Black roman legionary soldiers ?

[Noodlegasm]

Did the Roman's ever have any Black people in there army's ? Because 2 of my friend's were having a very deep conversation about this last night and i really want to know if they did.

Cheer's

[samurai89]

They might of had Numidian auxilaries

[Ulf]

I would think they used black soldiers as mercenaries and support troops, but I doubt any would have ever been recruited into the actual professional army. Definitely none saw action as a praetorian.
I have no sources however.

[HansDuet]

They might of had Numidian auxilaries

You mean Nubians right?

[Last Roman]

They might of had Numidian auxilaries

they certainly did, filling the role of light cavalry. While I have no certain answer to the OP, I wouldn't be completely surprised if there was a black man in the Legions. The empire did recruit from all over the map.

[Robertclive]

what about haridans wall

[Mangalore]

Did the Roman's ever have any Black people in there army's ? Because 2 of my friend's were having a very deep conversation about this last night and i really want to know if they did.

Cheer's

As black people usually implies a sub Saharan ethnicity the only ones fitting this idea would be Nubians from Southern Egypt. As the late empire applied citizenship to anyone and there might be the odd Nubian family further north there is no reason to believe they would refrain from recruiting them as a principle (if their citizen status was suffice aka they were no slaves or dependants or something).

As most "Romans" would have been European, Near Eastern or North African the vast majority of integrated populations wouldn't have been black to begin with though so you probably would see more black slaves imported from the South than freed or free black citizens.

[jackwei]

There was the story of st maurice as the most famous black soldier

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Maurice

[Ace_General]

They might of recruited the odd black immigrants from nubia, but back then racism didn't really exist till the black slave trade to the Americas picked up in the 1700s and only really got bad after colonialism. Actually I heard there was a black guy that was a champion boxer in the early 1800's

I mean, the romans must of viewed the black africans as odd looking and foreign but there was no systematic discrimination aganist blacks and no reason why the romans wouldn't let a physically fit and willing black man serve

In all reality, the romans found the blonde and blue eyed Germanic and Nordic peoples much more odd and frighting

[RomanSoldier9001]

They might of recruited the odd black immigrants from nubia, but back then racism didn't really exist till the black slave trade to the Americas picked up in the 1700s and only really got bad after colonialism. Actually I heard there was a black guy that was a champion boxer in the early 1800's

I mean, the romans must of viewed the black africans as odd looking and foreign but there was no systematic discrimination aganist blacks and no reason why the romans wouldn't let a physically fit and willing black man serve

In all reality, the romans found the blonde and blue eyed Germanic and Nordic peoples much more odd and frighting

Oh yes Racism just appear in 1700s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism#In_history


The Romans used "Black People" in their armies just as anny other people. And that could go from Slaves to Soldiers.

[Athena,]

They may have had Nubian's and Numidians

[saxdude]

Numidians werent really black, only nubians, ethopians, i would have believed that black roman legiionaries would have existed in the legions guarding the egiption-north african borders, they may not have been seen in europe unless one of the legions was displaced towards europe, which is more than possible in the late empire do to the growin migration and invasion problems in europe, certainly black people may have been odd for romans, but for them a working man willing to work for rome black or white was a good man.

[nosey aka lord welington]

Numidians werent really black, only nubians, ethopians, i would have believed that black roman legiionaries would have existed in the legions guarding the egiption-north african borders, they may not have been seen in europe unless one of the legions was displaced towards europe, which is more than possible in the late empire do to the growin migration and invasion problems in europe, certainly black people may have been odd for romans, but for them a working man willing to work for rome black or white was a good man.

actually auxiliary troops where stationed away from home to prevent desertion so they could have easily been used in europe.

[Domen123]

but I doubt any would have ever been recruited into the actual professional army.

Why? If they lived within the borders of the Roman Empire and were free men (not slaves) then I see no reason why they couldn't serve in Legions.

I don't think the Romans suffered from racial prejudices based on skin colour (others - yes, but those based on colour is a later invention).

If European Barbarians could serve in the Legions then why not African Barbarians.

[Inhuman One]

European Barbarians wouldnt upstage them when dancing at celebrations when they try to impress the local ladies.

[43rdFoot]

Racism based on skin color did not take the form we know it as until people ceased to justify slavery as part of God's Great Chain of Being.

[removeduser_052420]

As long as one could speak Latin and was a roman citizen, it didn't really matter what you looked like. There was even a black emperor at one point.

[Trax]

There was even a black emperor at one point.

Who?

[removeduser_052420]

Who?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septimius_Severus

[0N3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septimius_Severus

He was not black, he was north-african. Unless you have proof that states otherwise?