01-19-2005, 01:58 PM
Hi guys<br>
<br>
on occasion I wonder how often the romans used entrenchments and obstacles in the many battles they fought over their long history. I am thinking especially of the small scale battles that History (with capital H) does not report. How often a small roman contingent could stage a successsful fight against a larger less organized group by making best usage of all their know-how.<br>
Note that I am not thinking of camps being under siege, but of the romans deploying themselves behind artificial obstacles (trenches, palisades,...) in ways to constrain the movements of the enemy; e.g. if you are surrounded at least don't make yourself vulnerable to attack from all sides!<br>
<br>
We know of great Sulla using entrenchments to avoid envelopment by far numerous enemy armies in Asia Minor.<br>
I am of course sure that bright generals used the landscape to do such a thing (think of the battle against the Iceni when the outnumbered romans kept their sides and rear covered by forming up infront of a forest).<br>
<br>
But if there was no forest, river, whatever, near by? What could romans do if a battle could not be avoided and they had to fight on short notice without the option of forcing the enemy to fight on chosen ground?<br>
<br>
I really don't think they would simply form up their "thin red lines" and hope for the best. I suspect they, being a very practical people, would do what was possible to hinder, break the lines and possibly try to direct them into certain directions. I suspect the palisades the legions carried on campaign could be used not only to build a camp for the night but could be used in preparing a battle field against superior numbers.<br>
<br>
Any comments? <p></p><i></i>
<br>
on occasion I wonder how often the romans used entrenchments and obstacles in the many battles they fought over their long history. I am thinking especially of the small scale battles that History (with capital H) does not report. How often a small roman contingent could stage a successsful fight against a larger less organized group by making best usage of all their know-how.<br>
Note that I am not thinking of camps being under siege, but of the romans deploying themselves behind artificial obstacles (trenches, palisades,...) in ways to constrain the movements of the enemy; e.g. if you are surrounded at least don't make yourself vulnerable to attack from all sides!<br>
<br>
We know of great Sulla using entrenchments to avoid envelopment by far numerous enemy armies in Asia Minor.<br>
I am of course sure that bright generals used the landscape to do such a thing (think of the battle against the Iceni when the outnumbered romans kept their sides and rear covered by forming up infront of a forest).<br>
<br>
But if there was no forest, river, whatever, near by? What could romans do if a battle could not be avoided and they had to fight on short notice without the option of forcing the enemy to fight on chosen ground?<br>
<br>
I really don't think they would simply form up their "thin red lines" and hope for the best. I suspect they, being a very practical people, would do what was possible to hinder, break the lines and possibly try to direct them into certain directions. I suspect the palisades the legions carried on campaign could be used not only to build a camp for the night but could be used in preparing a battle field against superior numbers.<br>
<br>
Any comments? <p></p><i></i>
Jeffery Wyss
"Si vos es non secui of solutio tunc vos es secui of preciptate."
"Si vos es non secui of solutio tunc vos es secui of preciptate."
