Posted on 09/04/2016 10:22:30 AM PDT by lulu16
Rome’s all-conquering military machine holds a special place in our minds. Its efficiency and discipline made a small city on the Italian peninsula rule over most of the Western world, from the British Isles to the Near East and from the Rhine to North Africa. This list offers some interesting facts about the Roman army, some of which can explain part of its success and also its failures.
10 Seasonality And War
During the Romans’ early history, the logistical challenges of conducting a war meant that the Romans only fought between sowing and harvest (during the summer). Rome was an agriculture-based economy, and the movement of troops during winter was highly demanding.
According to Livy (History of Rome, 5.6), if a war was not over by the end of summer, “our soldiers must wait through the winter.” He also mentioned a curious way that many soldiers chose to spend the time during the long waiting: “The pleasure of hunting carries men off through snow and frost to the mountains and the woods.”
The first recorded continuation of war into the winter by the Romans took place in 396 BC during the siege of the Etruscan city of Veii.
(Excerpt) Read more at listverse.com ...
9 Decimation
Mutiny of the troops was always a potential issue for Roman generals, and there were many policies in place to discourage this type of behavior. Punishment by decimation (decimatio) was arguably the most feared and effective.
It involved the beating or stoning to death of every 10th man within the army unit where mutiny took place. The victims were chosen by lot by their own colleagues. Whenever a group within the army was planning a mutiny, the prospect of decimation made them think twice and they were likely to be reported by their own colleagues.
The Romans knew that decimation, although effective, was also unjust because many of the actual victims might not have had anything to do with the mutiny. From the standpoint of the Romans, the unfairness of decimation was a necessary evil. Tacitus (Annals 14.44) wrote, “Setting an example on a large scale always involves a degree of injustice when individuals suffer to ensure the public good.” (McKeown 2010: 40-41)
for later
Thank-you. I was so excited about this article, that I only read the first two facts before I posted on FR.
For the incredible story of how 20,000 Roman soldiers were defeated by Germanic forces in a forest, check out this YouTube documentary. It really is an amazing story.
Ancient Black Ops - The Ghost Warriors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki_Woxuzwss
Had to be worth your salt, e.g, your pound of Salt!
And that, my friend, is how you fight an idea. It’s also why we’ll never win the war on terror. We’re so afraid of collateral damage, we’ll surrender first.
Interesting. Makes me think of that scene in “Patton”, in which he is walking around an ancient site in North Africa and recounting the Roman/Carthaginian wars that took place in the area and said he was a Roman soldier who fought there in that war (in a previous life).
The dandy Xth is my regiment...
For later. Pool and drinking now.
Fascinating stuff, thanks. I still hate it when the meaning of words gets changed, for example “decimation”. When I encountered the term in digital signal processing I thought “Aha I know that one, all those Lain classes paid off!”. But as in general usage, it’s used as a synonym for “reduction”, not necessarily by a factor of 1/10th. “Words have meanings dammit!”
Some of the Roman ideas just don’t translate into modern times, but it was clear they all knew that to keep the bad guys out, you needed to BUILD A WALL.
However, the idea of Obama throwing a spear into the enemy territory is laughable...besides the fact that he’d have to throw it underhanded.
Just like the French did during WW1 when the French army finally mutinied after all that slaughter on the Western Front.
But their tactics were certainly impressive. For example, they had one group attacking the Romans by day, the other (The Ghost Warriors), by night. The GW were a special ops group that specialized in nighttime guerilla warfare.
I never understood the objection to the changed meaning of the word “decimate” in English, especially as expressed on this forum. No one seems to be bothered that “font,” “limousine,” and “egregious” as well as many other words no longer mean what they once did. English is a living language, meanings and usage change over time. Latin is a dead language, nothing changes.
Of course, yes that’s true. Also Arminius had been a hostage in Rome and knew their tactics and weaknesses quite well.
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Teutoburg_Forest#Background
Link to a great YouTube video doc included in earlier post.
Though the shock at the slaughter was enormous, the Romans immediately began a slow, systematic process of preparing for the reconquest of the country. In 14 CE, just after Augustus’ death and the accession of his heir and stepson Tiberius, a massive raid was conducted by the new emperor’s nephew Germanicus. He attacked the Marsi in a surprise attack. The Bructeri, Tubanti, and Usipeti were roused by the attack and ambushed Germanicus on the way to the winter quarters, but were defeated with heavy losses.[39][40]
The next year was marked by two major campaigns and several smaller battles with a large army estimated at 55,000–70,000 men, backed by naval forces. In spring 15 CE, Legatus Caecina Severus invaded the Marsi a second time with about 25,000–30,000 men, causing great havoc. Meanwhile, Germanicus’ troops had built a fort on Mount Taunus from where he marched with about 30,000–35,000 men against the Chatti. Many of the men fled across a river and dispersed themselves in the forests. Germanicus next marched on Mattium (caput gentis) and burned it to the ground.[41][42] After initial successful skirmishes in summer 15 CE, including the capture of Arminius’ wife Thusnelda,[43] the army visited the site of the first battle. According to Tacitus, they found heaps of bleached bones and severed skulls nailed to trees, which they buried, “...looking on all as kinsfolk and of their own blood...”.
Under Germanicus, the Romans marched another army, along with allied Germanic auxiliaries, into Germania in 16 CE. He forced a crossing of the Weser near modern Minden, suffering some losses to a Germanic skirmishing force, and forced Arminius’ army to stand in open battle at Idistaviso in the Battle of the Weser River. Germanicus’ legions inflicted huge casualties on the Germanic armies while sustaining only minor losses. A final battle was fought at the Angivarian Wall west of modern Hanover, repeating the pattern of high Germanic fatalities, which forced them to flee. In summer 16 CE, Caius Silius marched against the Chatti with 33,000 men. Germanicus invaded the Marsi a third time and devastated their land.[44]
With his main objectives reached and winter approaching, Germanicus ordered his army back to their winter camps, with the fleet incurring some damage from a storm in the North Sea.[45] After a few more raids across the Rhine, which resulted in the recovery of two of the three legions’ eagles lost in 9 CE,[46] Tiberius ordered the Roman forces to halt and withdraw across the Rhine. Germanicus was recalled to Rome and informed by Tiberius that he would be given a triumph and reassigned to a new command.[47][48][49]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Teutoburg_Forest#Roman_retaliation
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