Description
Raised from infancy to perfect their use of the sling, these famed warriors came from the Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean. It is said that Balearic mothers did not allow their sons to eat until they had knocked their bread off a wall from a fair distance away. The slings they used were made from hair and animal sinew and, as adult warriors, each slinger carried three types for use at different ranges. Many slingers standing together produced a wave of shot that pierced armour and shattered bone, making them deadlier than even the very best archers. In fact, the Roman general Lucius Aemilius Paullus took a mortal wound to the head from slingshot during the opening minutes of the catastrophic Battle of Cannae. Not surprisingly, due to their geographical location, Balearic slingers were much sought after as mercenaries to fight both for and against Rome, and were reportedly paid in women rather than silver or gold!
