11-15-2013, 03:51 PM
I'll also throw in another, quite possible and simple reason why the Roman deployment was as it was...
The Romans deployed their armies with legions in the centre and cavalry on the wings.
Nothing more and nothing less. Unless you have a confident and experienced commander, whose troops have equal confidence in him, then you don't muck about with the 'plan'.
The Carthaginians had Hannibal - the Romans had a whole succession of generals (let alone in this case a combined army with both Consuls vying for ascendancy) who weren't Hannibal.
I don't entirely agree with Macedon's analysis, but it is not wrong per se. There's no reason the river couldn't have been used to secure at least one flank, as has been done in many battles, provided it was a full and meaningful barrier. Placing all the cavalry on the open flank, perhaps reinforced by velites and perhaps also some of the 'spare' troops that occupied such depth (due to the restricted deployment space), could possibly have blunted the Carthaginian cavalry (who I don't believe would have fared as well against formed infantry) and given time for the legions to have won in the 'centre'.
But that didn't happen, because the Roman army deployed and fought as it 'normally' does, didn't have anyone to think or plan anything different or clever - and Hannibal exploited that.
The simplest answer may be the correct one. :wink:
The Romans deployed their armies with legions in the centre and cavalry on the wings.
Nothing more and nothing less. Unless you have a confident and experienced commander, whose troops have equal confidence in him, then you don't muck about with the 'plan'.
The Carthaginians had Hannibal - the Romans had a whole succession of generals (let alone in this case a combined army with both Consuls vying for ascendancy) who weren't Hannibal.
I don't entirely agree with Macedon's analysis, but it is not wrong per se. There's no reason the river couldn't have been used to secure at least one flank, as has been done in many battles, provided it was a full and meaningful barrier. Placing all the cavalry on the open flank, perhaps reinforced by velites and perhaps also some of the 'spare' troops that occupied such depth (due to the restricted deployment space), could possibly have blunted the Carthaginian cavalry (who I don't believe would have fared as well against formed infantry) and given time for the legions to have won in the 'centre'.
But that didn't happen, because the Roman army deployed and fought as it 'normally' does, didn't have anyone to think or plan anything different or clever - and Hannibal exploited that.
The simplest answer may be the correct one. :wink:
