02-13-2012, 07:02 PM
Quote:There is precious little "speed" in the mustering and moving of 300,000 or a million men. Such numbers to an ancient supply chain are nothing more than so many encumbrances. The mobility of Mardonius' forces between Xerxes' departure and Plataea do speak to large figures.
Speed is relative. Marching 100,000 men is slower than doing so with 10,000 men and so on, yet, a single fort or city not capitulating is a bigger stall than anything else. Imagine the Persians having to spend just 1 month in front of a city, laying it in siege... The campaign would be over before it had even started. This is what I meant with speed. Having your main force marching at half speed while having other armies taking care of any such problems is crucial to speedily come to Greece proper and thus also minimize supply issues.
What do you mean about the mobility of Mardonius' forces?
