05-25-2010, 03:11 PM
Kit (Compared to the Principate legions)
• mace!
• long thrusting spear
• mace!
• long thrusting spear
Quote:• Less emphasis on attempts at complete conquest (only two examples were Justinian’s 6th C reconquests and Basil II’s 11th C. Bulgarian conquest – 500 years apart). Today’s enemies are tomorrow’s allies; defeating an enemy utterly only means the power vacuum is filled by new, less known and possibly far more dangerous enemies.I would not limit that second conquest to Basil alone, nor to 'Bulgaria'. In fact the Byzantines from Theophilos onwards reconquered most of the Balkans (by c. 780 they only held on to SE Thrace, Thessalonike and parts of the Peleponnesos), the Taurus Mts. as well as Aremenia!
Quote:• Use tax revenue to achieve political/military ends creatively - buying off enemies, turning one against the other….Did the Republic not do the same? I recall several client kings as well as allies - I think this was not strange to early Roman politics either.
Quote:• Invest in highly mobile and especially cavalry forces, to maneuver faster and also have greater ability to control engagement to reduce risk and avoid attrition.Mobility in cavalry is only battlefield mobility. Infantry marches faster than horses. Unless you're thinking of changing horses every 3 days, which I don't think was a Byzantine tactic.
Quote:• Use of Christian church as unifying force.Sure, but the Republic also had Rome asa unifying force, not to be underestimated.
Quote:• Combined fire and shock capability even from most individual soldiersDoes Luttwak write that? I'm not sure how the Republican legionary or auxiliary would differ there from his later counterpart.
Quote:• Heavy use of powerful bows and other fire weaponsA normal Roman tactic over the centuries. Nothing different.
Quote:• Specialty ‘high tech’ expertise (e.g. war machinery and greek fire)Apart from the Greek Fire, the Republican army also had a corps of highly specialized artillery/siege experts.
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)