic slingers are documented in the works of Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, Florus, Livy, Polybius, Sallust and Zonaras. Virgil mentions them in The Georgics, and Ovid in Metamorphoses. In the modern era, Miquel Costa i Llobera mentioned them in several of his odes concerning the traditions and culture of Mallorca. == Equipment and weapon ==

. They were equipped with a goat skin shield and an iron-tipped or fire-hardened javelin for close combat. In battle, they used three slings: one was larger for longer shots, worn around the waist; another of medium size was held in the hand; and a smaller one for close-range shots, worn on the head. The projectile could be launched in different ways, but they essentially had three types of shots (one for each sling). The slings were (and still are) made from fibres of perennial grasses, esparto, with an odd number of strands of fibre, commonly five, forming a braid. The projectiles, called , were launched after three spins of their slings and could be made of stone, terracotta, or lead. They could weigh up to , and their effects on enemy troops were powerful. == References ==