05-17-2008, 02:13 AM
Steven/Antiochus wrote:-
One point in Appian's favour is that the troops of each Consular Army would have been used to forming up that way, and it was easy enough to put the two armies 'side-by-side'. Livy's proposition would have them deploy in what was then a 'novel' ( for them) way.....not the easiest thing to do with a vast array of 80,000 men.......
Quote: So far there is no evidence to prove Livy neither wrong nor right in his choice of battle array. I’m going with Livy because so far he hasn’t let me down....but elsewhere, in your battle of Zama article for example, you have recognised that on occasion, Appian's details (numbers, casualties etc) can be more accurate, or as accurate at the very least, as Polybius or Livy........so why not in this instance? Couldn't Livy have been applying a presumed deployment based on what he knew was an 'antique' array?
One point in Appian's favour is that the troops of each Consular Army would have been used to forming up that way, and it was easy enough to put the two armies 'side-by-side'. Livy's proposition would have them deploy in what was then a 'novel' ( for them) way.....not the easiest thing to do with a vast array of 80,000 men.......
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
