"Roman use of slingers at the battle of Cannae?" Topic

I have read about the Roman use of slingers at Cannae, usually grouped in or assumed to be velites. Do you all think they were just velites equipped differently from normal, or other Italian light troops, potentially from the socii, using slings as part of their light infantry and skirmishers? Or something else entirely?

There is no explicit mention of slingers at Cannae on the Roman side in either of the two main sources. What we do have is Livy 22.37, which tells us that Hiero of Syracuse sent slingers, among others, to assist the Romans:

"The king is quite aware that Rome does not employ any legionary soldiers or cavalry except Romans and those belonging to the Latin nation, but he has seen foreigners serving as light infantry in the Roman camp. He has, accordingly, sent 1000 archers and slingers, capable of acting against the Balearics and Moors and other tribes who fight with missile weapons. … The archers and slingers and the corn were handed over to the consuls."

So while there might conceivably have been some slingers among the Italian allies, it's most likely that any slingers present were Greeks.

Where did you see that the Romans had slingers at Cannae?
A wargaming magazine?

I always associate Balearic slingers with the Carthaginian armies. I have not seen any mention of them serving with the Romans at Cannae or any other battle during the Second Punic War. Maybe in later wars once Rome took the Balearic Islands away from Carthage.

Gurkhan,
I wonder who those other foreigners serving as light infantry in the Roman Camp were? Is there another mention of them anywhere or how they might have been equipped?