Ala (Roman allied military unit)


An Ala was the term used during the mid- Roman Republic to denote a military formation composed of conscripts from the socii, Rome's Italian military allies. A normal consular army during this period consisted of 2 legions, composed of Roman citizens only, and 2 allied alae. Alae were somewhat larger than normal legions. From the time of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, the term ala was used in the professional imperial army to denote a much smaller, purely cavalry unit of the non-citizen auxilia corps, see Ala.

Mid-Republic

When, at a later date, the Roman armies were composed partly of Roman citizens and partly of Socii, either Latini or Italici, it became the practice to marshal the Roman troops in the centre of the battle line and the Socii upon the wings. Armies of the middle republic would consist of two legions of Roman citizens and two legions of "ala", with the ala supplying thirty turmae of cavalry per legion, whereas the Roman provided only ten turmae. Hence ala and alarii denoted the contingent furnished by the allies, both horse and foot, and the two divisions were distinguished as dextera ala and sinistra ala , and in x. 43 , D. Brutum Scaevam legatum cum legione prima et decem cohortibus alariis equitatuque ire...jussit..