09-02-2004, 09:14 PM
I happened to come across a speech by a modern Marine Corps fellow who refers to Varus's defeat in Germany. He mentions that the Germans won because they knew that the new Roman weapons were heavy cavalry and archers, and that they drew the Romans into swampy woodlands where neither the cavalry or the archers could operate, thus isolating the light infantry of the Roman army and making them easy prey. He specifically refers to the success of this 'new' style of combat in Varus's victory over the Germans AD 6, 3 years before the clades.<br>
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This may be me showing my ignorance, but I have no idea what he's talking about. I was unaware of any major restructuring of the Roman army to rely primarily on 'heavy' cavalry (whatever that's supposed to mean) and archers anything like near AD 9 -- there was certainly a growth in the use of cavalry over the imperial period, and after the Diocletianic reforms or into the Byzantine era I could understand what he's talking about, but Varus?<br>
I could just be wrong, but does anyone know what he's talking about?<br>
Does anyone know what victory over the Germans in 6 he's referring to, especially as regards the use of archers and heavy cavalry to win it? Or does anyone know about how the ineffectivity of cavalry and archers made Varus lose the battle? I found a bit about cavalry in Dio, but it mentions not only the Roman cavalry but the infantry as well being unable to deploy properly in the terrain.<br>
<br>
Please help me out here -- I feel like everything I know is wrong. Or everything that this fellow knows... <p></p><i></i>
<br>
This may be me showing my ignorance, but I have no idea what he's talking about. I was unaware of any major restructuring of the Roman army to rely primarily on 'heavy' cavalry (whatever that's supposed to mean) and archers anything like near AD 9 -- there was certainly a growth in the use of cavalry over the imperial period, and after the Diocletianic reforms or into the Byzantine era I could understand what he's talking about, but Varus?<br>
I could just be wrong, but does anyone know what he's talking about?<br>
Does anyone know what victory over the Germans in 6 he's referring to, especially as regards the use of archers and heavy cavalry to win it? Or does anyone know about how the ineffectivity of cavalry and archers made Varus lose the battle? I found a bit about cavalry in Dio, but it mentions not only the Roman cavalry but the infantry as well being unable to deploy properly in the terrain.<br>
<br>
Please help me out here -- I feel like everything I know is wrong. Or everything that this fellow knows... <p></p><i></i>
