Hoplites fighting in Phalanx formation

[Tarbicus]

Agreed on the placement of the experienced troops, which Goldsworthy believes was a contributing factor at Cannae. But I find CAesar's account of all front rankers jumping on the enemy to indicate that it was not unusual for the men as a whole to act in what many would view to be a foolhardy way. You have two choices in ancient battle, regardless of experience, and controlled by intense stress behaviour - do or die. Anger is a prevalent emotion amongst combatants, apparently, the trick being to channel it at the enemy, and I think that's exactly what Caesar's men did against Ariovistus' phalanx. This is not a couple of men, but an entire body at the front.

Check out the news coverage over the last couple of days of the football battles between English fans and the Italian and Spanish police. I saw many untrained, unarmed and unarmoured civilians taking on the police through simple rage at their situation, and what was happening to their peer group and friends. Now apply the same principal to a unit of armed, trained and tightly bonded Roman or Greek soldiers in a similar situation.