10-12-2013, 09:29 AM
Macedon wrote:
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Alanus, this Alan King Saul seems to have a bit of history with the Romans. According to John of Antioch he was involved in an assassination attempt against magistros Illus during the reign of Zeno, then in 394 Theodosius appointed him a general under Stilicho. Theodosius's army defeated Arboglast on the river Frigidus in 394 where Zosimus adds that he fled at the first clash. Then he fights for Stilicho at battle of Pollentia & upsets his Christian allies by attacking the Goths on Good Friday, gets killed for his rashness & praised by Claudian but also blamed for the Romans only gaining a moral victory as well as Alaric escaping & eventually sacking Rome. Orisius doesn't seem to like him because he is a barbarian as well as an Arian, & had the hide to attack Alaric on a holy day? Quite an interesting fellow.
Regards
Michael Kerr
Quote:However, in a few words, in the initial formation, cursores (skirmishing missile cavalry) and defensores (cavalry that keeps its formation) together form a line with units 200-400 feet apart. First, it is the cursores who attack the enemy, then they wheel about and enter the intervals, there they again wheel about and with the defensores they jointly advance against the enemy or they ride out on the flanks of the formation or the kursores units.Hi Macedon, Evan I was going over earlier posts in this thread regarding Maurice & the Alan Drill. Macedon's description of “The Alan Drill" fits in with Agusti Alemany's description in his book “Sources of the Alans A Critical Compilation" however in his page notes Alemany says that rather than copying the drill from the Alans he thinks it is more a defensive manoeuvre designed to combat a feigned retreat favoured by the Alans. He describes this manoeuvre as a tactical exercise aimed at keeping order in the ranks while attacking a fleeing enemy (Alans) with the defensores keeping in formation in anticipation of a feigned retreat as was usual amongst the Alans & he goes on to say that in this sense it would be better to translate “see Greek word in attachment" as training against the Alans. Like a later version of Arrian's Array against the Alans but with less detail. Any thoughts on this?
[attachment=8170]greektext.jpg[/attachment]
Alanus, this Alan King Saul seems to have a bit of history with the Romans. According to John of Antioch he was involved in an assassination attempt against magistros Illus during the reign of Zeno, then in 394 Theodosius appointed him a general under Stilicho. Theodosius's army defeated Arboglast on the river Frigidus in 394 where Zosimus adds that he fled at the first clash. Then he fights for Stilicho at battle of Pollentia & upsets his Christian allies by attacking the Goths on Good Friday, gets killed for his rashness & praised by Claudian but also blamed for the Romans only gaining a moral victory as well as Alaric escaping & eventually sacking Rome. Orisius doesn't seem to like him because he is a barbarian as well as an Arian, & had the hide to attack Alaric on a holy day? Quite an interesting fellow.
Regards
Michael Kerr
Michael Kerr
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
