09-20-2011, 10:11 AM
I have been delving into the ancient sources and modern historians for weeks now trying to understand Roman warfare. After reading enough to make my eyes bleed, not counting the internet postings :roll:, I keep reading about crazed Gaulic and other barbarian charges.
I read Polybius who mentions Gauls fighting naked but I didn't see anything about unorganized wild attacks. In my copy of Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Kessinger Pub., unknown translation) it seems that the Germans and Gauls he fought had a pretty decent semblance of order, he wrote that the Helvetti formed in shield walls.
My question is what evidence exists that says clearly that so-called "barbarian" tribes fought as a mass of beserkers? From what I read "Celtic" tribes invented the Gladius Hispanianus sword, lorica hamata mail. They conquered all the way into modern Turkey and into Spain and Britian. Even though they were considered warrior cultures could they really have been so backwards to not even form ranks before attacking?
Side note, I am speaking generally about Gauls, Celts and Germanic peoples which are made up of thousands of different actual tribes. Hate generalizing myself but it seems I might be wrong on this one. Someone throw me a bone!
I read Polybius who mentions Gauls fighting naked but I didn't see anything about unorganized wild attacks. In my copy of Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Kessinger Pub., unknown translation) it seems that the Germans and Gauls he fought had a pretty decent semblance of order, he wrote that the Helvetti formed in shield walls.
My question is what evidence exists that says clearly that so-called "barbarian" tribes fought as a mass of beserkers? From what I read "Celtic" tribes invented the Gladius Hispanianus sword, lorica hamata mail. They conquered all the way into modern Turkey and into Spain and Britian. Even though they were considered warrior cultures could they really have been so backwards to not even form ranks before attacking?
Side note, I am speaking generally about Gauls, Celts and Germanic peoples which are made up of thousands of different actual tribes. Hate generalizing myself but it seems I might be wrong on this one. Someone throw me a bone!
