Reading Group--Caesar's Legion

[Death's Toe]

I'm trying to imagine 50,000 people stabbed to death, and -- quite fortunately -- I can't. Ick. And he's just getting warmed up!

It took the entire Eight Air Force to inflict that many casualties in one day during WW2. Many were civilians, but the numbers are mind boggling.

 

[mmadsen]

It took the entire Eight Air Force to inflict that many casualties in one day during WW2. Many were civilians, but the numbers are mind boggling.

Cutting down 50,000 city folk has to be more analogous to what would've happened if Hitler's troops had executed the population of Paris...as a warning to the rest of France and England.

 

[mmadsen]

Did he really need that many troops against the backward britons ? 50,000 ? Any real resistance was expected ?

If you can mobilize 50,000 troops that easily, I think it makes sense to show up with all 50,000 troops, crush any resistance -- and any hope of resistance -- and move on. Go in with a clear objective, achieve it, and go home.

 

[Maldur]

50.000 cut down, again scale. These romans dont do anything in small numbers.

If it would happen today, their would be widespread public outcry, then it was just a glorious victory. Different times indeed.

I read ahead a bit and the legions vs legions battles are again quite brutal. Strange romans cutting down romans.

It gets to be more of a list towards the end, but there are some nice quotes Im on vacation next week, so Ill prepare a more elaborate post after.

Cherrz, Maldur

 

[Maldur]

50.000 cut down, again scale. These romans dont do anything in small numbers.

If it would happen today, their would be widespread public outcry, then it was just a glorious victory. Different times indeed.

I read ahead a bit and the legions vs legions battles are again quite brutal. Strange romans cutting down romans.

It gets to be more of a list towards the end, but there are some nice quotes Im on vacation next week, so Ill prepare a more elaborate post after.

Cheerz, Maldur

 

[mmadsen]

Chapter VI -- Revolt and Revenge (continued)

When the besieged legion paraded for their commander in chief, Caesar saw that nine out of ten legionaries were wounded.

I guess that says a lot for Roman armor and Roman medical care. Nine out of ten injured, but not mortally wounded.

Caesar was not long in accepting the invitation to attack Bourges. For three weeks his legions laid siege to the town in incessant winter rain, using their usual siege techniques. Two legions remained on standby during the night and slept during the day, with the remaining legions working in daylight shifts at undermining the town walls and battering the gates, using the shelter of mantlets and siege towers.

Those mantlets and siege towers must provide excellent cover that soldiers can work for hours at a time attacking the walls without disastrous casualties.

The defenders weren't idle either. There were a number of copper miners in the town, and they dug tunnels out under the town walls to undermine the siege works.

You dig tunnels under your own walls to attack the people attacking your walls? That works?

But ultimately, inevitably, the legions came over the walls one wet night.

How exactly? Did they topple a wall? Build a ramp? Rely on ladders and siege towers to rush the walls?

 

[mmadsen]

Very interesting, mmadsen, very interesting! I love all of the little stories and details that are included in how everything is done! Great stuff!

Great stuff indeed, SHARK! It makes you wonder how schools and teachers reduce history to such a terribly boring subject.

 

[mmadsen]

I think it is interesting that reading through the passages, the Legionaires are all equipped to a much higher standard than you usually see in the Middle Ages.

Interestingly, Renaissance writers looked to the Classics (e.g. Vegetius) for military inspiration, and some suggested arming troops like Roman legionaries -- shield, helmet, breastplate, stabbing sword, etc.

In the Middle Ages, remember, there is often just a small nucleus of armoured knights, supported by a mob of peasants armed with a spear, and wearing no armor, or leather at best.

That really isn't too terribly different from a nucleus of legionaries surrounded by auxiliaries with little armor, light shields, and slings and javelins.

 

[mmadsen]

Probably something like this (if I remember my Roman history properly): "Whoa! Citizenship -and- land ownership? Sign me up!"

Did young men gain citizenship by joining the legions, or did they need to have citizenship already to qualify for the legions?

 

[mmadsen]

Re: Re: Chapter IV -- Conquering Gaul

And quite a few barbarian tribes looked at Rome as decadant, at least in the Imperial period.

How very "Conan"...