Yes...as long as they don’t run out of gas!
That would one LONG supply line.
In a similar vein: What if in April of the year 2000, a six-mile sphere centered on Grantville, West Virginia was displaced in space and time to Germany and May, 1631. The inhabitants of Grantville decided to start the American revolution early; the nobility of Europe were not amused.
go to: http://1632.org/
It is a great series of historical fantasy books. I’ve read them all, and 2 or 3 new volumes are added every year.
One of the great Internet classics. Worth reading.
I do not believe a single unit could destroy the Roman legions. They would have run out of supplies (and men) before reaching the capital.
The Romans were not equivalent to the inferior Aztecs.
It would take more than a single unit to defeat the combined might (300,000 well trained warriors) of the Roman Empire.
Kirk in “Time Tunnel” sent Jiggs back to the plains of Troy with a machine gun and grenades....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95IOCHJWeec
(~28:00)
Reminiscent of the Lost Regiment series by William Forstchen.
My guess is they would win a few early battles then the Romans would adapt and eventually destroy them. That is assuming their supplies were unlimited.
Other wise it would be over after a couple of engagements.
Reminds me of the old Twilight Zone episode where Warren Oates with his crew and their Sherman tank found themselves at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Cool concept.
Not sure, but if Skynet sent a Terminator back...
No. Eventually the Marines would be destroyed.
They would win as long as they had fuel and ammo, then lose.
Even if they could reload ammo, recharge batteries, and make their own lower tech weapons, the logistic challenges of staying ahead of consumption would eventually cause them to be overwhelmed.
The Romans, after learning that pitched battles end in disaster, would cut them off from food (scorched earth) and use guerilla tactics to disrupt them. (Read about Fabius Cuncator - Fabius the Delayer)
Eventually, logistics and friction would grind the unit down and it would be destroyed.
However, Romans are nothing, if not pragmatic. The Marines could become wealthy Roman Citizens if they decided to join the Republic or Empire and employ their weapons and expertise on the Romans’ behalf.
Its amusing to speculate about things like this but given the support and infrastructure necessary to support a Marine unit that wouldn’t be available in 150 AD, the answer is no. After the Marines destroyed the Romans in a battle or two, they’d run out of fuel and bullets, etc. and it would turn into hand-to-hand combat. The Romans would overwhelm them.
With an infinite supply of all the modern weaponry and other necessities (in other words, no supply lines to worry about), Roman Legions couldn’t get within a mile of a modern Army unit, never mind Marine unit. imo
No. They would run rampant for a while. But as supplies, fuel and ammo ran low, they would grind to a stop in a perimeter. The Romans weren’t idiots and would soon learn, understand, and adapt to the new threat.
Are they allowed to have tactical nukes?
for later
There is a series that covers this, but it was the JSDF and a Roman analogue and dragons and magic, but it has a pretty good idea on what would happen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqoHn1v2JXA
about 2:45 is when the carnage really starts....
Romans vs. Modern millitary
1,000 marines with modern weapons? Easily. A roman legion at full strength was about 5,000 men, and even if they combined several legions they could field an army of a few 10,000s at best. It would be a complete turkey shoot. The marines could form alliances to garrison the areas they moved on from.
As for whether a US Marine would be physically tougher than a Roman Legionary, that’s pretty debatable. The men of the Roman Legions were extremely tough, and would have grown up from birth living a much more arduous childhood and life than the average American in the 20th or 21st Century. They were drilled and pushed to absolute limit and discipline was enforced by ways far too harsh to be allowed today. I would probably say, if they fought on equal terms, with swords and shields, the Legionaries would win. JMHO.