Reenactors simulating a Roman defensive posture.
Reenactors simulating a Roman defensive posture.
Any of you guys see The Eagle? Wonderful film about recapturing the eagle standard stolen by Scottish tribes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx4bnwvGmKM
The Marines would have no motive to fight the Romans. They would have a motive to join the Romans and wipe out the Arabs.
just thinking about the disease/medical angle is interesting. Are soldiers vaccinated against smallpox now? Plus all the other ways of dying of illness that we no longer take for granted but were a normal element of human life forever, up until very recently.
a solar-recharge capability for communications would certainly open some interesting possiblities for the romans once they co-opted the survivors (hopefully).
If they lost, but managed to somehow preclude augustus marrying tiberius’ mother it might have saved his children, as well as germanicus. That single issue (tiberius and his mother) was a major negative in how the roman empire developed. You could argue that germanicus being removed from the rhine left that territory to be allowed to be lost.
The marines would ultimately prevail, but Titus Pullo would single-handedly take out half of ‘em!
The Marines would take olive oil and turn it into bio-diesel. The tanks would continue to operate. Rome would fall in a week....
There really aren’t any new ideas in MovieLand are there?
Unsupplied, no. With supply lines, yes.
Bookmark! Great comments on this thread. :)
Also, the Romans were highly disciplined warriors and a small band of powerful warriors didn't destabilize the Empire in 200 BC (Hannibal) when he had a close political alternative, there is no way a modern unit could do the same -- they would be aliens for everyone with no base.
Back on topic - a single Marine armed with an unloaded rifle with a fixed bayonet or perhaps just a K-Bar versus a Centurion in full battle gear?
Will read it tomorrow.
Also a lot of discussion here...
So all of these weapons and vehicles could make a brief, dramatic, and even devastating appearance, but would very quickly become useless.
The Romans wouldn’t stand a chance if the Marines had “Hollywood Guns”!
(they never run out of ammo)
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.http://1632.org/
This story deals with the same issues of how to leverage a modern advantage while adjusting to the limitations of older technologies and dwindling resources.
1632 Series (wikipedia)
Second question: Bio diesel? If even one member knew how to make it off the top of his head, which is very easy, that would make an even bigger difference. Their armor would eventually break down and run out of ammunition, but they could go quite a few miles first. Planning for those limits would allow them to accomplish quite a bit if they had the extra range from unlimited diesel.
When they collide, my money is on the Marines.
Finally: could they make black powder on their own? It's not the same as their initial loadout, but I'd guess they would have dozens of Marines who are handloaders. Rome would have issues dealing with that, unless a Marine decided to sell that knowledge to the other side (unlikely with the USMC).
Night vision and a modern knife alone would be formidable and would last for a very long time if they conserved their batteries.
Someone go get the guys from Deadliest Warrior.
Roman tradition specified that no Roman legion could be admitted within the city walls except in rare specified circumstances such as a triumph. Bringing troops into the city was considered treason to the state.
While this tradition may have been breached in the later stages of Empire, the fact that Roman Emperors were sometimes assassinated by their Praetorian Guards and the reins of governement turned over in a coup should prove that regular legions were not quartered in or near Rome to protect the Emperor.
I suspect it would be relatively easy for the Marines to off the head of the snake.
A heavily armed and well trained unit like a Marine expeditionary force could easily destroy any armed military units an Emperor might have in Rome. The majority of Roman troops were always out in the provinces, not near Rome.
Outlying legions in the provinces would take months to come to the relief of Rome and by that time it is likely that a new government would have been established.
As far as the population of Rome taking up arms to protect the government, the fact is that a very high percentage of the inhabitants were slaves with no reason to have any allegiance to the government or any particular head of state. In fact, the Marines might find it very easy to recruit spies and warriors to aid them who were familiar with the city and Roman tactics.
... but could they hold on to it?