SHARK
First Post
Greetings!
Here we go! Chapter I—“Staring Defeat In The Face”
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“It was a great day to die. And before the sun had set, thirty-four thousand men would lose their lives in this valley.”
____________________________________________________
The chapter opens with this statement. Wow! The courage of these men is simply inspiring! They know that many of them are going to die, and probably not by some unseen artillery fire either, but by hard, bloody, hand-to-hand combat.
____________________________________________________
“There was not a breath of wind as the legionaries of the 10th stood in their ranks, looking across the river valley toward the Pompeian army. It was lined up five miles away on the slope below Munda, a Spanish hill town near modern Osuna in Andulasia, southeast of Cordoba. The sun was rising in a clear sky on the mild morning of March 17, 45 B.C. After sixteen years of battles in Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Albania, Greece, and North Africa, and having invaded Britain twice, Julius Caesar’s 10th Legion had come full circle, back to it’s home territory, to fight the battle that would terminate either Rome’s bloodiest civil war or Caesar’s career, and possibly his life.”
____________________________________________________
Damn! Sixteen years! Imagine how incredibly tough and experienced these men are! These aren’t young boys, but men who are 34 years of age, or older. They are clearly the epitome of professionalism. Imagine all of the tricks and knowledge that they have gained over the years from fighting in so many different battles, and against different opponents?
____________________________________________________
“In the midst of the 10th Legion’s formation, on horseback and surrounded by his staff, helmeted, and clad in armor, fifty-four-year-old Julius Caesar wore his paludamentum, the eye-catching scarlet cloak of a Roman general.”
____________________________________________________
Visualize the great general on his white horse, scarlet cloak fluttering in the breeze! What a sight! The importance of a distinctive appearance to an army’s general, but also it’s troops, cannot be underestimated.
____________________________________________________
“Gnaus had assembled and equipped a large field army of between fifty thousand and eighty thousand men.”
____________________________________________________
Though not as highly trained and experienced as Caesar’s troops, this no doubt is a very formidable army. They also have excellent field position. I think it is interesting, as I have argued passionately, that in the game, the idea of armies only being 5,000 men is ridiculous. Over twelve-hundred years before the Middle Ages we can see here that the Romans were regularly fielding huge, powerful armies. Keep in mind also, that though the civil war is raging here, these two separate armies are by no means the only armies serving the Roman Republic. There are still other armies stationed in Gaul, Italy, Greece, and Africa.
____________________________________________________
“Standards held high, Caesar’s legions marched in step across the plain with a rhythmical tramp of sixty thousand feet and the rattle of equipment. Discipline was rigid. Not a word was spoken.”
____________________________________________________
Imagine the sight, and the absolute absence of talking! The scene must have been sobering! I can imagine the sweat trickling down the men’s backs as they stand in line, their armor strapped on tightly, clutching their weapons. They are mentally preparing themselves for the blood and death to come. The banners waving, the gleam of armor and weaponry in the sun, all in perfectly neat rows—rank upon rank of legionaries.
____________________________________________________
“Swiftly dismounting, Caesar grabbed a shield from a startled legionary of the 10th in a rear rank, then barged through his troops, up the slope, all the way to the shattered front rank, with his staff officers, hearts in mouths, jumping to the ground and hurrying after him. Dragging off his helmet with his right hand and casting it aside so that no one could mistake who he was, he stepped out in advance of the front line.”
____________________________________________________
Caesar is such a god of war. He is clearly the greatest general in history, only really standing in the company of Alexander the Great, who was of similar temperment, style, and skill. Like Alexander the Great, Caesar was never defeated. Imagine facing an army commanded by a general who has never known defeat!
____________________________________________________
“Caesar then drew his sword and strode up the slope, proceeding many yards ahead of his men toward the Pompeian line.”
____________________________________________________
Caesar’s personal example of leadership and courage here is hallmark of his personality, and his great virtue! Imagine being a legionnaire standing in the ranks, perhaps fearful of being killed soon, after you have watched many of your comrades die under a barrage of javelins, and here, here, your general leads the assault personally! Caesar is ready to pour his own life out in battle with you! In history, we have other generals that have led from the front, like Belisarius, Richard the Lion-Heart, Henry the V, Patton, and Rommel, but they are few. It certainly shows that some men have not felt themselves above sharing the danger of blood and death with their men. They take the same risks, on occasion, like here, even more so. Caesar is in the absolute front of the action! What a great commander. No wonder his men loved him so much. Look what he does!
This book is just excellent! The opening chapter is clearly giving us a roadmap of where we are going. I’m still in awe of Caesar. I admit, I have always been a great admirer of Julius Caesar. This book adds so much to getting to really see his genius for command, and his concern and love for his soldiers. What an opening chapter! What do you my friends think?
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
Here we go! Chapter I—“Staring Defeat In The Face”
____________________________________________________
“It was a great day to die. And before the sun had set, thirty-four thousand men would lose their lives in this valley.”
____________________________________________________
The chapter opens with this statement. Wow! The courage of these men is simply inspiring! They know that many of them are going to die, and probably not by some unseen artillery fire either, but by hard, bloody, hand-to-hand combat.
____________________________________________________
“There was not a breath of wind as the legionaries of the 10th stood in their ranks, looking across the river valley toward the Pompeian army. It was lined up five miles away on the slope below Munda, a Spanish hill town near modern Osuna in Andulasia, southeast of Cordoba. The sun was rising in a clear sky on the mild morning of March 17, 45 B.C. After sixteen years of battles in Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Albania, Greece, and North Africa, and having invaded Britain twice, Julius Caesar’s 10th Legion had come full circle, back to it’s home territory, to fight the battle that would terminate either Rome’s bloodiest civil war or Caesar’s career, and possibly his life.”
____________________________________________________
Damn! Sixteen years! Imagine how incredibly tough and experienced these men are! These aren’t young boys, but men who are 34 years of age, or older. They are clearly the epitome of professionalism. Imagine all of the tricks and knowledge that they have gained over the years from fighting in so many different battles, and against different opponents?
____________________________________________________
“In the midst of the 10th Legion’s formation, on horseback and surrounded by his staff, helmeted, and clad in armor, fifty-four-year-old Julius Caesar wore his paludamentum, the eye-catching scarlet cloak of a Roman general.”
____________________________________________________
Visualize the great general on his white horse, scarlet cloak fluttering in the breeze! What a sight! The importance of a distinctive appearance to an army’s general, but also it’s troops, cannot be underestimated.
____________________________________________________
“Gnaus had assembled and equipped a large field army of between fifty thousand and eighty thousand men.”
____________________________________________________
Though not as highly trained and experienced as Caesar’s troops, this no doubt is a very formidable army. They also have excellent field position. I think it is interesting, as I have argued passionately, that in the game, the idea of armies only being 5,000 men is ridiculous. Over twelve-hundred years before the Middle Ages we can see here that the Romans were regularly fielding huge, powerful armies. Keep in mind also, that though the civil war is raging here, these two separate armies are by no means the only armies serving the Roman Republic. There are still other armies stationed in Gaul, Italy, Greece, and Africa.
____________________________________________________
“Standards held high, Caesar’s legions marched in step across the plain with a rhythmical tramp of sixty thousand feet and the rattle of equipment. Discipline was rigid. Not a word was spoken.”
____________________________________________________
Imagine the sight, and the absolute absence of talking! The scene must have been sobering! I can imagine the sweat trickling down the men’s backs as they stand in line, their armor strapped on tightly, clutching their weapons. They are mentally preparing themselves for the blood and death to come. The banners waving, the gleam of armor and weaponry in the sun, all in perfectly neat rows—rank upon rank of legionaries.
____________________________________________________
“Swiftly dismounting, Caesar grabbed a shield from a startled legionary of the 10th in a rear rank, then barged through his troops, up the slope, all the way to the shattered front rank, with his staff officers, hearts in mouths, jumping to the ground and hurrying after him. Dragging off his helmet with his right hand and casting it aside so that no one could mistake who he was, he stepped out in advance of the front line.”
____________________________________________________
Caesar is such a god of war. He is clearly the greatest general in history, only really standing in the company of Alexander the Great, who was of similar temperment, style, and skill. Like Alexander the Great, Caesar was never defeated. Imagine facing an army commanded by a general who has never known defeat!
____________________________________________________
“Caesar then drew his sword and strode up the slope, proceeding many yards ahead of his men toward the Pompeian line.”
____________________________________________________
Caesar’s personal example of leadership and courage here is hallmark of his personality, and his great virtue! Imagine being a legionnaire standing in the ranks, perhaps fearful of being killed soon, after you have watched many of your comrades die under a barrage of javelins, and here, here, your general leads the assault personally! Caesar is ready to pour his own life out in battle with you! In history, we have other generals that have led from the front, like Belisarius, Richard the Lion-Heart, Henry the V, Patton, and Rommel, but they are few. It certainly shows that some men have not felt themselves above sharing the danger of blood and death with their men. They take the same risks, on occasion, like here, even more so. Caesar is in the absolute front of the action! What a great commander. No wonder his men loved him so much. Look what he does!
This book is just excellent! The opening chapter is clearly giving us a roadmap of where we are going. I’m still in awe of Caesar. I admit, I have always been a great admirer of Julius Caesar. This book adds so much to getting to really see his genius for command, and his concern and love for his soldiers. What an opening chapter! What do you my friends think?
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
It's not in yet, but I'll catch up.
